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Can Your 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:

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•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

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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 IBM

Technology Group Engineer Joe Prisco in a TechTarget interview:

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"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.

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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:

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• 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

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Sustainable Cooling PracticesConsider 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.  Sponsored by

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Financial Benefits to Your 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:

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•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.

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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

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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.Sponsored by http://www.DataCenterLeadGen.com

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? 

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Tell us about it in the comments section below.

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