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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify energy efficiency metrics that can be used by IT managers to measure and maintain the implementation of cost savings and green initiatives in data centers. Design/methodology/approach - The paper looks at the background of the problem and explores the reasons why energy savings in the data center are an important issue. Included are interviews and survey results from IT professionals serving at four unique organizations. A model of the measurable components of a data center is created to provide a framework for organizing metrics and communicating results throughout the corporation. The strengths and weaknesses of two of the most common data center metrics, PUE and DCP, are examined closely. Findings - The paper concludes with future metric, recommendations and a proposed credit-based system that could be applied to encourage closer management of these metrics. Practical implications - The metric recommendations can be used by IT managers resulting in energy efficiency improvements in their data centers. Originality/value - The paper provides a good comprehension of multiple approaches and makes recommendations for a platform metric that can be further developed and adopted as a standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]