Data Center Power

Get the Right Amount of Data Center Power - No More, No Less

Traditionally, power consumption was just a cost of doing business, well within the realm of facilities management. But as the price for power and data center power requirements continue to rise, data center power cost is a problem IT can no longer afford to ignore.

The primary reason for new data center power requirements is the increased densities of servers and switches. More powerful machines packed into tighter footprints is causing cooling headaches, and cooling that equipment eats up a lot of power. According to a 2008 report by management consultancy McKinsey and Company titled "Revolutionizing Data Center Efficiency", total data center power costs in 2010 will reach $11.5 billion. And with an average 25% of the total IT budget at a typical data center going toward data center power costs, that's a lot of money for companies to spend!

Data center power costs can greatly affect overall spend in an IT department's data center budget, making it more important than ever to get the right amount of power - no more, no less. Because of this, FindADataCenter.com has made it easier to understand your power requirements and choose the data center or colocation situation that is most cost effective.

Did you know that power costs vary from state to state? Use FindADataCenter.com's Data Center Power Map to calculate the cents-per-kilowatt hour prices in your state.

Want more detail? Calculate your power requirements down to the BTUs per square foot, square foot per ton of air and sensible tons of air per 1,000 square feet.