Many people are confused about Green IT, what it actually is, how it relates to a carbon footprint, how to measure and quantify it, etc.

In this section we provide some clarity as to what Green IT actually is, and why you need to address it in your organisation.

What is Green IT & why it should concern you

There is no single accepted definition of what Green IT is, and the very term ‘Green IT’ means very different things to different people.

In reality Green IT is about both the 2% and the 98% - it is both part of the problem and the key to its solution – to explain. At present:

2% of global carbon emissions come from the manufacture and use of ICT equipment
98% of global carbon emissions come from other sources

Green IT is about the 98% because through IT promoting the use of ‘smart technology’ IT can become an enabler for the business to reduce its environmental impact by using fewer resources when undertaking on-going business activities.

However for the majority of IT organisations it is the 2% that is the focus of interest. Here Green IT is focussed on organisations understanding, managing and reducing the environmental footprint of their ICT infrastructure (including services and supporting organisation) - and it is here that Greenwise-IT can help.

Green IT is Lean IT!

But the scope of Green IT extends far beyond the 2% and the 98%. It is about far more than simply the traditional measures for the Carbon Footprint - because Green IT is also Lean IT – it is all about the removal of waste!

In this context waste are the activities and actions that are undertaken that do not directly add value to the IT Services you deliver. Green IT (and Lean IT) is all about identifying these activities and stopping them! By stopping these activities you are eliminating waste (in this context this both reduces your carbon footprint and saves you time, effort and money!).

By thinking of Green IT as Lean IT you have far more potential for benefit. At this time Green IT is very much associated with the rather simplistic concept of ‘unplugging things’ – e.g. Reducing the power consumption of your desktop PCs, server Virtualisation, replacing printers with MFDs, etc. These are all worthwhile initiatives but they are very limited in scope and benefit. To truly embrace Green IT you need to take a wider view of eliminating waste in IT – it is not just about ‘unplugging things’, it is also about working smarter and more effectively. It is all about delivering more with less effort and resource – this is Lean IT (this is Green IT).

Why you need to address Green IT in your organisation?

Well IT uses a lot of energy – and energy costs money (a lot of money)!

The global carbon emissions from IT are roughly the same as those from the Airline industry – BUT – whereas the airline industry is becoming more energy efficient, the energy demands from IT continue to grow.

It is calculated that in the UK in 2007 the operation of ICT equipment accounted for 10% of total UK electricity consumption. IT now accounts for 25%+ of the energy used in offices - and it is projected that total IT related energy requirements will triple in demand by 2020 from the 2002 level. In the US the annual electricity costs for Data Centres will reach $4.7bn by 2011!

Not only does IT require more and more energy, but the costs of energy are rising sharply. The price of oil and other fossil fuels continues on a sharp upward trend, and as yet renewable energy sources are not leading to a fall in energy unit prices. There are also growing global concerns regarding the ‘security’ of energy supplies, as more countries become increasing dependent on overseas energy supplies.

The issue is that energy consuming organisations (such as yours) cannot easily control the price of energy – BUT - the amount of energy that is consumed can be managed and reduced. This is what Green IT is really all about...it is about saving money by increasing efficiency, removing waste, and reducing demand for energy.

Initiating a Green IT strategy is wholly consistent with the overall mission of IT to increase efficiency and performance while reducing costs! This is where Greenwise-IT has a wealth of experience in assisting organisations to substantially reduce their IT related energy costs. To see some examples of how Greenwise-IT has helped organisations substantially reduce their IT related energy bills please take a lot at the Case Studies section of this Web Site.

But there is now more than simply a financial incentive to act on Green IT – there is also now a growing legal and regulatory requirement for organisations to act. To understand the implications of growing amount of Green related Legislation please see the Legislation & Standards section of this Web Site.

Where to Start?
To see where to start on taking action to reduce your IT related energy bills please see the Where to Start section of this Web Site.

For more information on Green IT and the services that we offer please contact us at enquiries@Greenwise-it.com