Energy consumption analysis for use with a storage system

A method for monitoring energy consumption of a storage system comprising:

• measuring at least total storage system energy consumption of the storage system while the storage system is in operational use wherein the storage system comprises a plurality of energy consuming components;
• performing an energy usage analysis of the total energy consumption over a period of time;
• and
• compiling a viewable report of said energy usage analysis.

An energy monitoring storage system comprising:

• a plurality of electric energy consuming components;
• the electric energy consuming components comprising at least a plurality of storage devices adapted to cooperate with storage media for storing data;
• the storage media comprising a total user storage capacity for the storage system;
• at least one storage system energy meter adapted to cooperate with the storage system to measure total energy consumption of the storage system while the storage system is in operational use;
• the total user storage capacity capable of being divided into at least two partitions wherein each of the partitions is capable of being monitored for partition energy consumption.

A means for monitoring energy consumption of a storage system comprising:

• a means for measuring component energy consumption of at least one electric energy consuming component comprised by the storage system while the storage system is in operational use;
• a means for measuring total storage system energy consumption of the storage system while the storage system is in operational use;
• a means for partitioning the storage system into at least two fractions comprising a total user storage capacity of the storage system;
• a means for monitoring partition energy consumption by the partition;
• a means for providing an energy usage analysis of the at least one of the partition over a period of time.

A method for allocating energy consumption costs to each respective user of a partitioned data storage system comprising the steps of:

• calculating an overhead energy cost associated with each respective user's data partition;
• monitoring the actual energy consumption associated with each respective user's data partition, and calculating an actual energy consumption cost based thereon;
• summing the overhead energy cost with the actual energy consumption cost to calculate an allocated energy cost for the each respective user;
• and
• presenting the allocated energy coast in a viewable format to each of the respective users.