The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides acquisition guidance for data center storage, a product category covered by ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements. Federal laws and requirements mandate that agencies purchase ENERGY STAR-qualified products or FEMP-designated products in all product categories covered by these programs and in any acquisition actions that are not specifically exempted by law.

FEMP's acquisition guidance and associated ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements for data center storage are technology neutral, meaning that one technology is not favored over another. However, ENERGY STAR's requirements are limited to products that satisfy definition of qualifying products in the ENERGY STAR data center storage specifications.

All other data storage center types are excluded, including but not limited to personal/portable data storage products; computer servers; blade storage products; direct attached storage products; storage products capable of object based storage; storage devices in the following categories of the taxonomy: near-online, removable media library, virtual media library, and products that are covered under other ENERGY STAR product specifications.

This acquisition guidance was updated in December 2022.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides data center storage efficiency levels and product specification information on its ENERGY STAR website. Manufacturers meeting these requirements are allowed to display the ENERGY STAR label on complying models. Get a list of ENERGY STAR certified data center storage.

FEMP has calculated that the required ENERGY STAR-qualified data center storage saves money if priced no more than $110 (in 2021 dollars) above the less efficient model. The best available model saves up to $133. Table 1 compares three types of product purchases and calculates the lifetime cost savings of purchasing efficient models. Federal purchasers can assume products that meet ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements are life cycle cost-effective.

An efficient product is cost-effective when the lifetime energy savings (from avoided energy costs over the life of the product, discounted to present value) exceed the additional up-front cost (if any) compared to a less efficient option. ENERGY STAR considers up-front costs and lifetime energy savings when setting required efficiency levels. Federal purchasers can assume ENERGY STAR-qualified products and products that meet FEMP-designated efficiency requirements are life cycle cost-effective. In high-use applications or when energy rates are above the federal average, purchasers may save more if they specify products that exceed federal efficiency requirements (e.g., the best available model).

Products meeting ENERGY STAR or FEMP-designated efficiency requirements may not be life cycle cost-effective in certain low-use applications or in locations with very low rates for electricity or natural gas. However, for most applications, purchasers will find that energy-efficient products have the lowest life cycle cost.

Agencies may claim an exception to federal purchasing requirements through a written finding that no FEMP-designated or ENERGY STAR-qualified product is available to meet functional requirements, or that no such product is life cycle cost-effective for the specific application. Learn more about federal product purchasing requirements.

These mandatory requirements apply to all forms of procurement, including construction guide and project specifications; renovation, repair, energy service, and operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts; lease agreements; acquisitions made using purchase cards; and solicitations for offers. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 23.206 requires agencies to insert the clause at FAR section 52.223-15 into contracts and solicitations that deliver, acquire, furnish, or specify energy-consuming products for use in federal government facilities. To comply with FAR requirements, FEMP recommends that agencies incorporate efficiency requirements into technical specifications, the evaluation criteria of solicitations, and the evaluations of solicitation responses.

Requirements to purchase energy-efficient products can sometimes be perceived as in conflict with other acquisition requirements, including Buy American, Small Business, or other set-asides. These requirements are not mutually exclusive. If you run into problems trying to meet multiple procurement requirements, please reach out to FEMP for assistance.

The federal supply sources for energy-efficient products are the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). GSA sells products through its Multiple Awards Schedules program and online shopping network, GSA Advantage!. DLA offers products through the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia and online through DOD EMALL. Products sold through DLA are codified with a 13-digit National Stock Number (NSN) and, in some cases, a two-letter Environmental Attribute Code (ENAC). The ENAC identifies items that have positive environmental characteristics and meet standards set by an approved third party, such as FEMP and ENERGY STAR.

The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) is a worldwide classification system for e-commerce. It contains more than 50,000 commodities, including many used in the federal sector, each with a unique eight-digit, four-level identification code. Manufacturers and vendors are beginning to adopt the UNSPSC classification convention and electronic procurement systems are beginning to include UNSPSC tracking in their software packages. UNSPSCs can help the federal acquisition community identify product categories covered by sustainable acquisition requirements, track purchases of products within those categories, and report on progress toward meeting sustainable acquisition goals. FEMP has developed a table of ENERGY STAR and FEMP-designated covered product categories and related UNSPSC numbers.

GSA offers data center storage through Multiple Awards Schedule IT Hardware 33411.

The UNSPSC for hard disk drives is 43201803, tape drives is 43201807, and solid state drives is 43201830.

Agencies should consult the Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers website for information on energy-efficient design strategies and opportunities in data centers. DOE has partnered with key public and private stakeholders to provide technical information, tools, best practices, and analysis that assist government agencies with decreasing energy use in data centers. Purchasing efficient products for use in data centers can be an important component to meeting data center energy reduction goals.

Consider the following factors when purchasing data center storage.

The current ENERGY STAR data center storage specification (Version 2.1) includes Online 2, 3, and 4 storage products. Buyers should investigate their individual storage needs before selecting the storage product types that maximize performance and energy cost savings for the specific applications.

Solid state drives (SSDs) feature faster read and access speeds, but are more expensive than conventional hard disks. If SSDs are too costly for the application, buyers should consider purchasing systems that use only the smaller 2.5-inch form factor hard disk drives, which provide the same performance as the traditional 3.5-inch form factor drives but consume less energy.

Capacity optimizing methods (COMs) are technologies used to improve data storage by shrinking stored data, thereby reducing energy consumption. COMs may include thin provisioning, data deduplication, compression, and delta snapshots, as defined in the ENERGY STAR data center storage specification. Buyers can consult with product vendors or IT professionals for the type(s) of COMs suited for the application and workload.

Some utilities offer rebates or other incentives for the purchase of ENERGY STAR-qualified products. Use the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder to see if your local utility offers these incentives.

Buyers can track the power used by data center storage products and implement power-saving technologies to optimize equipment efficiency.

Per the current ENERGY STAR data center storage specification (Version 2.1), Online 3 and 4 storage products are required to measure and report input power in watts through the full range of operation. Data are available to users in formats readable by third-party, non-proprietary management systems, over a standard network connection, and via embedded components or add-in devices that are packaged with the storage product. Users can make use of collected data to facilitate equipment selection and optimize operation strategies.

Many hard disks run on a continuous basis—this not only wears out the mechanical parts, but also consumes energy as long as the disks are running. For data that are accessed very infrequently and do not demand a fast response time, Massive Array of Idle Disks (MAID) is an alternative in which only those disk drives in active use are spinning at any given time, and hard disks not accessed for a longer period are switched off. If used properly, the MAID technology reduces power consumption and prolongs disk lifespan.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provided supporting analysis for this acquisition guidance.