Green Information Technology

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Overview

Green Information Technology (IT) refers to environmentally sustainable computing or IT and is is the environmentally responsible use of computers and related resources. Such practices include the implementation of energy-efficient central processing units (CPUs), servers and peripherals as well as reduced resource consumption and proper disposal of electronic waste (e-waste). It is defined by San Murugesanas in the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices, the "study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems—such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems—efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment." The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry; reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste. Research continues into key areas such as making the use of computers as energy-efficient as possible, and designing algorithms and systems for efficiency-related computer technologies.

Basic Green IT Steps

Power-down the CPU and all peripherals during extended periods of inactivity.
Try to do computer-related tasks during contiguous, intensive blocks of time, leaving hardware off at other times.
Power-up and power-down energy-intensive peripherals such as laser printers according to need.
Use liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitors rather than cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors.
Use notebook computers rather than desktop computers whenever possible.
Use the power-management features to turn off hard drives and displays after several minutes of inactivity.
Minimize the use of paper and properly recycle waste paper.
Dispose of e-waste according to federal, state and local regulations.
Employ alternative energy sources for computing workstations, servers, networks and data centers.

Green IT Solutions

Virtualization - The consumption of space from physical computer hardware is solved by this innovative solution being offered by top IT vendors like Microsoft. The solution reduces the amount of computer hardware resources through abstracting various components in the network. This is achieved by operating a set of systems on one piece of hardware.
Power usage – Data centers by example are known for high energy costs due to the sheer square foot size of many buildings. This results in an extremely high use of power. Simple changes like turning off systems not needed, idle time usage when a system is not in use and using power management features present on operating systems are helping drive cost cuts and increase energy efficiency.
Recycling – This focuses on the process of changing the way corporations deal with their day to energy consumption levels through more efficient use of resources and materials.

Five Factors Driving Green Information Technology Practices

Energy Availability – 1.5 billion people are now online worldwide, 80% of the world’s population however is NOT. In some areas, new power feeds using traditional methods are difficult or impossible to obtain.

Energy and Equipment Costs – Information Technology demand is growing 12 times faster than the overall demand for energy. Governments worldwide are moving to enact legislation that will track and limit carbon emissions.

Equipment Costs and Life Cycle – Information Technology equipment turns over every 3 to 5 years, and by 2010 there’s the potential for one billion computers worth of e-waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, humans discard 20 to 50 metric tons of computer related equipment worldwide each year. This figure represents 5 percent of all municipal solid waste.

Data Center Costs – Data centers consumed approximately 180 billion kWHh in 2007, a figure that is expected to double by 2010. Escalating equipment and energy costs within the data center combined with rising carbon emissions is helping create the perfect storm.

People, Profit and Planet – Information Technology practices are subject to the same triple bottom line success factors as businesses. Adopted practices that positively impact people, profit and the planet represent the emerging key factors in measuring organizational success.