Can Your Data Center Environment Pursue LEED Certification? (SlideShare)

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CanYour Data Center Environment Pursue
LEED Certification?

Whether you can pursue LEED certification is fairly
obvious, because of course you can.The more
important question however, is whether you should
for your data center environment. LEED, or
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design creates value such as:
Sponsored by http://www.DataCenterLeadGen.com

•Public relations
•Incentive for investment for those who prioritize
environmental responsibility
•Marketplace differentiation
•Energy efficiency
•Employee well-being and morale
•Potential long-term financial savings
•Carbon footprint reduction

Though all of these factors can put a smile on
your face, a bulge in bank accounts and a
cleaner environment, consider the following
quote from IBMTechnology Group Engineer
Joe Prisco in aTechTarget interview:

"We see data centers as being more energy-
intensive per square foot, so where [LEED] seems
to fall short is taking into account the energy-
intensive nature of the data center."
The latest proposed LEED v4 standard takes the
unique nature of data centers into consideration.

Eco-Friendly Factors Besides Power
There are a number of ways for data center service
providers to gain LEED credits beyond energy
efficiency . Here are factors which are used by the US
Green Building Council to assess whether a data
center or another type of building is LEED-worthy:

• Efficient use of building materials and reduction of waste
• Location relative to public transportation and/or residential
neighborhoods for employees to live
• Water efficiency
• Effective lighting through solar
• Indoor air quality
• Innovative building amenities, ranging from simple outdoor
ashtrays to sophisticated parking facilities
• Rainwater management and reduction of carbon emissions

Sustainable Cooling Practices
Consider the potential use of rainwater in server cooling:
• Microsoft’s location in the Pacific Northwest is much more
viable for the use of collected rainwater than Google facilities in
California, especially after droughts.
• In other regions with cooler climates like Colorado, the naturally
lower temperatures help to take the heat off servers.The same
can’t be said for Arizona.

Financial Benefits toYour Data Center
Environment
Many state and local governments offer tax
credits and incentives for companies with buildings
that attain LEED certification. Other potential
financial benefits include:

• Moving to virtual hardware demands less energy and reduces
maintenance requirements.
• Choosing locations with access to cleaner energy sources like
hydroelectric power reduces cost and carbon footprint.
• By building data centers with bicycle or public transportation access
for employees, improved exterior views, interior air quality and
sunlight, studies show employee health, morale, and productivity
also improves.
• Investors and data center customers are increasingly
rewarding LEED certified data centers.

Local, Sustainable, Efficient and Clean Air
LEED certified data centers are built with materials
from local manufacturers.Waste is diverted to
recycling facilities where ever possible.
Custom hardware is used which requires less energy
and cooling and meets ENERGY STAR standards.

If your data center environment is not currently
LEED-ready, there are many affordable, actionable
steps you can take towards getting credits toward
certification.The benefits described in this article are
significant for your bottom line cost reduction,
employee well-being, shareholder value and for the
benefit of the planet.

Has your company established a mandate
for LEED certification, or have you already
achieved one of the LEED certification
tiers? How has it impacted your business?

Tell us about it in the comments section below.

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Can Your Data Center Environment Pursue LEED Certification? (SlideShare)

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