IBM has unveiled eleven new servers that meet stringent version 2.0 guidelines now in effect under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program.
The new servers are expected to bring energy efficiency in data centers.
Qualifying criteria for the new ENERGY STAR rating include features such as efficient power supplies, real time power usage measurement, and advanced power management for lowering usage during idle periods
IBM’s servers that have earned the ENERGY STAR cover the full range of IBM’s two and four socket systems: four from IBM’sPower Systems line-up; and seven from the IBM System x and Pure Flex series.
According to the EPA, computer servers that earn the ENERGY STAR designation will, on average, be 30 percent more energy efficient than standard servers. If all servers sold in the U.S were to meet ENERGY STAR specifications, energy cost savings would approach $800 million per year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from over one million vehicles.
“Energy efficiency is good for data centers’ bottom lines and good for the planet,” said Wayne Balta, vice president of IBM Corporate Environmental Affairs and Product Safety. “It doesn’t make sense to just ‘add a server’ to a data center without considering energy efficiency. Our new ENERGY STAR qualified servers are the latest example of IBM pursuing environmental sustainability for clients and our own operations.”
Server environmental efficiency has increasingly played a key role in IBM server wins in and beyond the United States.
IBM became a charter member of the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Computer Program in 1992 and helped the EPA define criteria for computers and monitors.
In March 2001, IBM became the first company to win an ENERGY STAR Excellence in Corporate Commitment Award recognizing IBM’s overall commitment and contributions to energy conservation and efficiency across the company’s operations and in the design of its products.
IBM also received the ENERGY STAR Computer Partner of the Year award in the Office Equipment category for two consecutive years, 1998 and 1999, for leadership in developing environmentally responsible computer products.
In recent years IBM has actively participated in the development of both the first and second versions of the ENERGY STAR specifications for server, storage and network devices, providing technical assistance and equipment-operating data to assist in the development of criteria.