Green IT and Data Centers: Going Global in Acceptance

Increasingly C-level executives are saying that the Green IT movement has gotten their attention and it now ranks high among business priorities. Green IT, or Green Computing, refers to environmentally sustainable computing; it has broad goals of reducing the use of hazardous materials, maximizing energy efficiency, and promoting recyclability.

In a survey of C-level executives, IDC found that Green IT and sustainability was rated second among their priorities for 2011.  Phillip Carter of IDC said “What I think is good is that two or three years ago, there was a lot of hype around green IT and sustainability, so now these CIOs that we speak to are seeing through some of that and the green washing has gone away.”

Because of their massive amounts of energy consumption, data centers are often at the center of many Green IT discussions today.  Gartner estimates that energy costs account for about 12 percent of all data center expenditures, and estimates made in Singapore found that data centers and networking equipment account for almost 32% of the Information and Communication sector’s energy and carbon footprint.

Many people think that cloud computing will be a driver for Green IT going forward.  Green factors that make cloud computing attractive include:

• Virtualization — enables better resource utilization and brings about energy and resource efficiencies.
• Multitenancy — similar to virtualization, enables more efficient sharing and resource utilization.
• Automation Software — automatic optimization of resource consolidation and utilization.
• Pay per use billing — encourages efficient utilization from users.

A study by WiPro and Forbes called “Global CXO Outlook: Growth Strategies for 2012 and Beyond” found that 70% of business executives consider green business practices to be part of their strategy for innovation.  Three quarter of companies consider Green IT a priority.  These companies are attempting to reduce their data center footprints, rely on increased use of server virtualization, and promote the use of cloud computing.

Paul Dickinson, Executive Chairman of the Carbon Disclosure Project, said, “The carbon emissions reducing potential of cloud computing is a thrilling breakthrough, allowing companies to maximize performance, drive down costs, reduce inefficiency and minimize energy use – and therefore carbon emissions – all at the same time.”

The CDP Study 2011 estimates that US companies will save $12.3 billion in annual energy bills by 2020 and the use of cloud computing will reduce carbon emissions by 30,000 metric tons a year.