I started writing about green data centers before anyone was using the term. No ones data center strategy was carbon neutral. Now Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and even Amazon has a carbon neutral strategy. It is so obvious now that the right thing for these big companies is to make the effort to lead the industry and be carbon neutral.

Given this acceptance I got bored covering the industry. It has been interesting watching each company change. Green peace and NYtimes articles putting pressure on the companies.

This morning on a walk with my dogs. It hit me. The next step is the greening of the data center assets in the data center. Electrical, Mechanical and other equipment is 50% of the cost of the data center and no one knows if that equipment is made in a carbon neutral environment. The IT equipment can be 5 to 10 times the cost of the DC over the life of the DC. Is it carbon neutral. Most likely not.

Now that the data center energy use is carbon neutral it’s time to look at the things in the data center. It look 10 years for the green data center to be an accepted term.

Greening of the data center assets is next step.