A recent survey performed by Schneider Electric in conjunction with Redshift Research suggests that many major organizations are seeing significant returns on their investments in energy efficiency measures for their data centers. The survey included 300 executives in decision-making roles in facilities management, operations management, supply chain management or energy management at organizations with more than $50 million in annual revenue.
The results of the survey, published by Data Center Knowledge, showed that over three quarters of these top decision makers have invested in energy efficiency programs in 2014. Additionally, more than half reported that this investment will increase next year. This shows that data center energy efficiency is becoming a major priority for organizations looking to remain competitive in today's marketplace.
"Six years ago I saw a true interest in efficiency, but it peaked out in terms of hype. Now we're at a point where people are investing. It would not be happening were there not a financial impact," Domenic Alcaro, vice president of mission critical services and software at Schneider Electric, wrote in a release accompanying the survey results.
Forty-eight percent of respondents ranked cost reductions as a result of increased efficiency as their main motivation for increasing their investments in data center management, while 43 percent reported optimized business processes were the deciding factor. Considering this trend, data center managers should look into how their own facility management strategies could be improved by adopting energy efficiency practices. Reductions in data center operating expenses can improve the competitive position of the business as a whole.
