The Energy Star is a symbol recognizable to most people, and its precise meaning different depending on the device its applied to. Now, a new standard will cover server equipment that was previously deemed too complex to categorize (such as blade servers) or are new technologies that are now widely used (such as Graphics Processing Units).
As the article by Agam Shah points out, servers have changed a great deal over the years, with more CPUs and GPUs crammed into the boxes as well as more energy-efficient technologies built in by the vendors. An analyst he quotes estimates that half the power a data centre consumes is due to power and cooling, areas in which advances have also been made. The new Energy Star designation will not affect high-performance computers or server appliances, however.