April 29, 2008 - Companies' green IT efforts are slowing down as senior managers bemoan the lack of clear industry standards for green datacenters, according to a new survey from Digital Realty Trust.

Just over half of companies (51%) report having a green datacenter strategy, down from 55% last year. At the same time, 82% of companies say there is no clear industry standard for green datacenters - up from 75% in 2007.

"Companies are looking for leadership and clarity on how to define a green datacenter, how to design their green datacenter plans, and how to put them into action," says Jim Smith, vice president of engineering at Digital Realty Trust. "In the past, the question may have been how to convince companies of the value of green datacenters. The good news is that is no longer a problem. Companies are convinced. The challenge is that the datacenter industry needs to step up and show the way with clear standards."

The survey indicates wide agreement on exactly what such standards should entail. Ninety-four percent of respondents say that green guidelines should outline how to achieve efficient power usage (i.e., maximizing energy delivered to IT equipment by the facility), and 83% say the standards should also outline how to enhance HVAC systems to use energy more efficiently.

In the absence of green datacenter standards, companies cite LEED certification as the best alternative. More than 60% of companies say they look to LEED general building standards as a model for their green datacenter initiatives. The Green Grid was also cited as a resource for green datacenter initiatives, indicating that the consortium is gaining visibility and momentum in the industry, the survey suggests.