Microsoft Helps Utilities be Environmentally Friendly

For a number of years, Microsoft has been working closely with utilities organizations to develop various energy-efficient solutions, but these projects have been hampered by slow progress due to the organizations wanting to progress in a conservative fashion. But now, with the federal government urging the development of stimulus projects related to energy efficiency, utility companies have awakened to the challenges they face in today’s technology, and they have turned to Microsoft for help and recommendations with energy-efficient buildings, smart power grids, and data centers that are environmentally friendly.

The increasing demands for energy, paired with the increasing number of infrastructure projects that are fueled by federal stimulus money, are going to result in huge amounts of data being produced. Microsoft is confident that its technologies associated with data warehousing are exactly what the utility industry needs for storing all this data and delivering the appropriate information to customers. Microsoft’s focus is on the entire energy ecosystem rather than on one single part of it. The overarching goal is to factor intelligence and new technology into the entire value chain related to energy - from the initial power generation to its transmission, metering, and eventual distribution, right on into the homes of consumers.

According to Jon Arnold, the managing director of Microsoft’s worldwide power and utilities industry division, Microsoft’s goal is to build smarter systems, more useful communication, and better information for researchers to use for analysis. Utilities typically have access to tremendous amounts of data, but they have usually found that it is difficult to turn that data into useful information. So as the huge amounts of data continue to increase, more utility companies are beginning to deploy technology for smart metering, and then use business intelligence solutions to analyze data.

Microsoft is also helping data centers and office buildings improve their energy efficiency. Buildings can improve their design by working with traditional companies using Autodesk and CAD, which are Microsoft software products that designers can use to incorporate technologies such as unified communications. Embedding such technologies into building construction designs makes it simpler for workers to hold virtual meetings rather than everyone having to drive to the building to meet in the same room.

For the past several years Microsoft has been focused on increasing the efficiency of data centers by carefully choosing locations for their facilities. Cool climates, such as Ireland, and locations near hydroelectric power sources, help in making the data centers more energy efficient. As a result of these efforts, Microsoft has gained credibility with customers who now turn to them for advice about how they can find similar solutions to increase their environmental awareness.

Kim Nelson, director of government solutions at Microsoft, says the examples Microsoft has set are the key to why utility companies are now coming to them for advice. "The expertise Microsoft has built in the area of data center energy efficiency means that more and more customers are coming to us to help them update their data centers," Nelson said.