How Virtualization Helps Feds Shrink Environmental Footprints

Government agencies spend more than $5 billion per year on energy, and the cost of powering and cooling data centers is a large portion of that. As they work to lessen that demand, both to trim utility costs and minimize environmental impact, agencies are discovering the virtues of virtualization.The Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers recommends data center virtualization as one of its “high-level best practices,” alongside more obvious measures such as turning off unused equipment and decommissioning unused servers.Buildings with data centers spend 25 percent to 35 percent more on electricity per square foot than those without, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.The Office of Management and Budget has been pushing federal agencies to close and consolidate data centers where possible, and to optimize remaining facilities through methods such as energy metering and virtualization.