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FROM: JAN-FEB 2010 ISSUE | BY ROBIN DAY
The combined impact of the global recession and climate change is having a noticeable effect on information systems. In addition to the inevitable budget cuts that accompany a slow economy, terms like “sustainable computing” and “Green IT” are finally finding their way into boardrooms, forcing IT departments to clean up their environmental acts.
Why Go Green?
The regulatory push to reduce carbon footprints has forced corporate agendas to include more sustainable practices, and information systems are no exception. There is also the issue of customers and other stakeholders, looking for organizations to be more socially responsible, contributing to their community rather than continuously drawing on its resources. Add to that the competitive pressure brought to bear when it seems not only is everyone else going green, they are making a lot of noise about it and customers are listening. Increasing sustainability and reducing IT costs are not necessarily mutually exclusive; in fact, they can go hand in hand if you do it right.
Measure to Manage
The old adage of what gets measured gets managed is accurate when it comes to IT energy usage. Fortunately, there are plenty of useful metrics for goal-setting and measurement of results. For example, small and medium enterprises can use carbon footprint calculators such as the one offered by Dalhousie University’s Eco-Efficiency Centre. This free, easy-to-use Excel-based tool can help you develop a baseline and monitor the effect of your changes. Larger businesses may be able to afford separate metering for datacentres, allowing them to keep a close eye on power consumption.
The Green Datacentre
According to IDC’s Worldwide Server Power and Cooling Expense 2006–2010 Forecast, the average enterprise server runs 24 hours per day at 20 per cent of capacity. Server wattage requirements have nearly doubled since the late 1990s. Add to that the cost of cooling a server (estimated at 80 per cent of the cost to power it) and you have some obvious opportunities for savings.
Reducing the number of servers can be accomplished several ways. Using virtual computing technology to consolidate the workloads of several machines can result in savings. And you can frequently reduce costs by investing in a single, high capacity server and using virtualization to divide its resources into multiple execution environments. This not only reduces energy costs, it can save on the cost of maintenance and equipment.
Sometimes old servers are left online indefinitely to avoid the challenges of moving software and data to a new environment. Just like the old refrigerator in the garage, these machines often consume more power than their replacements and should be retired. When it comes to new or replacement servers look for Energy Star™ approval and consider factors such as:
- environmentally friendly manufacturing processes
- high degree of scalability
- small form factor
- incorporation of recyclable materials
- enhanced power management features
Don’t overlook infrastructure issues such as cooling and lighting in the datacentre either. If the centre was built more than 10 years ago, most of the equipment it was designed to house has likely been retired two or three times over and it is likely time to consider an upgrade.
How Green is Your Desktop?
According to a United Nations University publication, Computers and the Environment, the fossil fuels required to manufacture a desktop computer weigh more than ten times the weight of the computer. Add to that approximately 22 kg of chemicals and 1500 kg of water and you can begin to appreciate the environmental impact of that new machine you’ve been eyeing at the local computer shop.
Since most common business applications don’t need any more computing power to run today than they did 10 years ago, you have to wonder if the upgrade is really needed. Often it is possible to simply upgrade an existing machine instead of replacing it. For example, adding RAM, an external hard drive, and a new monitor to an aging system can extend its life by another year or two. If you do decide to invest in a new machine, take a close look at its specifications to ensure it gives you the best possible long term value and the lowest power consumption. Get rid of some peripherals and opt for shared network printers and scanners rather than individual machines.
Turn it Off
There was a time when it was common to leave systems on all the time rather than turning them off when not in use. Even a hibernating system draws power. Like it or not, Green IT is here to stay. You might as well get on the bandwagon and begin saving money now rather than waiting until your replacement takes the initiative.
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