California Department of Technology (CDT)

The Office of Technology Services (OTech) provides information technology services to many state, county, federal and local government entities throughout California. Through the use of a scalable, reliable and secure statewide network, combined with expertise in voice and data technologies, OTech delivers comprehensive, cost-effective computing, networking, electronic messaging and training solutions to benefit the people of California.

As the state’s Information Technology (IT) leader, OTech led efforts to reduce total state department IT energy equipment use by at least 20 percent, as required by Assembly Bill 2408 (Smyth and Huber, Chapter 404, Statutes of 2010). To meet required energy reductions, many state departments consolidated their IT equipment into OTech’s ENERGY STAR® rated data center, including equipment from two of OTech’s data centers, which were decommissioned in 2010. Although energy, water, and GHG emissions increased at OTech’s state-owned data center as a result of these consolidation efforts, departmental totals from data center operations were significantly reduced.

OTech implemented significant energy and water efficiency strategies at its mission-critical, ENERGY STAR® rated data center. These strategies included site-wide power, lighting, and computer room equipment mechanical upgrades and real-time cooling tower control and monitoring equipment installation. This strategic implementation reduced energy use at the data center by 1.7 million kilowatt-hours annually, equal to the energy used by 91 homes, and saves over a million gallons of water per year. Energy and water improvement initiatives, currently underway, include server virtualization through cloud computing, improved computer room cooling efficiencies, replacement of cooling towers with more water-efficient models, and solar panel installation in the parking lot.