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Use DC Pro Tool to Measure Data Center Energy Use

From the Fall 2008 issue of Energy Matters

The Data Center Energy Profiler (DC Pro) online software tool Version 1.0 is an important first step toward measuring and identifying areas for potential energy savings in your data center. Developed by DOE's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), DC Pro is a scoping tool that gives you a general idea of where the energy is being used in your data center, identifies the best opportunities for energy savings, and compares the energy use with other data centers.

Operating on the premise of "you are not managing what you don't measure," DC Pro first assesses the energy use of the data center through input supplied by the user, and then generates a report of potential energy savings based on that input.

The DC Pro tool requires input of basic information about the data center, such as description of the facility, utility costs, and system information on IT, cooling, power, and on-site generation. View the DC Pro checklist (PDF 129 KB) for a list of the information you will need to provide. Download Adobe Reader. DC Pro is designed so that the user can complete this profile in about an hour. The DC Pro tool then generates a customized report that details:

  • Average amount of energy that is purchased or generated on-site, and the cost of the energy.
  • Annual energy consumption, broken down by each major energy use system.
  • Potential annual energy and cost savings, categorized by each major energy use system; and how this energy use compares to that of other data centers.
  • Suggested next steps that could be implemented to save energy and costs.

ITP invites you to test DC Pro at your data center facility, and get started on the path to energy savings today! Learn more and download DC Pro Version 1.0 free of charge from the Save Energy Now Data Center Web site. Here, you can also find out more about DOE's partnership efforts to improve the efficiency of data centers, and sign up to receive updates and information about this initiative.

For more information, contact DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Information Center, or call 1-877-337-3463.

This image shows the DC Pro tool process. On the left is a box titled "Inputs", followed by a list of bullets that read: description, utility bill data, system information (which includes IT, cooling, power, and on-site generation). To the right of this box is an arrow pointing to the right with text that reads "DC Pro Tool." On the right is another box titled "Outputs", followed by a list of bullets that read: overall picture of energy use and efficiency; end-use breakout; potential areas for energy efficiency improvement; and overall energy use reduction potential.

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