US Dept of Energy selects Eaton and HP to improve IT energy efficiency

Eaton Corporation has announced that it is collaborating with HP on a federally funded project to improve energy efficiency in information technology (IT) systems. Among the 14 projects chosen by the US Department of Energy, the joint proposal from Eaton and HP was selected as the third-largest grant recipient at US$7.4 million.

The joint project from Eaton and HP will develop a fully enclosed IT rack system that provides its own internal power and cooling. High voltage and chilled water will act as the primary inputs to the system and it will also accept alternative energy power sources, such as wind and solar power. A major benefit of this system is a 38% reduction in energy use to support a 100 kW IT load, which equals a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400 tons annually.

“HP and Eaton are working to introduce new technologies that will help businesses reduce power consumption by as much as 40%, lower costs and extend the life of data centres, decreasing the need for new facilities,” said Doug Oathout, Vice-President of Converged Infrastructure, HP. “With this grant, Eaton and HP’s combined expertise will enable us to create an innovative technology solution that increases energy efficiency and meets government mandates to reduce carbon emissions, while diminishing the need to build new power plants to support data centres.”