The Colorado Software and Internet Association (CSIA) offered its members insights into “Eco-Innovations in Colorado,” a program fittingly held at Sun Microsystem’s Broomfield Campus where a green data center opened earlier this year. CSIA President Su Hawk noted that both Colorado and technologists have been early adopters of the green movement and expressed hope in the opportunities to retain and grow current talent and activities. The program’s four speakers then took the stage to explore the opportunities of green innovations from both the public sector and private enterprise perspective.
Andre Pettigrew, Director of Economic Development for the City and County of Denver, kicked off the morning discussing the opportunities afforded to Colorado through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Pettigrew did caution that the 1,000 page law is extremely complex and those seeking to understand it better might consider the briefings and programs being offered by many local law firms. Pettigrew then focused on two key elements needed for Colorado companies and communities to maximize the impact of stimulus dollars, a significant amount of which will be distributed through a competitive bid process. First, “communities [within Colorado] must not compete against each other” but rather look to attract maximum combined funding, an effort Pettigrew is directly involved in through cooperation with economic development professionals across the state. Second, given the breadth of the package, companies seeking funding must “narrow [their] focus” and identify the areas where they are strong and can best compete. Pettigrew also highlighted Denver’s involvement in the Climate Prosperity Project which will focus on greening and growing Denver across three key programs: Green Savings which will help businesses reduce consumption, Green Opportunities which will focus on environmentally friendly innovation, and Green Talent which supports the training and retention of a workforce for these energy challenges. Pettigrew also focused on the new perspective that environmentally responsible activity supports – rather than hinders – efforts at economic development.
Bob Noun took the stage next to offer perspectives from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden. Noun began by noting that it has “taken 30 years [for NREL] to become an overnight sensation” with the Obama Administration’s renewed focus on transforming the country’s energy profile. Noun noted that the challenge to the development of renewable energy technologies that require consistent and long-term R&D efforts has been the boom and bust cycle of funding depending on political priorities. NREL is committed to not only leading research but also in finding ways to support commercialization activities. For every dollar invested in NREL by Congress, $0.40 is reinvested within industry. Moving forward, Noun expressed hope at improvements in “bring[ing] technology to the marketplace at speed and scale.”
Carl Koval, the Director of the University of Colorado Energy Initiative (CUEI), discussed the role of higher education in eco-innovations. Core efforts at CUEI center on engaging both students and faculty. CUEI hopes that CU Boulder graduates leave with “a broad perspective on energy” and supports this effort through a recently added energy-focused certificate program for undergraduates and graduates. For faculty, efforts are being made to “bring disciplines together” to “combine expertise on multi-faceted projects” related to renewable energy. Essential to providing seed funding to some of these projects is the support of industry in the seventeen company Energy Initiative Leadership Council.
Dean Nelson, Senior Director of Global Lab & Data Center Design Services at Sun, concluded the presentations by highlighting the innovations that went into the Sun’s Broomfield Data Center. According to Nelson, the core focus of designing the new center that consolidated 496,000 square feet of space into 126,000 was “brutal efficiency,” as real estate and facilities represent Sun’s second largest expense after talent. With this focus, Sun was able to realize substantial savings in construction and operational costs while achieving a hefty reduction in its carbon footprint at the same time. The center uses a modular design which is both dense and efficient and enables modular cooling matching loads and heat sources while also improving flexibility and scalability. Cooling represents a key opportunity for energy savings within data centers – an opportunity Sun capitalized both through the modular design and installation of the Liebert advanced XD cooling system. Sun is committed to supporting other companies’ efforts to green their data centers both through providing extensive documentation online (including a video tour of the facility and blueprints for energy efficient data centers) and consulting services.
CSIA, the state’s largest technology association, provides programs, workshops and major events to create connections, portals for information, as well as leadership about key issues in the industry. Upcoming is the organization’s Annual Apex Awards Celebration on June 9 recognizing the achievements of technology companies and professionals in the state. Nominations for the awards are open until April 23.
