Earlier this year, experts warned that data centers will be using significantly more energy in the near future, with consequences for the environment as well as many company's wallets. The article, published in The Independent, highlighted predictions that data centers will be using three times more energy in a decade. With sites using more energy in order to support business functions, the importance of energy efficiency and data center cleaning are at an all-time high. 

The influx of data
In today's plugged in society, enterprises are managing huge amounts of data. Analysis of this data can help businesses make more intelligent strategic decisions while supporting the supply chain on a global level, but in order to facilitate this they need more from their data centers. Data needs to be stored in these facilities, and as the amount of data grows and the number of new products and services roll out that rely on it, data centers have to use more power. 

The Independent pointed out that over the past decade, these computer rooms have mushroomed in importance and energy consumed. Ten years ago they were hardly noticeable, but today they use three percent of all power at the global level, while giving off two percent of the world's greenhouse gases, making it comparable to the global airline industry. The amount of energy that data centers are using is doubling every four years. 

A clean facility is an efficient one
As your business relies on the data center more and more, it's important to operate an efficient one to cut down on waste. Data center cleaning allows you to get the most out of your critical server room, reducing the chances of downtime and ensuring efficient energy use. One of the the simplest ways you can boost the efficiency of your critical environment is to keep it spotless. 

• The accumulation of dust, grime and other pollutants can slow down fans and delicate server equipment. 
• If fans and other cooling units can't properly circulate airflow, your equipment can overheat, giving off more energy just to get the same work done. Eventually, overheated equipment can crash. 
• Likewise, data center equipment that's not operating adequately due to cleanliness issues won't run properly, and can even shut down entirely. This data center downtime can be extremely expensive and cost your company thousands of dollars per minute. 

Power usage efficiency
In terms of energy usage, data centers are rated by power usage effectiveness, or PUE. This metric is determined through the following calculation:

• Total facility power divided by the total IT equipment power.

The average PUE is 2.4, so that's a good starting point. Anything higher than that is going to need some work. The gold standard for PUE ratings is anything below 1.5. Any efforts to improve your computer room's PUE rating is going to need to start with a comprehensive, professional cleaning to ensure that all cooling systems and server equipment are free of debris and operating at peak efficiency. 

When your facility isn't properly cleaned, your effectively throwing money away by wasting power. Why do that when it hurts the environment and your company's finances? 

FirstTech Corporation has been leading the way in the field of computer room cleaning and environmental maintenance since 1979. Our data center professionals can help you reduce the environmental hazards that can hold your facility back. In addition to computer room cleaning and preventative maintenance, we also offer a 24-hour disaster recovery hotline. Contact us to learn more about our superior products and impeccable service.