ASHRAE is partnering with the Green Grid to cooperate on publications and share technical information on energy efficiency.

The Green Grid is a global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers.

With such center operations running continuously - approximately three times the annual operating hours of most commercial properties - energy use is typically large and concentrated. As a result, issues such as sustainable design, energy efficiency and operating cost become critically important for these facilities, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers said.

“This agreement raises our collaboration efforts in the electronics industry and enhances our efforts to provide data center operators with important information to improve the energy efficiency of data centers, paralleling the work already being done by ASHRAE to improve energy efficiency in all types of buildings,” said Roger Schmidt, a member and past chairman of ASHRAE’s technical committee on critical facilities, technology spaces and electronic equipment. “ASHRAE’s unique membership makeup of manufacturers, designers, facility managers, architects and code officials will go a long way in assisting the member companies of the Green Grid.”

“With energy shortages and rising energy costs now topping the list of concerns for large scale organizations, the movement to reduce data center and other IT (information technology) energy usage patterns is quickly gaining momentum,” said Geoffrey Noer, a director of the Green Grid. “We believe achieving greater IT energy efficiency is a crucial step to ensuring that growing companies can control costs while enabling future expansion.”