Press & Media
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IP Energy Management
This award winning book shows how we built and deployed a global energy management system using an IP network as the control plane. That’s a nerdy way of saying we built a way to manage pollution that uses the internet as the way to do it! Can you imagine the scale and implications of tackling global climate change using our global internet?
The dollar and pollution savings highlighted in this book are still the largest of any IoT or Green IT project in the world today. By deploying this technology, we saved Cisco more than $40M USD and the Greenhouse Gas (GhG) savings are so large, the numbers don’t really convey the impact. For that it’s easier to imagine about 5+ million global flights being grounded or over 100 million trees planted.
The book is available for sale on Amazon today but the technology it spends much of the book describing, is now dated. However, the business and sustainability strategies employed are as relevant today as ever. To that end, please feel to read the 3 free chapters that are available on Google Books.
Mentions on Amazon
“If you are burnt out on reading greenwashed marketing from every vendor under the sun and just want an honest and solid method for understanding the problem, designing a solution and being able to honestly report your before and after results, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend this to all networking geeks out there!”
“This is the first “benchmarking” book for energy worth its weight that I have read. Most of the “green” fluff out there today is loaded down with market so vendors can push their wares on your network.”
“As a benchmarking book for energy efficiency it has a practical bent and useful information you can put into practice. It’s not just about the business – although it does start there. It’s also about commitment to the planet. Rob pays attention to both. The book proves it.”
Headshots
Bios
Author and Environmental Technologist
Short Bio
As a globally recognized Sustainability leader, Rob focuses on ensuring Information Technologies (IT) can achieve the outcomes they promise. He’s been the leader of hundreds of data center, IoT, analytics and Sustainability projects throughout his career, focused delivering real solutions to big problems. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the most complex global problems of our times. In his current role, Rob’s is a senior member of the AWS Sustainable Solutions Practice, focusing on sustainable buildings and operations.
Medium Bio
As a globally recognized Sustainability leader, Rob focuses on ensuring Information Technologies (IT) can achieve the outcomes they promise. He’s been the leader of hundreds of data center, IoT, analytics and Sustainability projects throughout his career, focused delivering real solutions to big problems. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the most complex global problems of our times.
His background spans operational technologies (OT), data centers, networking, IoT, Green IT, cloud, compute and storage architectures. He has managed sales, systems engineering, central engineering, advanced service and marketing teams in his career. His approach is always data driven but informed by many years of corporate and governmental operational realities.
Rob is a co-creator of Cisco EnergyWise and author of the industry’s first “how to” guide for deploying IOT across an enterprise with energy management as the use case. Prior to leading IoT at Hitachi, he delivered Hitachi Enterprise Cloud (HEC). In his current role, Rob’s is a senior member of the AWS Sustainable Solutions Practice, focusing on sustainable buildings and operations.
Long Bio
Rob started his career in data center power and cooling system design with APC (a Schneider Electric Company). His Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) beginnings allowed him to be at the forefront of some the first, large-scale convergence projects between digital and analog systems.
This convergence later came to be described as IoT. In 2004 Rob moved up the proverbial infrastructure stack and joined Cisco Systems. While there, he was able to establish Cisco’s first validated design program, co-created Cisco EnergyWise, led the internal deployment of EnergyWise, led the acquisition of Richards Zeta and JouleX , designed Cisco’s EnergyWise cloud service, established and led the Cisco FEMS Advanced Service and authored the industry’s first “how to” guide for deploying IOT across an enterprise with energy management as the use case.
The work he was able to do at Cisco established a commercially viable model for IoT at the IP network level. However, it was also limited in that regard. He then turned his attention to Hitachi. Recognizing that Hitachi Ltd. was perhaps the broadest and deepest provider of IoT solutions at the time. Covering everything from storage arrays to mag-lev trains to nuclear power plants. He saw the potential of working with a global giant like Hitachi to deliver outstanding engineering and services.
At Hitachi, Rob focused first on establishing their first true “as a service” offer with Hitachi Enterprise Cloud. He structured this offer to be either CapEx or OpEx and provided both VMware and Mesosphere versions.
Once Hitachi’s cloud offers were up and running Rob then focused on helping Hitachi IoT customers ensure their business outcomes were achieved. As Hitachi’s lead IoT architect globally, it was his job to ensure multiple technologies, business and commercials models are aligned and deliverables are achieved.
As a globally recognized Sustainability leader, Rob focuses on ensuring Information Technologies (IT) can achieve the outcomes they promise. He’s been the leader of hundreds of data center, IoT, analytics and Sustainability projects throughout his career, focused delivering real solutions to big problems. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the most complex global problems of our times. In his current role, Rob’s is a senior member of the AWS Sustainable Solutions Practice, focusing on sustainable buildings and operations.
His degree is in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island. He provides a range of volunteer services in his local community. He enjoys basketball, aquatic sports, fine arts, woodworking, stone work, Muay Thai and BJJ.
Publications
IP-Enabled Energy Management: A Proven Strategy for Administering Energy as a Service
“How to” guide to establish energy management as a service (EaaS). This book provides all the details needed to establish a new energy management system that leverages Internet Protocols (IP) to monitor and manage the usage and utilization of power consuming devices typically found within corporate real estate. This book provides the reader a roadmap based on real world implementations of next generation environmental management systems
Cisco on Cisco Case Study: Implementing Energy as a Service
A detailed case study and white paper on how Cisco implemented Energy as a Service to improve energy efficiency in Cisco lab operations to achieve greater than a 30% reduction in electrical costs
Kyoto Planet Sustainable Enterprise Report
Syndicated report providing a high level overview of how large enterprises can plan, design and implement sustainability into existing planning, operations and reporting systems
Mission Critical Magazine Article: Cisco Saves by Improving Exhaust Recirculation
Contributed article focusing on the mechanical system optimization in data centers. Primarily a facilities focused article but discusses the implications of higher density IT infrastructure on capacity management in mission critical environments
Future Facilities Case Study
Cisco-Future Facilities joint case study showing measured savings of 30% by improving energy efficiency through mechanical system modifications using Virtual Facility (VF) modeling tools
Uptime Institute
Data Center availability and energy efficiency resource focusing on Facilities and IT alignment in data center operations. This presentation The Disrupted Data Center: Cloud, Cost, Capacity, Carbon focuses on the realities of implementing Energy as a Service in a data center operation
Cisco IT Expo
Annual Cisco event focusing on new technologies. This presentation is from IT Expo, Turkey 2013 and goes through Cisco EnergyWise Optimization Services
APC-Schneider Electric and Cisco Solutions Overview
Overview and presentation of APC developed products specifically supporting energy management of Cisco products
Interviews
Federal News Radio 1500 AM
Washington, DC based news radio program with a segment focused on IT innovation, GhG regulatory frameworks and US Federal Government emerging plans to improve energy efficiency for data centers.
Network World
On-line magazine showcasing latest developments in IT and networking technologies. This interview focuses on the tenants of the Cisco Efficiency Assurance Program by Michael Morris.
Computer World
On-line magazine showcasing latest developments in IT and data center technologies and showcasing how energy efficiency has the most direct implications to direct cost savings as compared to other Green technologies. Interview with Robert L. Mitchell
Data Center Knowledge: Building Cisco EnergyWise
On-line publication focusing on data center innovation with a long time focus on capacity management, virtualization, cloud and alignment between planning and design at multiple levels. This interview is a video interview with Rich Miller
Data Center Knowledge: Green Data Center Panel Discussion
Discussion amongst peers at GigaOm Green:Net conference in San Francisco in 2009 going through IT as an enabler of improved monitoring, measurement and management of environmental and utilization data.
Data Center Dynamics
On-line B2B information provider providing data center related content and event hosting. This discussion is for Data Center Facilities Managers and discusses the impacts of Virtual Machine (VM) provisioning and cloud based architectures on mechanical, electrical and spatial capacities.
eChannel News
Website dedicated to supporting systems integrators, vendors and technology professionals. This article focuses on using Smart Power Distribution Units (PDU’s) in conjunction with Cisco EnergyWise to measure IT plug load.
Green Business eSummit
Green 101: The Basics and Misconceptions of implementing sustainability and how to avoid “Greenwashing”
OpenGreen IT Policy
Opengreenpolicy.org focuses on implementing Green IT best practices and technologies in an open forum among technology and sustainability professionals
Grove Associates
Consultancy and communications agency serving the Silicon Valley technology community and focused on how Green IT can be implemented into mainstream accounting processes
What inspires me?
I arrived where I am based on a series of lessons and insights. Here are some thoughts on how I’m driving myself and the larger IT industry to do well by doing good.
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