Green Computer Solutions

This week we have a guesst blogger: Robert Ryder, Saber Network's resident expert on all things green. He wrote this article for us outlining the basics of green computers:

The increasing global focus on environmental issues has now expanded to include the world of computing. We are hearing and reading a lot now about “green solutions” for business. Is “green computing” just a fad, a catchphrase, or a marketing tool? Or is it something real that can help your business and the environment?

Even though the term “green computing” seems to be new, the idea has been around for a while. The U.S. government created the “Energy Star” program in 1992 as a means of encouraging increased efficiency in electrical consumer products, including computer equipment, and the program has now been adopted by the European Union, Japan, Canada, and other countries. In order to be labeled as “Energy Star,” an appliance must meet a certain standard of power efficiency. A new specification for computers was put in place in 2007, requiring even more efficiency in power use in order to obtain the Energy Star label.

Of course, green computing goes far beyond choosing components with the Energy Star label. Green computing is essentially a way of thinking about the use of resources in the most efficient and least destructive manner, but a manner that does not restrict our ability to run our businesses to their fullest potential. Its techniques include virtualization, a means of maintaining separate computer systems in one physical hardware configuration. This means that less hardware must be purchased and less energy must be used because fewer machines are running.

Computer power management is another method of saving energy and money. ACPI is an industry standard that allows systems to turn off components automatically when they are not being used. Additionally, some computer processors now come equipped with technology that allows them to reduce the amount of energy used depending on the workload. A simple but often underused method of saving energy is simply turning off components when not in use. If a computer does not need to remain powered on after hours to run a program, it should be turned off. Power supplies and hard drives are designed to be turned on and off and doing so should not shorten the life of these components.

Computer recycling is quickly becoming a critical part of doing business. In many states there are laws requiring that computer components stay out of the landfill. Old equipment can be donated to schools or other non-profit organizations or can be taken to recycling centers. Printer cartridges and office paper should always be recycled to prevent excess waste.

Teleconferencing and telecommuting are other means of saving both energy and money. Although there are times when face-to-face meetings are necessary, teleconferencing is often a viable option, and it saves time and reduces rapidly increasing travel expenses. If you have employees who can do some or all of their work from home, telecommuting is another good opportunity for saving on energy costs. The company will either save the expense of an entire workstation or, if the employee is only at the office part-time, will drastically cut the amount of energy that employee consumes.

Having your telephone system integrated into your computer network (also known as voice over IP) can be an energy-saving and cost-saving measure. In a new office, voice over IP eliminates the need to install wiring for both a phone system and a computer network because the phone and data moves over the same cable. Most wiring contains copper, which is becoming increasingly expensive and can be a hazardous material if not properly disposed. If your company is looking to install a new phone system and has an existing network, voice over IP will very likely be a good option, eliminating the need to supply power to two wiring systems.

Computer systems use a lot of power and over time can generate many by-products, some of which are harmful. By choosing wisely when installing networks and computer equipment and through thoughtful daily use of computer resources, we can reduce the negative impact we have on the environment and save money at the same time. Green computing is an idea whose time has come.