It's Not Easy Being Green!
Written by: David Tan, CTO
Traditionally, standard business
practice for Information Technology has dictated that the primary focus of IT
decisions and initiatives is based on the economic impact and viability. In
other words, how much will it cost, and how much will it save me over time, and
when will I recoup my investment. This mindset has started to change drastically
in the last year or so, as companies adopt a Green IT mentality, and start to
consider not only the economic impact of their decisions, but the environmental
and social as well. The problem is, for IT, it’s not easy being green.
Green IT is one of those industry
catchphrases we love to use so much. Essentially it is the practice of using
computer resources in a more efficient and environmentally conscientious way.
This can include everything from reduced power consumption to recycling and safe
disposal. The trend is growing fastest among large enterprises, but clearly this
is something everyone can do, even the smallest business and home user. As a
caveat, going green can also mean more green for the company – in the form of
cost savings or tax benefits. Reducing power consumption can clearly lead to
lower utility costs. Server consolidation can free up valuable office space for
other revenue generating functions. Many states are offering incentives for the
safe disposal of old computer components – and some that aren’t are starting to
enact regulations mandating the practice. This is something you need to be
thinking about for your business immediately. Here are some tips you can think
about to help get you started:
Virtualization – The
typical network server uses about 5-10% of its overall capacity. That means 90%
of the time it is sitting there, doing nothing except consuming power and
cooling. Not to mention the space it’s eating up. Problem is, every network
application seems to demand its own server platform. You can overcome this by
consolidating server hardware and using virtualization to meet the application
requirements. Imagine being able to convert 20 physical servers into 3. This is
a conservative estimate of the power of virtualization. If you’re not familiar
with the term, virtualization means essentially running many logical servers on
top of physical hardware. The concept dates back to mainframe systems of the
‘60s, but with the powerful servers being manufactured today, it has truly come
back into style. Software being produced by companies like VMware and Microsoft
make this a viable option for companies of all sizes, and a tremendous
cost-savings opportunity.
New Hardware –There is a
wide range of new computer hardware available today that is much more energy
efficient than what you are probably using to read this article right now. Intel
is making low-voltage CPU’s, new LCD monitors are being made with LEDs in place
of traditional fluorescent bulbs, new solid state disk drives that don’t require
power to spin are hitting the market (one great example is the new Mac Airbook),
and new desktop computer power supply units are available which are 25-30% more
efficient than traditional units. Next time you make a PC buying decision, think
about the power consumption of the system, and look for the Energy Star
certificate. That PC upgrade you have been putting off could have a much bigger
impact than you thought.
Power Management – What is
the first thing everybody does when they get a new computer? Disable the power
setting in the control panel of course. These power saving settings can power
down monitors, hard drives, and systems when not in use. Sure, it may take 2
minutes for the computer to spring back to life when you need to use it again,
but think about how much power you will save over the course of a year.
System Recycling – Many
times companies will simply dispose of out-dated systems that no longer meet
their business needs. Even not-for-profit organizations turn down donations as
the systems are useless to them as well. The problem is the lead and mercury and
other harmful components in these systems end up in landfills which is
potentially killing our environment. There is a growing trend known as “reverse
logistics” in which a company comes in and removes old machines, refurbishes
them if possible, strips out reusable parts, and disposes of the rest in an
environmentally safe manner. Your IT service provider should be able to help you
with this.
Telecommuting – This may
not be an IT-centric philosophy, but it is certainly driven by IT. Things like
videoconferencing and VoIP have significantly reduced the need to be in the same
physical space as your co-workers. Cutting down travel (even just to the office)
cuts down on carbon emissions and costs for a company. This is another example
of how making a wise choice for the environment can also be a wise choice for
your bottom line.
Clearly you can’t just sit down
one day and make a massive shift in the way your company works. It is a
philosophy that needs to be integrated over time. If you start to consider the
green impact of all your decisions, pretty soon it will become just the way you
do business.
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