Sep 05 2008
Ahead of the Power Curve
Last week we learned that Avnet has been named as a finalist in Computerworld’s Green IT awards for “Green IT in the Data Center.” “Green IT in the Data Center.”
We’re in with some pretty big company (IBM and Unisys were also named finalists in our category). But just being named a finalist I think shows a recognition of some things we take very seriously in running our business.
It’s become very cool these days to tout everything “green,” and sometimes we all get ahead of ourselves. So, I’m realistic. Avnet is on a journey to become more of a green company, we’re not perfect, but we’re looking at everything from coffee cups in our break rooms (we switched from Styrofoam to paper and regular old mugs) to use of plastic water bottles (we recently stopped using them at our large corporate functions) to big things like energy conservation.
Our journey in the data center began in 2005, when we needed to expand. The IT team worked closely with our facilities management team. Some things we did to get ahead of the power consumption curve:
ü Using virtualization we consolidated our servers and decreased power consumption per image by 44 percent.
ü We replaced “down flow” air conditioners with new ones which were 20 percent more efficient.
ü We added more insulation. For a data center located in Arizona, where temperatures can reach more than 115 degrees, this investment resulted in a more efficient building, lowered cooling costs by $7500 per year, and increased the longevity of cooling systems and the roof.
ü We replaced 250 T12 lighting ballasts with more efficient T08 ballasts. This reduced Avnet’s lighting costs by 30 percent.
Winners will be announced September 18th at Computerworld’s Green IT Symposium. I have my fingers crossed.
![[RSS]](/images/rss.gif){kind=small}
Posts
As a follow-up to my post above — we won! Check out the press release in Avnet’s press room:
September 24, 2008 – Avnet, Inc. Named an Honoree in Computerworld’s Inaugural “Best Practices in Green IT” Awards Program
Avnet Recognized for Its Commitment to Improving Energy Efficiency in Its Data Center
PHOENIX — Global technology distributor Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) today announced that IDG’s Computerworld selected the company as an Honoree in the inaugural “Best Practices in Green IT” Awards Program. Computerworld’s “Best Practices in Green IT” Awards Program identifies and acknowledges excellence among early adopters and industry leaders in the green IT movement. Avnet received its award in the “Green IT in the Data Center” category based on its three-year project to create a more energy-efficient data center. more