The Green Grid has unveiled a new report designed to help green IT executives understand the impact of energy policies on the selection and operation of energy efficient data center technologies.
The non-profit organization published "Energy Policy Research & Implications For Data Centers In EMEA," which aims to summarize the key energy policies across 12 countries, including the UK, Spain, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
"As well as exceptionally challenging economic conditions, data center operators also have to contend with a uniquely complicated regulatory environment which is constantly evolving," said Harkeeret Singh, report editor and The Green Grid EMEA technical chairman.
The research focused on four areas affecting data center energy usage, including regulatory obligations and voluntary green building standards, such as the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.
It also examined how financial incentives, such as feed-in tariffs and Enhanced Capital Allowances, could be used to support the development of green data centers.
"Keeping track of all the legislation, regulations, costs and incentives surrounding resource efficiency - and working out how it affects the data center industry and your business - is a huge and time-consuming job," added Singh.
"The Green Grid developed this report for the industry to be a single resource that informs business decisions and prepares data centers for the effects of current and pending changes in the regulatory environment and ensures they can budget for and exploit these policies to gain a competitive advantage."
This article originally appeared at BusinessGreen.com and is reprinted with permission.
Photo of grass and data center provided by Fernando Madeira via Shutterstock