Commercial, Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Industrial  -  October 6, 2016

Comcast data centers set for massive energy use cuts

The culmination of three summers hosting fellows from the Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps program, Comcast Corp. is now equipped with a plan to significantly reduce the energy use and carbon dioxide emissions at its data centers and other facilities. 

Building on the work of the 2013 and 2014 fellows hosted by Comcast that had already been put to use, in 2015, Climate Corps fellow Charlie Umberger helped the company develop a plan to scale its implementation of variable frequency drives  and lighting retrofit projects across Comcast's Northeast Division, according to a recent report from EDF. Scaling those projects, Umberger found, has the potential to reduce the division's annual energy consumption by more 12.7 million kilowatt hours and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 6,600 tons with a payback of less than four years, not including rebates.

"By having consecutive fellows build off each other's work, Comcast is well on the way to scaling energy efficiency initiatives at its data centers across the Northeast Division," EDF wrote in its report chronicling almost a decade of hands-on experience within energy management programs across hundreds of organizations. "Comcast will carry out these efforts in 2016 as its new fellow continues to evaluate energy saving technologies that could be implemented across its large portfolio of data centers, warehouses, office buildings and call centers." 

The full 34-page report, which includes five short Climate Corps case studies from other corporate hosts including Nestlé Waters North America Inc., Tiffany & Co., Shorenstein Properties LLC and Iron Mountain Inc., is available on EDF's website. 

Editor's note: EDF is a Smart Energy Decisions content partner. 

Read These Related Articles:

• In strategic energy management, efficiency 'just the beginning,' EDF says in 1st-of-its-kind report
• How to work smarter, not harder: Goals help companies get strategic about climate change
• Scope 3 … the serious path towards sustainability
• Comcast adds solar array, EV charging
• Comcast adds carport to call center