As companies build more green data centers, more data center staffers will be working in these energy-conscious environments. What's it like to work in a green data center? Carolyn Duffy Marsan of Network World explores that question in an interesting story about the tradeoffs involved in LEED-certified facilities.
Green buildings typically have fewer electric outlets, and employees are urged to pool resources. "It takes a lot of marketing and education" to get employees used to working in a green building, says Chris Long, director of sustainable development at the EPA's facility in Research Triangle Park, N.C. One of the major hot-button issues for employees is limits on the use of printers. Another common restriction strikes me as a far more critical issue for data center staff:
"Mr. Coffee uses about 1000 watts when it is brewing, and it cycles on and off. It's 250 watts of constant power if you're keeping a hotplate warm," Long says. "We have rules that allow no more than two coffee pots for every dozen or so people."
The story is part of a package of stories on energy-efficient data centers at Network World.
