Sunday, April 27, 2008

365 Main Web Hosting Data Centers, Join EPA Energy-Efficiency Initiative


San Francisco, California - (The Hosting News) - March 24, 2008 - Data center developer and operator, 365 Main, has added ENERGY STAR as a partner, and will participate in the EPA's future development of a related energy performance rating for data center facilities.

J.P. Balajadia, SVP of engineering for 365 Main noted, ''365 Main brings to the table our expertise from operating more than one million square feet of data center space nationwide across five facilities, as well as our experience with reducing energy use through green programs offered by PG and E and our involvement with groups such as the Green Grid and U.S. Green Building Council.''

According to 365 Main, it is the first company whose sole business is the development and operation of data centers, to join ENERGY STAR as a partner. 365 Main will alsoAs an ENERGY STAR partner, 365 Main agrees to measure and track energy performance where possible by using tools such as those offered by ENERGY STAR, develop and implement a plan consistent with ENERGY STAR guidelines to achieve energy savings, as well as educate staff and the public about achievements with ENERGY STAR.

Data centers are facilities that house computing, networking and data storage equipment as well as the infrastructure to power and cool the equipment, and thereby consume a substantial and increasing amount of energy. According to an EPA report issued in 2007, data centers accounted for about 1.5 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2006, similar to the amount of electricity consumed by 5.8 million average U.S. households. The report projects that national energy consumption by servers and data centers could nearly double by 2011.

Jean Lupinacci, Chief of EPA's ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings program remarked, ''EPA would like to congratulate 365 Main for joining ENERGY STAR as a partner. Strategic energy management is a critical element in our efforts on climate change, and by joining ENERGY STAR, 365 Main is helping lead the way to greater energy savings in the data center industry and real results for the environment.''

365 Main also announced today its participation with EPA in developing an ENERGY STAR Infrastructure Rating for Data Centers. The effort, still in its early stages, will for the first time make it possible for data center facilities to earn the coveted ENERGY STAR mark of excellence for superior energy-efficiency. Dozens of leading companies and other organizations are assisting the EPA with the development of the ENERGY STAR for data center buildings. Nearly 4,100 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have earned the ENERGY STAR through the end of 2007, but a national energy performance standard has not yet been established that allows data center buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR.

The EPA initiated the ENERGY STAR Infrastructure Rating for Data Centers after companies requested a system to help them measure, benchmark and improve the energy-efficiency of data center space. ENERGY STAR is working to collect information from organizations such as 365 Main to gain greater understanding of where energy is consumed within a data center.

The ENERGY STAR rating system will measure the efficiency of power and cooling systems within data center facilities, but will not address the efficiency of IT equipment running within data centers. The EPA is working on a separate ENERGY STAR specification for server hardware.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $14 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 25 million vehicles.

365 Main Inc. develops and operates data centers, developed and certified to compliance requirements, including SAS70, and feature 24/7/365 power, cooling, connectivity and security capabilities to ensure mission-critical operations and business continuity for tenants. Hundreds of hosting, telecommunication and Fortune 1000 enterprises utilize 365 Main's privately held services, based in San Francisco, California.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR, please visit: www.energystar.gov.

For more information about 365 Main Inc., please visit: www.365main.com.