Data Centers’ Power Use Less Than Was Expected If the estimate
is accurate, it could confirm the widely held industry
perception that Google, with its many large data centers, is
relatively more efficient than the mainstream of the data center
industry. A vast majority of data center designers choose to use
standard industry equipment, not equipment specialized for
particular computing tasks. A study shows that, partly because
of the 2008 recession, power consumption by data centers hasn’t
grown at expected rates. The study suggests that Google’s
centers are more efficient than most. In the new study, prepared
at the request of The New York Times, Mr. Koomey found that
electricity used by data centers worldwide grew significantly,
but it was an increase of only about 56 percent from 2005 to
2010. In the United States, power consumption increased by 36
percent, according to Mr. Koomey’s report, titled “Growth in
Data Center Power Use 2005 to 2010.” “Mostly because of the
recession, but also because of a few ch