Green IT: Hot technology for 2009

A new worldview

Can you afford to be green? Can you afford not to? Those are the questions IT executives face as they grapple with the notion of environmentally friendly computing in the midst of a crushing global economic downturn.

For many companies, going green simply means cutting data-center power expenses. By now, the basic principles of doing that are pretty well understood - consolidate servers, set up hot and cold aisles, optimize airflow, raise the ambient temperature a few degrees.

Such changes can save money, but green IT doesn't stop at the data-center door, and companies can't just pass the buck to facilities managers. IT departments can and should undertake a number of green initiatives - which won't break the bank, either.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

Can you afford to be green? Can you afford not to? Those are the questions IT executives face as they grapple with the notion of environmentally friendly computing in the midst of a crushing global economic downturn.

For many companies, going green simply means cutting data-center power expenses. By now, the basic principles of doing that are pretty well understood - consolidate servers, set up hot and cold aisles, optimize airflow, raise the ambient temperature a few degrees.

Such changes can save money, but green IT doesn't stop at the data-center door, and companies can't just pass the buck to facilities managers. IT departments can and should undertake a number of green initiatives - which won't break the bank, either.

First, persuade your company to measure its carbon footprint. This seems like an obvious place to start, but you can't address the issue in a logical, analytical manner if you don't have a starting point.

Once you have a sense of that footprint's size, you can set goals for reducing it by an achievable amount - say, 5% or 10% over a certain period of time. There are a number of actions you can take, including these:

• Power down unused servers or desktops.
• Use energy efficiency as a purchasing criterion when you replace older equipment, including network gear, servers and UPS.
• Adopt recycling and reuse programs.
• Think about alternative sources of energy.
• Encourage videoconferencing to reduce air travel.
• Cut back on ground travel.
• Pressure vendors to demonstrate that they have green strategies.
Finally, don't be fooled by "green-washing." These days, every vendor claims to be green. Be sure to verify those claims.

< Previous technology: Data protection | Next technology: Network access control >

Read more about data center in Network World's Data Center section.