- That 20 percent of energy consumption comes from renewable resources
- A 20 percent reduction in primary energy use compared to projected levels
The survey, which involved 341 IT professionals from across Europe, analyzed current levels of awareness of the EU's 20-20-20 directive and the steps taken to make organizations more efficient.
In support of these objectives, the European Commission introduced a voluntary code of conduct on the energy efficiency of data centres.
The European Commission focused on this area because it anticipates that electricity consumed in data centers will constitute a significant portion of the electricity consumed in the European Union's commercial sector in the near future.
The Emerson Network Power survey also revealed that awareness of the targets had led nearly three out of five IT professionals (57 percent) to acquire more efficient IT equipment. Almost three-quarters (72 percent) indicated that energy efficiency is one of the most important, if not the most important, factors to consider when purchasing data center equipment. Interestingly, the challenge posed by these targets has not prompted many to consider relocating their data centers to countries with fewer restrictions. Only 3 percent have implemented this strategy.
The goals are expected to impact almost every department within organizations, although respondents identified IT/technical operations and engineering/product development as the most likely to be affected. More than a quarter of the companies surveyed have company-wide green initiatives in place.
The survey also addressed renewable energy, a method of energy supply whose use will increase as data centers seek to reduce their emissions. Half of the respondents indicated that solar energy is their preferred renewable energy source for powering their data centers, but they also noted that cost was the main reason they hadn't adopted renewable energy sources.
Sample Profile
- Additional information about the 341 European respondents:
- The majority are from the private sector (72 percent).
- Most of the companies in the sample are large companies (with more than 200 employees).
- Many of the respondents manage small data centers (less than 500 square meters and fewer than 150 racks).
- Most work in engineering (design, development, and testing), data center management (facilities and IT responsibility), and executive management (executive, technical, and financial management).
