PITTSBURGH - Eaton Corp. announced that it is collaborating with HP on a federally funded project to improve energy efficiency in information technology (IT) systems. Among 14 projects chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the joint proposal from Eaton and HP was selected as the third-largest grant recipient at $7.4 million.

The joint project from Eaton and HP will develop a fully enclosed IT rack system that provides its own internal power and cooling. High voltage and chilled water will act as the primary inputs to the system and it will also accept alternative energy power sources, such as wind and solar power. A major benefit of this system is a 38 percent reduction in energy use to support a 100 kilowatt (kW) IT load, which equals a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 400 tons annually.

“Eaton is at the forefront of the development of solutions that make our information technology infrastructure more reliable, more sustainable, and cost effective,” said Thomas S. Gross, vice chairman and chief operating officer, Eaton’s Electrical Sector. “As a global leader in power management, we are well-positioned to work with government and the private sector to maximize the long-term benefits of initiatives like this.”

“HP and Eaton are working to introduce new technologies that will help businesses reduce power consumption by as much as 40 percent, lower costs, and extend the life of data centers, decreasing the need for new facilities,” said Doug Oathout, vice president of Converged Infrastructure, HP. “With this grant, Eaton and HP’s combined expertise will enable us to create an innovative technology solution that increases energy efficiency and meets government mandates to reduce carbon emissions while diminishing the need to build new power plants to support data centers.”

For more information, visit www.eaton.com.

Publication date: 02/08/2010