Unless you’re Microsoft, Google or Facebook, chances are that you can’t simply build a new data center when yours starts getting a little long in the tooth. So how do you cope with an older computing facility that wasn’t exactly built with energy efficiency in mind?

You buy time, and perhaps avert a costly new build altogether, with these tips from ComputerWorld’s Robert L. Mitchell. Here’s a good one that’s often overlooked among all the coverage devoted to the latest energy saving innovations:

…If you’re running an older data center and don’t know where to begin – or even if you think you do – hiring a consulting engineer could pay off.

A typical engagement doesn’t have to be a big affair, with a professional engineer conducting a full blown computational fluid dynamics analysis of your entire data center. By applying best practices, a good consultant can cut energy consumption by one third to one half more in an older data center.

Good stuff!