Green Computing: The Beginners’ Guide

Green computing is one of the biggest and latest buzzwords in the industry. But what does this term really mean?

OK, take a deep breath. I’m going to discuss Green computing, also known as Green IT and its importance in simple terms and why it matter at all.

Global warming, natural resource depletion, climate change and rising energy costs are some of the biggest issues the world is facing today. Government agencies and business enterprises are examining the practices to use ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in an environment-friendly way.

So what does the term “Green Computing” mean?

In simple terms, it means the use of computing devices or electronic devices in an environment-friendly way i.e. using computing resources such as computers, mobiles with the lowest carbon footprint on the environment.

According to Microsoft, it means building an IT infrastructure that uses fewer resources — most notably energy.

Note: Terms such as Green IT, Green Computing, and Green technology are used interchangeably and refers to same.

Why do we need Green computing?

Here are the top ten reasons why we require Green IT practices:

1. To prevent global warming.
2. To better utilize energy and other resources.
3. To manage the natural resource depletion
4. To combat climate changes.
5. To reduce e-waste such as unused or discarded electronic devices.
6. To reduce operating and capital expenditures.
7. To meet industrial and government rules and regulation.
8. To improve the social and corporate image, better brand awareness and differentiation from competitors.
9. To manage risks associated with the businesses such as regulatory change, public relations, and fuel prices.
10. To ensure diversity and productiveness of biological system by reducing the impact of hazardous materials on the environment.

What are the steps for successful implementation of Green Computing?

1. When you buy an electronic product, always look for the modularity and upgradability. For example, when you buy a PC, always check the subsystems, would they be easy to upgrade? DO they have a long lifecycle?
2. Businesses can use Green data centers to reduce carbon impact on the environment and save energy. Simply put, a green data center is a data center that uses or built on Green IT principles ( green design, green manufacturing, green use and green disposal).
3. Make use of optimized software in your IT system. For example, scheduling and resource allocation algorithms could significantly improve the resources used by a system such as time and space to make computation or finish a task.
4. Make use of power management in your organization or in your personal lives. For example, turn off the monitor when not in use, sleep mode feature, use of LED monitors, use of energy star accessories, use of 80 plus certified power supply units etc.
5. Use of cloud computing services such as online data storage, e-commerce, and VoIP services could reduce the energy and other resource consumption by allowing multi-user access and scaling resources up and down as needed.

What’s Next?

There is a lot more to explore in Green technology including benefits, obstacles in implementation, e-waste management, industry initiatives, government policies and green programs. You can get it all here.

Download the Free whitepaper guide here, where I’ve discussed it all in detail.

“Green Computing – The Environmental Benefits of Going Green”

So you have an idea of green computing and why it is important. Now, you’ll have to decide whether you care your environment or not? Please share this post and spread the word “Go Green – Save Green”.

Image Credit: hanks overgood via Flickr