The data we produce creates its own heat. It's a heat that is abstracted in our lives as we work in our offices and homes. But the heat is real.

Data centers consume massive amounts of electricity. A report by the Environmental Protection Agency states that data centers in the U.S. consume 4.5 billion kWh annually, or 1.5 percent of the country's total electrical consumption.

The following two case studies show how virtualization technology can help in cooling data centers that may be over capacity.