Right power transformers keep data centres on track for 2012

for IT managers in the years to come, as analyst Gartner predicts cloud computing contracts will increasingly incorporate surcharges for energy consumption.

By 2015, the firm expects to see four in five cloud services contracts priced partly according to the amount of energy drawn from the grid.

However, it adds that there is, as yet, no immediate solution to be found by turning to greener forms of energy and on-site generation.

"Tax subsidies are no long-term answer to managing costs and investments in renewable energy sources remain costly," Gartner says.

Choosing the right power transformers for a particular data centre environment can be crucial to powering the equipment inside efficiently, for a number of reasons.

Different power transformers are able to cope with varying environmental conditions - such as a wider operating temperature range, or higher ambient heat levels.

 In turn, choosing the right transformer for the job can not only keep it working efficiently, but also cut down on the associated power consumption and cost of cooling an overheating unit.