Latest Uptime Awards Show Green TrendsLatest Uptime Awards Show Green Trends

This year's Green Enterprise IT Awards from the Uptime Institute shows that a data center can be both cool and green, (especially in cold climates.)The Uptime Institute recently handed out its annual Green Enterprise IT Awards, and the obvious emphasis was on cooling. For instance, a data centered operated by Helsingin Energia, the municipally-owned power company in Helsinki, Finland, got dubbed the "world's most eco-efficient computer hall." Its waste heat is used to heat buildings and tap water. Supposedly, CO2 emissions from cooling are reduced 80 percent.

The HP Wynyard Data Center in England was hailed for using outside air for cooling, drawing in large volumes through axial fans equipped with high-efficiency filters. The building's construction also incorporates recycled materials, and includes rainwater harvesting.

Obviously, these are adaptations by people in cold climates who embraced the realization that they rarely need air conditioning. In Helsinki, the heat generated by the data center appears to be a welcome resource. But it would be hard for anyone in the SMB market to follow these examples, especially in the US. After all, they're often located in steel and glass office buildings where you cant even open the windows. And whether you believe in global warming or not, you have to agree that there is a recurring thing called summer, during which you cant operate a windowless office without cooling.

A better solution, one that would benefit all levels of the market and the planet in general, would be chips that dont glow red and need cooling. We are not there yet, and that's not surprising since the technology might as well be in its infancy. You could not expect the first steam locomotive engine in 1804 to be as efficient as today's diesel units.

But it would be really nice if it could.

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