The interest in energy consumption by computers and data centers has led some in the information technology industry to seek a reliable indicator for data center productivity, so that the "useful work" produced by a data center can be monitored and optimized for energy efficiency. The difficulty in this pursuit is that data centers are widely varied, and there is no agreed upon measure of useful work that comes out of a data center.

The Green Grid is proposing that a simple indicator, or proxy, while less accurate than a metric such as Data Center Energy Productivity (DCeP), can be useful because it will be easier to implement. The goal is to find a proxy that will substitute for a difficult measurement, but that still gives a “good enough” indication of useful work completed. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mileage rating in the window of a new car gives the prospective buyer a useful indication of the vehicle’s fuel efficiency, even though the buyer realizes that “Your actual mileage will vary.”

To define a suitable proxy, or proxies, The Green Grid is engaging the industry by offering several proxy proposals and soliciting feedback. The goal is not to pick a winner at this time but to learn from the industry which features and techniques are most useful and which are to be avoided before further research is begun.

The resulting proxy (or proxies) will not be a substitute for DCeP. The intent is to provide another tool to assist data center operators by adding simplicity and ease of use at the expense of accuracy. As such, it is referred to as a proxy because it is more an indicator than an accurate measure.

The Green Grid is proposing eight proxies for evaluation and will solicit feedback from Green Grid members and the larger community of data center and information technology professionals. After at least 90 days, The Green Grid will begin evaluating feedback. The final choices for a proxy or proxies will then be the subject of additional research work by The Green Grid.