Saving Energy 163
of support for investments in green computing). You’re going to need to prove
the benefits to get the support you need for a wider effort, and a pilot project is
a great way to do it.
For a pilot project, you can do everything right: First, do a detailed analysis,
not just an overview, of the “before” situation. Evangelize the people involved
about what you’re trying to do. Show them how they can help, and keep check-
ing back with them during the project.
If you have two or more data centers, there’s an obvious target for a pilot
project: one data center. Find your worse energy hog and fix it. Get greener serv-
ers, add software to better balance loads and save energy, arrange them better,
and put in small amounts of solar ...