A global taskforce comprised of eight leading organizations that set or use data center energy efficiency metrics have reached an agreement on measurement protocols for data center power usage effectiveness (PUE) and continue to discuss additional energy efficiency metrics. These organizations are: U.S. Department of Energy’s Save Energy Now and Federal Energy Management Programs; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program; European Commission Joint Research Center Data Centers Code of Conduct; Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Green IT Promotion Council; and The Green Grid.

Since the release of the taskforce’s guiding principles, Harmonizing Global Metrics for Data Center Energy Efficiency in early 2010, the participating organizations have been meeting regularly to provide greater detail on metrics to improve energy efficiency in the IT industry.

On February 28, 2011, the taskforce announced an agreement on final, detailed measurement protocols for PUE. This announcement also includes a status update on the Taskforce’s discussion of other metrics to measure energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and IT equipment efficiency in data centers. With continued dialogue and additional input by a variety of stakeholders, the guiding principles will be refined and expanded to maximize their impact on both energy consumption and operational efficiency.