365 Main has become the first company whose sole business is the development and operation of datacenters to join ENERGY STAR as a partner.
As an ENERGY STAR partner, 365 Main agrees to measure and track energy performance where possible by using tools such as those offered by ENERGY STAR, develop and implement a plan consistent with ENERGY STAR guidelines to achieve energy savings, as well as educate staff and the public about achievements with ENERGY STAR.
The company will also participate in the EPA's future development of an ENERGY STAR energy performance rating for datacenter facilities.
The effort, still in its early stages, will for the first time make it possible for datacenter facilities to earn the coveted ENERGY STAR mark of excellence for superior energy-efficiency. Dozens of leading companies and other organizations are assisting the EPA with the development of the ENERGY STAR for data center buildings. Nearly 4,100 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have earned the ENERGY STAR through the end of 2007, but a national energy performance standard has not yet been established that allows datacenter buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR.
The EPA initiated the ENERGY STAR Infrastructure Rating for Data Centers after companies requested a system to help them measure, benchmark and improve the energy-efficiency of datacenter space. ENERGY STAR is working to collect information from organizations to gain greater understanding of where energy is consumed within a datacenter.
The ENERGY STAR rating system will measure the efficiency of power and cooling systems within datacenter facilities, but will not address the efficiency of IT equipment running within datacenters. The EPA is working on a separate ENERGY STAR specification for server hardware.