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IT Running Costs for SME

  • 30-08-2012 2:10pm
    #1
    Jacknory
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78 ✭✭


    Hi

    Not sure if this is in the right thread so please move if required.

    I'm a partner in a small services company and we are always looking at ways of reducing cost. We recently started to look at energy costs but have no way of establishing what the running costs of our small network of PCs (1 Server, 10 PCs) is costing us.

    Can anyone suggest how I could go about this (internally and/or service provider)?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    caff
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 954 ✭✭✭caff


    some thing like this http://purchase.ie/energy-saving/electricity-monitoring-socket/


  • #3
    Jacknory
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78 ✭✭Jacknory


    Thanks for the reply.

    I remember trying one of those at home but wasn't too confident of the output results.

    What I'm trying to do is measure the overall cost within the office as opposed to whats running through 1,2 or 3 plugs.


  • #4
    srsly78
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,157 ✭✭✭srsly78


    Get a smart meter then.

    Tips to save power on pcs: Make sure all the workstations are fully asleep in the evening. Server you may want to keep running for remote home access.


  • #5
    Jacknory
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78 ✭✭Jacknory


    I understand some of the measures to reducing energy cost of the equipment but I'm trying to get todays cost so I can benchmark further reductions off this.

    Would a smart meter be able to cover everything? Could you recommend one if so?

    Thanks


  • #6
    srsly78
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,157 ✭✭✭srsly78


    Your electricity provider will supply one if you ask, not sure how much they cost. Your electrician could provide better advice.

    The smart meter will cover EVERYTHING - not just your IT gear. If you want to calculate the power drawn by just the IT gear you could take multiple readings:
    Reading A: Electricity load with everything running (it gear, lights, aircon, the works)
    Reading B: Electricity load with all IT gear turned off.

    Subtract B from A to find the power your gear is using. Note however that modern equipment is supposed to dynamically adjust it's performance - for example your CPU will draw more power when it's at 100% load crunching lots of numbers, and should draw a lot less power when used for less demanding activity.

    You could try taking a reading on a saturday with the lights on but computers off, and then compare this to a weekday reading?

    If your IT gear is isolated on seperate circuits you could try just measuring those circuits. Talk to electrician.


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