Data Centers Can Apply for Energy Star Rating in June
Based on the EPA's 1-to-100 rating system, data center operators will enter basic information about their energy use and operational characteristics into a password-protected account they establish in the EPA's Portfolio Manager, an online energy-benchmarking tool. A score of 40 indicates average performance, and a score of 75 or higher means the facility is in the top 25 percent in terms of energy efficiency, qualifying the data center for an Energy Star label.
The rating earned will be based on PUE, or power unit efficiency, a measure of the total power used by the data center, divided by the amount that actually reaches IT equipment, as opposed to being used for cooling systems or inefficient power supplies.
Some critics think that the rating system also should take into account whether a data center uses free cooling, as well as what level of redundancy the center provides.
Environmental Leader 2/10
MLB Adopts League-wide Environmental Data Collection
Boston Red Sox-
In addition to the club's new recycling program with Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and Waste Management, the club has installed water-effecient fixtures on the mezzanine level of Fenway Park. In 2008, Fenway Park installed 28 solar panels.
Cincinnati Reds-
The Reds are offsetting emissions on Earth Day through purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (REC) as well as having more than 1,000 members of its staff wear polo shirts made of recycled PET plastic bottles all summer long.
Kansas City Royals-
The Royals Green Team, a project with Allied Waste, will stroll the aisles during the "Green Stretch" to collect recyclables from fans. The stadium also has 150 recycling bins in and around the stadium.
Philadelphia Phillies-
The Phillies are purchasing RECs to offset 100 percent of utility use at the park for the third consecutive year since starting in 2008. The deal will see the Phillies purchase 20 million kilowatt hours worth of RECs.
Seattle Mariners-
The Mariners celebrated Earth Day at a home game April 21. The game saw the Mariners partner with Cedar Grove COmpost for the Second Annual Zero Waste Game, in which all food service items and waste are recycled.
Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist with NRDC, calls the program "arguably the most important environmental initiative in the history of professional sports, worldwide."
In its first year, the data collection program will focus on:
-Energy use, including total energy used, sources of energy, and use of renewable energy;
-Waste generation, including total waste generated, materials diverted for recycling and composting, and cost of disposal-Water use, including amount of water used, water conserved, and cost of water use, and;
-Paper procurement, including the amount of recycled paper used in club offices, in stadium restrooms and for yearbooks, game-day programs and media guides.
Environmental Leader 4/10
"Green" guru Joel Makower has been know to call sustainable consumption the "elephant in the room" when he talks with corporations about their environmental footprints. After all, for many leading brands, the business case for adopting more environmentally friendly practices is the promise of increased customer preference and loyalty, resulting at the end of the day in...selling more stuff.
Enviros have long pointed out the design flaws in today's consumer society, which exploits common resources like air and water, and values gratification today over resources tomorrow.
Forty years after the first Earth Day, that dynamic may finally be shifting. Companies big and small are seeing opportunities to re-examine long held beliefs about exactly the business they're in.
"We shouldn't see ourselves as a car company when having two cars in every driveway around the world just isn't sustainable," said Ford Motor Company Chairman, Bill Ford, at the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference last month. "We're in the business of providing transportation."
ZipCar, the car sharing service, has already put that concept into reality, providing its primarily urban members with all the convenience that cars can bring- with none of the ownership headaches. The net result for the planet- each ZipCar takes 15-20 personally owned vehicles off the road, according to its founder, Robin Chase.
ebay.com/greenteam Amy Skoczlas Cole 5/10
Financial Community Seeing Green
Lenders and insurers not only see the importance of green building, they're also willing to buy into it because it will help them save money in the long run. Green buildings have lower operational costs, have healthier interiors, and are doing their part to reduce climate change, which is a great risk to insurance companies. Insurers and lenders also feel that green home owners, for the most part, are more responsible, less likely to default, and more likely to maintain their property. Fireman's Fund, for example is one of the first insurers to offer coverage for innovative green buildings.
