Green Grid Launches Online Tool To Measure Data Centre Efficiency

The Green Grid has finally released an online tool allowing data centre operators to compare efficiency, sustainability and resource consumption against the benchmarks set out in the Data Centre Maturity Model (DCMM).

The free-to-use tool will help measure various facets of a data centre, including power, cooling, compute, network and storage, and rate it against peers and industry best practices.

Measuring green credentials

“We developed the Data Centre Maturity Model to be the world’s most comprehensive single resource for setting data centre operators on the path to maximum sustainability and energy efficiency,” said Harkeeret Singh, the head of the Green Grid’s technical work group. “The new online benchmarking tool builds on this work by providing users with clear assessment criteria that enables them to measure against current best practice, as well as a five year roadmap for the industry.”

While the Green Grid’s self-assessment tool will undoubtedly aid companies looking to improve their green credentials, it has taken more than a year after the DCMM was first announced for it to arrive. The previous method of measuring a data centre’s performance consisted of inputting information into a spreadsheet.

The industry consortium began testing the online tool last October, touting the inclusion of a “graphic equaliser” style feature.

“Once they have entered their data, users get access to their own personal DCMM equaliser, a model that enables them to determine their levels of maturity and identify the ongoing steps and innovations required as part of their strategy to achieve greater energy efficiency and sustainability improvements in the data centre,” Singh said.

“The Data Centre Maturity Model Tool will finally enable data centres to demonstrate credible proof that they leading the [IT] industry – and, perhaps, their rivals – in resource efficiency and sustainability.”

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