As CIO for Sun Microsystems, I'm of course expected to manage all of the traditional aspects of IT: hardware, software, applications, employee productivity, future technology investments, etc. But given the significant R&D and engineering investment my company has made to design and create energy-efficient technology, I've had the advantage of being an early adopter of such technology and have installed several highly energy-efficient data centers recently. Here are a few things I have learned in the process:

Use ecofriendly technologies whenever possible when upgrading your server and data center hardware. Even if your department does not directly bear the brunt of high electricity or facilities fees, be sure to calculate the full cost of ownership, including space, power and cooling costs into your purchases, and take full advantage of any applicable utility company rebates. I speak from experience when I say that these alone saved my company nearly a million dollars during recent upgrades.

Next, if you are designing new facilities, take advantage of the opportunity to realistically evaluate your space needs. Today's energy-efficient technology takes up significantly less floor space than previous generations of hardware. Virtualization makes location nearly irrelevant.

Work together. Understand the financial impact of technology on operating expenses and create a plan together. Talk with your facilities organization to identify consolidation opportunities. The technology is readily available, so by incorporating best practices in data center design, you can both save your company money and reduce its environmental impact. Make sure those who run IT and who manage space have standard efficiency metrics to arrive at a complete cost picture.

New standards in data center design are not only good for the environment, but they are also good for the bottom line. By working together, CIOs and CFOs can direct their efforts to successfully implement green solutions.