Strategic approach to green it

Practical IT Research that Drives Measurable Results

Take a Strategic Approach to Maximize

the Benefits of Green IT

An ad-hoc approach to Green IT is leaving money on the table for many organizations

2

Organizations are recognizing the business benefits of Green IT. However, for many organizations, this movement has been inconsistent,

uncoordinated, and at times unproductive.

This research is designed for:

IT leaders who are exploring Green IT as a means to reduce costs.

IT departments that are planning their future technology infrastructure.

Organizations that have already implemented some Green IT initiatives and want to know “what’s next?”

This research will help you determine:

Why Green IT is important to your organization.

Green IT opportunities that can improve your energy efficiency.

How to implement a successful Green IT and sustainability program.

“Being Green” or “Sustainability” is measured by the carbon footprint [also referred to as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions] associated with a company’s energy usage and assets. Electricity power stations are typically powered by fossil fuels, so there is an associated environmental impact that can be minimized through energy efficiency. Similarly, electricity is used when manufacturing equipment, so using less hardware (e.g. through consolidation) minimizes the environmental impact. Other IT-related contributors to carbon footprint include e-waste and printing supplies.Info-Tech Research Group

Executive Summary

Info-Tech Research Group 3

Definition: What is Green

IT?

• A strategy that takes into account energy efficiency and environmental impact (i.e. sustainability).

Why is Green IT important?

• Forward-thinking organizations are using Green IT as a vehicle to save money and do more with less, enabling them to meet the challenges of understaffing and tight budgets.

• New sources of energy cannot be brought online fast enough to meet the growing demand. The result has been price volatility and rolling brownouts, which have made energy efficiency a critical business objective.

What are some Green IT

opportunities?

• Early initiatives such as server and PC power management can be done at little or no cost, while others are appropriate primarily for larger data centers or when building a new data center.

• Reducing energy demand is another method of tackling the problem, through initiatives such as cooling efficiency improvements and server consolidation.

• Advanced strategies include integrating renewable energy sources such as solar power as a means to bridge power gaps.

What is the state of Green

IT today?

• The recent recession has resulted in tight budgets for IT, and that has stalled Green IT initiatives for many organizations, particularly those who were taking an ad-hoc approach and could no longer afford endeavors that are not part of a core strategic plan.

• Many initiatives such as server virtualization are performed for non-green reasons (e.g. reduce hardware costs) but also reduce energy usage, and therefore are often recast as Green IT projects.

How do I implement a successful Green IT program?

• Organizations that define clear environmental goals and take a strategic approach to Green IT are continuing to be successful despite difficult economic times.

• Fostering staff involvement is also critical as many initiatives such as printer consolidation and PC power management can fail if staff don’t cooperate.

Learn from organizations that are already on the path to sustainability


Allens Arthur Robinson (Australia)

• An international law firm that has made sustainability part of its culture and a strategic business objective. Environmental stewardship along with building stakeholder relationships are key drivers to its success.

City of Ottawa (Canada)

• The city government places a high value on green initiatives. Furthermore, the city recognizes the strong business case for Green IT and has the financial resources to back those initiatives.

City of Windsor (Canada)

• The Windsor city government also places a high value on green initiatives. However, as a small city coming out of a recession, funding is a challenge. This has slowed and limited some of its initiatives, such as data center consolidation.

Earth Rangers(Canada)

• Sustainability is part of its core business strategy. The organization serves as a model of what can be done in the Green IT realm.

Matrix Solutions(US)

• As an environmental consulting and engineering company, it practices what it preaches inside and outside of IT. Initiatives include non-IT actions such as carpooling and using a coffee vendor who makes deliveries by bike.

RS Investments(US)

• California has the strictest environmental regulations in the US. RS Investments works towards exceeding these standards when there are opportunities to do so.

Below is a summary of the case studies. Full details are in the Summary section.

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What is the state of Green IT today?

Examples of Green IT opportunitie

s

SummaryWhy is Green IT

important?

How do I implement

a successful Green IT program?

1 542

Next Section in Brief

• Green IT initiatives enable organizations to take advantage of energy savings now and to be prepared for tighter environmental laws in the future.

• Government regulations now in place in the EU will eventually reach North America.

• Intangible benefits include differentiation among competitors and company morale.

3

Price volatility and the risk of power shortages make energy efficiency a critical business objective


Find out how much you’re paying now and then do the math. The savings from being energy efficient may be even more significant than you think.

By renovating my datacenter, virtualizing our servers, and consolidating storage, I decreased my energy costs by over 50% which paid for the total project in just 4 years.

– Jens Olsen, Datacenter Manager in California “

“

Rate per kWh

100 kW/h - cost per yr

70 kW/h – cost per yr

Energy Savings

$0.1022 $89,587 $62,711 $26,876

$0.1237 $108,433 $75,903 $32,530

Impact of a 21% increase on today’s rates at different electricity loads

As businesses continue to consume more power, utilities are struggling to keep up with the demand. Increasing your organization’s energy efficiency lowers the risk of being short on power and lessens the impact of price increases.

A coordinated US federal and state approach is lacking, but environmental regulations are growing in individual

states


United States Federal regulatory picture

•The US regulatory picture is not especially promising. Lacking a compressive federal framework, agencies (ex. EPA) are responding where capable.

•H.R. 2454: the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA), which aims to reduce GHG emissions by 15% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 73% by 2050, has stalled and will not likely pass the Senate in its current form.

•Other developed states have far more robust regulations.

US State regulatory picture

•To varying degrees, US States have responded to the need to address sustainability now.

• In 2006, California passed AB 32: Global Warming Solutions Act. It aims to return state GHG levels to 1990 baselines by 2020, and a further reduction of 80% by 2050.

•Regional voluntary carbon trading initiatives have also been developed (Chicago Climate Exchange & Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative).

European Union regulatory picture

•The EU has been and will continue to push the limits of a progressive environmental regulatory framework.

•From employing renewable energy sources (2001/77/EC), to requiring green labeling (92/75/EC) to driving energy efficient building development (2002/91/EC), the EU is a world leader.

•In 2003, the EU established the Emission Trading System (2003/87/EC) to incentivize reductions.

In the US, what is voluntary today for many states may become mandatory tomorrow. EU regulations are an example of what may be coming down the pipe.

Organizations implementing a sustainability program will also benefit from intangible benefits that impact the

bottom line


Good Will/Environmental Stewardship

•Naturally, the first benefit of green initiatives is sound environmental stewardship. It is our common responsibility to address environmental impacts definitively.

•While it may remain an intangible benefit, the role of environmental stewardship in the commercial sphere will only increase.

Differentiation Among Competitors

•Clients are also starting to ask about environmental practices. Green initiatives can be a key differentiator among equals.

•Some organizations are required to disclose their climate impact to stakeholders, shareholders, or voluntary regulators due to legal obligations.

Positive Public Relations

•Organizations are always concerned with their public image. By driving the green engine in-house, organizations can leverage this fact in the public sphere to increase market share, attract a new client base, and develop a reputation as an environmental leader.

•Customers are increasingly socially conscious, and are gravitating to like-minded providers.

Company Morale

•When employees believe in the company’s practices, they feel more connected to the organization.

•Similarly, your environmental practices may be a differentiator when recruiting top young talent.


Why is Green IT

important?

SummaryExamples of Green IT

opportunities

How do I implement


1 2 541


• Opportunities to significantly improve cooling efficiency range from optimizing airflow to leveraging cooler outside air.

• Server and storage consolidation energy savings may justify an accelerated transition from standalone servers.

• Renewable energy sources help companies meet power gaps as well as improve organizational green status.

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Whether the organization is large or small, you can find Green IT opportunities right in your backyard


Low Cost or Non-Green Benefits That Help the Business Case

Requires Light Renovation or Significant Upfront Cost

Requires Heavy Renovation or Building New

• Optimize air flow – closed cabinets with rear venting

• Virtualization and storage consolidation

• Optimize server/desktop power management

• Power bars that eliminate phantom power usage

• Optimize hardware refresh cycle

• Printer consolidation

• Optimize air flow – hot/cold aisle

• Airside/waterside economizers

• Liquid cooling direct to racks

• Integrate renewable energy sources

• Flywheel-based UPS systems

• Replace chemical-based fire suppression with FirePASS system

• Earth tubes to facilitate free cooling

• Radiating tubes embedded in the building walls (radiant cooling)

• Building automation

Summarized below is a wide range of opportunities. This section will describe each in more detail.

We moved in here in 2001. If I knew then what could be done to be more energy efficient, I would have designed things differently. Assembly Bill 32 cast a light on what people can

do. – Larry Chu, CTO, RS Investments

“

“

Increase the energy efficiency of the existing cooling system

by optimizing air flow


Power per Rack (kW)

Appropriate Cooling Strategies Based on Power per Rack

0 to 5 Vent rack exhausts. Install closed cabinets and blanks to prevent recirculation.

5 to 10More than 2 perforated tiles needed per rack. Consider spot cooling (i.e. portable air-conditioning that can be placed where it’s needed most).

10 to 15Cool aisle/hot aisle layout with fully ducted exhaust into hot aisle to prevent recirculation.

15 to 20 Consider in-row cooling or liquid cooling racks.

A cool aisle/hot aisle layout provides more effective cooling by preventing the mixing of hot and cold air.

Cooling strategies vary based on the power being used per server rack.

According to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), proper airflow management can increase the cooling capacity of a CRAC system by 50% or more.

Leverage airside economizers & precision cooling to minimize cooling power requirements


Case Study: Earth Rangers Earth Rangers reduced both cooling and heating energy usage by 90% through a combination of Earth Tubes (to pre-cool air in the summer and pre-warm air in the winter), Radiating Tubes embedded in the building walls at the time of construction, and an Airside Economizer. Data center uses 2.4 kW/h; the HVAC uses 5.6 kW/h.

• Airside economizers bring in cooler outside air to reduce the load on the CRAC.

• Precision cooling methods, such as integrating cooling coils directly into the rack or server, provide cooling directly to the servers. This is actually an older technology that was used to cool mainframes, and it has made a comeback due to its efficiency.

• To learn more, refer to Info-Tech’s “Greening the Data Center: Reduce Cooling Requirements.”

If you are building new, also consider:

• Earth Tubes: An underground conduit that naturally pre-cools summer air before it reaches the airside economizer, further increasing cooling efficiency.

• Radiating Tubes: Embedded in the building walls. A mixture of glycol and water runs through the tubes to help cool the data center.

Airside economizers are mandatory in California because of their effectiveness at improving CRAC efficiency.

Info-Tech Insight

As long as annual temperatures average under 72 ºF (22 ºC ), you can leverage seasonal or overnight free cooling. You don’t need to be in an excessively cold climate. (“Free cooling” refers to leveraging outside conditions, e.g. using airside economizers or Earth Tubes.)

http://www.infotech.com/research/greening-the-data-center-reduce-cooling-requirements

Accelerate server virtualization & consolidation to maximize energy savings sooner

Info-Tech Research Group13

• Once your virtualization infrastructure is in place, don’t wait until standalone servers reach end-of-life to replace them with a virtual server.

• Server consolidation also supports data center centralization by reducing space requirements and overall facility power consumption.

• Also be diligent about consolidating applications and managing data sprawl to reduce the demand for additional servers.

• For more details, refer to Info-Tech’s resources:

• “Get Moving with Server Virtualization”• “Make Consolidation Your Green Project”• Mitigate Costs & Maximize Value with a C

onsolidated Network Storage Strategy

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

49 Servers

7 Servers

+157%

Based on a 7:1 virtual to standalone server ratio, using blade technology. Includes power and cooling for servers, storage, and associated equipment (e.g. UPSs).

Source: Info-Tech Research Group

Example Power Usage by Virtual vs. Standalone Servers

Standalone

Virtualized

Case Study: Matrix SolutionsThe company invested in a solid WAN to support a centralized data center, lowering energy usage. To reduce demand for additional storage devices, it is using an image management system to detect and prevent data duplication, and it is hiring a records management specialist to apply document retention strategies aimed at ensuring legacy data is removed from live storage devices.

You are deferring energy savings if you continue to gradually virtualize and consolidate as part of your hardware refresh cycle.

http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/get-moving-with-server-virtualization

http://www.infotech.com/research/make-consolidation-your-green-project

http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/construct-a-storage-consolidation-strategy

http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/construct-a-storage-consolidation-strategy

Purchasing servers with an Energy Star rating is a good start, but there is more that you can do


Energy Star Ratings

• Start by including Energy Star qualification in server purchase requirements. A recent study found that Energy Star servers consume over 25% less energy on average.

Power Management

• Power management features in servers continue to improve. For example, blade servers can control the output of power supplies, and even turn off a redundant power supply if it’s not needed based on the current load.

• When upgrading, specifically check the new power management options to ensure you are maximizing energy savings.

Allocate Standby Power Based on Criticality

• Not all servers need to be on 24/7, and not all systems require multiple standby power redundancy. For example, highly critical servers may justify having two or three UPSs, whereas only one UPS may be appropriate for other servers.

• Similarly, be diligent about powering down servers that are no longer in use. For example, if the server’s applications have been transferred to a virtual server, power down and unplug the server after an appropriate transition period.

Utilize power management features and allocate standby power based on criticality to further reduce energy consumption.

Ensure that the BIOS settings are configured to take advantage of power management capabilities. Otherwise, the power management settings in the control panel are ignored.

Info-Tech Insight

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/downloads/ES_server_case_study.pdf

Extend power saving & carbon footprint reductionstrategies to PCs & laptops


Desktop Virtualization

• To maximize energy savings, use proper thin clients. Reusing old PCs as thin clients does not reduce energy usage, especially when compared to efficient newer technology.

• For more details, refer to Info-Tech’s, “A Realistic Assessment of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Energy Savings.”

Power Management

• Use Group Policy to apply appropriate PC power settings across the network.

• A free application (Edison) further optimizes power management, and is among the energy saving strategies used by Earth Rangers (see the case study in the Summary section).

Phantom Power

• Power bars with timers and options such as a “standby plug” can be used to cut off the electricity flow when the equipment is turned off.

Optimize the Refresh Lifecycle

• Purchasing higher-performance PCs/laptops (e.g. solid-state hard drives) can extend the lifecycle from 3 years to up to 5 years. However, extending PCs beyond that becomes counterproductive as the gap in energy efficiency widens compared to new technology, and the maintenance required for older PCs increases.

When spread over 1700 users, the move to energy efficient PCs/laptops and extending the lifecycle

from 3 years to 4.5/5 years will have a significant impact on both cost savings and the environment.

— Harry Turnbull, Executive Director of IT, City of Windsor

“

“Virtualization and power management at the desktop level also greatly reduces power consumption. Below are a few options to reduce energy usage.

http://www.infotech.com/research/a-realistic-assessment-of-virtual-desktop-infrastructure-energy-savings

http://www.verdiem.com/edison.aspx

Consolidate printing and improve end-user printing habits to save on energy costs & printing supplies


Multi-Functional Devices

• Replace individual devices (fax/print/copy) with multi-functional devices to reduce your peripheral footprint, hardware costs, and energy consumption.

• Note: Regularly check all functions (print, copy, and fax) to ensure that your multi-function device has not become a very expensive photocopier. Users often will simply print to another device rather than report a problem.

Network Printing

• Eliminate desktop printers in favor of network printers.

• Educate staff on the energy savings and environmental benefits to help get buy-in.

End-User Printing Habits

• Set printer defaults to double-sided and monochrome printing.

• Promote online distribution and review as a first option.

For more details, refer to Info-Tech’s solution set, Reduce Costs through Printer Consolidation.

Case Study: City of Ottawa Ottawa reduced its annual printing budget by $500,000 by switching to multi-functional devices and green printer defaults (double-sided and econo-mode).

Despite the cost savings, printer consolidation/reduction is an initiative that often does not take place because of end-user resistance. Educate staff on the energy savings and environmental benefits to help gain buy-in.

“

“

Info-Tech Insight

Incorporate document scanning into your workflow so that paper documents flowing into the enterprise are changed into electronic format rather than photocopied. A side benefit is it’s much easier to share and search the information electronically.

http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/reduce-costs-through-printer-consolidation

http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/reduce-costs-through-printer-consolidation

Augment existing power with renewable energy sources to bridge power gaps


Solar Power In the US, solar power has been used to bridge power gaps. Solar power is currently more costly than grid electricity and requires a lot of space, so it’s not yet practical as a primary energy source, although at least one data center, AISO, has proven it can be done on a small scale (1500 sq. ft. facility).

Wind Power In 2009, Other World Computing (OWC) became the first US data center powered entirely by an onsite wind turbine. In addition, many utility companies in North America and worldwide are using wind power as part of their energy source.

Geothermal Power

Earth Rangers in Canada uses geothermal power as well as solar power to meet part of its energy requirements. Another example is the Reno Technology Park project which includes plans for onsite power generation from renewable energy sources. Specifically, 20 MW of geothermal power, 100 MW of wind power, and 20 MW of solar power.

Smart Grid Smart Grid goals include integrating renewable energy sources into the national power grid as well as using modern technology to improve reliability (through better management of power demand and outages) and overall energy efficiency.

At present, renewable energy is viable primarily as a means to bridge power gaps. For example, 100 square feet of solar panels might generate only 10kWh per day in a typical US or European climate. However, below are examples of how far renewable energy can be scaled.

http://www.aiso.net/

http://www.owc.net/

http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2010/11/15/large-reno-project-to-generate-its-own-power/

http://www.smartgrid.gov/

Explore alternatives to standard UPS technology that continually consumes energy even when not in use


Flywheel technology has a higher upfront cost but lower long-term operating expenses. A summary of the benefits are listed below.

•Typical demonstrated lifespan of a flywheel-based UPS system is 12-15 years, compared to 2-3 years for a battery-based UPS system.

•It consumes less energy, so less power and cooling are needed. It can be up to 98% energy efficient.

•CO2 emissions can be reduced by 75% compared to battery-based UPS systems.

For more details, refer to Info-Tech’s “Active Power CleanSource: Flywheel Technology for Ride-Through UPS.”

Efficiency (at 75% of load or greater)

Footprint (based on 600 kVA UPS)

Operating Expenses (based on 10 MW deployment over 20 years)

Carbon Footprint

Active Power Flywheel UPS

Up to 98% 89 sq. ft. $11.6 Million 50,000 tons CO2

Conventional UPS & Battery

Up to 92% 190 sq. ft. $39.3 Million175,000 tons CO2

Flywheel-based UPS systems store kinetic energy by constantly spinning a compact flywheel in a low friction environment. Provides short-term bridging power until utility power is restored or a generator starts.

http://www.infotech.com/research/active-power-cleansource-flywheel-technology-for-ride-through-ups

Widely accepted “clean agent” fire suppression systems are not clean; they are chemically-based and may be

toxic


12%21% 16%

For more details, refer to Info-Tech’s “FirePASS: The Next Revolution in Fire Prevention and Suppression?”

A sprinkler system is mandatory, but can cause water damage, so some data centers seek additional fire protection to suppress fires before the sprinklers are activated. FirePASS provides a chemical-free alternative to chemical-based “clean agent” fire suppression systems, and it can function as a preventative.

How does it work? FirePASS maintains an oxygen-reduced atmosphere (hypoxic) in the data center, but still breathable – similar to the level of oxygen when flying in a commercial airplane. The reduced oxygen helps prevent fires. If a fire still ignites, the oxygen level is further reduced to quickly suppress the fire.

FirePASS System Clean Agent System

Chemical freeChemical-based; may be toxic

Fire prevention capabilityReactive system – can only suppress fires, not prevent them

Post-fire, no mess to clean up

Post-fire, the chemical agent must be cleaned up

http://www.infotech.com/research/firepass-the-next-revolution-in-fire-prevention-and-suppression



Optimize overall facility energy usage with building automation


Lighting • Occupancy sensors turn on lights only as needed.

• Similarly, photo sensors can be used to reduce artificial lighting based on availability of natural light.

Temperature controls

• Temperature can be adjusted for different areas of a building appropriate to that location’s requirements and taking into account the effect of outdoor conditions.

• In addition, similar to common programmable thermostats but with much more intelligent control, temperature is adjusted based on occupancy (e.g. heating/cooling reduced at night, and ramped up just before the work day starts).

Variable Volume Air-Handlers

• Instead of the air handlers running at a constant speed, they automatically adjust to meet the current needs.

• Multiple units allow each area of a building to have different settings Case Study: Earth Rangers. Building automation reduced overall facility energy usage by 90%.

A building automation system (BAS) reduces energy usage by adjusting lighting and climate controls as needed to meet actual requirements, while taking into account outdoor conditions (e.g. the heat and light provided by a sunny day).

A range of options are available, from basic features such as light sensors to sophisticated air handlers. Below is a sampling of options.

How do I implement



s

SummaryWhat is the state of Green IT today?

Why is Green IT

important?

1 3 54

Next Secti on in Brief

• The recession has led to even tighter IT budgets; organizations that are not committed to sustainability lack the information necessary to make the business case for Green IT during these tight economic conditions.

• The US and Canada are still lagging behind other countries when it comes to corporate environmental stewardship.

• Organizations are starting to take note of vendors’ environmental practices, but it’s generally not yet a critical factor.

2

The recession led to tighter IT budgets, which has led to an overall decrease in Green IT initiatives


Source: Info-Tech Research GroupN = 69

2010 Ranking and Changes in Implementation Status

1. Server Virtualization

2. IT Equipment Recycling

3. Printer Consolidation

4. Storage Consolidation

5. PC/Laptop Power Management

6. Telecommuting Capabilities

7. Remote Conferencing

8. Existing Data Center Upgrade

9. Desktop Virtualization

10. IT Energy Measurement

11. New Data Center Build

• Along with the recession, energy prices decreased, which took emphasis away from Green IT initiatives, as energy cost savings are a main driver for Green IT.

• For most organizations, the funding isn’t there for projects that lack an obvious ROI. The ranking reflects this fact with 3 of the top 4 initiatives delivering easily-recognized cost savings in terms of hardware and maintenance effort.

• By contrast, projects that are more green and have a less apparent ROI (power management, telecommuting, and energy measurement) are being done less today than in 2008.

• Similarly, in another survey we asked clients about their plans to renovate their data center, and 61% indicated that Green IT was not a driver.

More organizations are implementing or have implemented server virtualization in 2010 (as indicated by the green text), largely due to non-green drivers such as hardware cost savings. However, the implementation status of all other initiatives either stayed the same or decreased (brown text) compared to 2008.

• Ranking: Initiatives implemented by more organizations (or in the process of being implemented) rank higher.

• Green text: Indicates that the implementation status has increased since 2008.• Brown text: Indicates a decrease since 2008, which reflects projects being stalled or cancelled.

Environmental stewardship has also decreased since 2008


35%

49%

42%

33%

36%

50%

Not only have Green IT projects been scaled back, but organizational commitment to the environment and sustainability has also decreased as organizations deal with the economic impact of the recession.

Other changes since 2008 include:

•In 2008, with the last energy crisis at its peak, 89% of organizations ranked energy costs as an important driver for Green IT.

•In 2010, energy costs are still important, but that number has dropped to 79%.

•The difficulty presented by barriers to Green IT, such as lacking cooperation from the landlord or facilities department, has not changed.

Organizations demonstrating a green commitment have continued to reap the benefits, despite difficult economic

times


In 2010, the higher the green score, the greater the success. In 2008, “greenness” had no impact on success as shown by the flat line.

Commitment to sustainability, which includes clear environmental goals and tracking energy costs, is now much more important to make the business case for Green IT initiatives.

Source: Info-Tech Research GroupN = 86

2010

2008

Gre

en IT S

ucc

ess

Low HighOrganization’s Green Score

Low

High

In 2010, a much higher commitment to sustainability is necessary to get projects approved and achieve the same level of success as in 2008.

Green IT Success was calculated as the average success of the following relative to initial expectations:• Decreased energy costs.• Realized credits/rebates.• Met employee demand for environmental action.• Able to measure/track electricity usage at the

server level.• Able to measure/track electricity usage at the PC

level.• Used data to influence IT asset procurement,

management, and usage in the future.

The Organization’s Green Score was calculated as the average rating of the following:

• Defining clear environmental goals.• Measuring/tracking energy and carbon

footprint.• Commissioning third-party environmental audits.• Purchasing carbon offsets for business operations.• Taking specific actions to reduce environmental

impact of its supply chain, products, or services.• Building/leasing offices that minimize

environmental impact (such as LEED-certified facilities).

Low interest in rebates reflects an ad-hoc approach that is leaving money on the table


75% of green organizations viewed rebates as an important driver.

Source: Info-TechN = 91

It’s no surprise that decreasing energy costs is the main driver for Green IT. However, the low interest in utility rebates reflects the ad-hoc approach still practiced by many organizations, and they are missing out on opportunities. • Organizations with a higher green score are more informed about green savings

opportunities, including rebates, and so they were more likely to recognize rebates as an important driver for Green IT.

• It’s no coincidence that green organizations also experienced more success at obtaining rebates that exceeded expectations. Consult your local utility company for information on potential rebates and refer to Section 4 of this report for more guidance in this area.

25%

75%

Rebates are an Important

Driver

Lower Green Score

Higher Green Score

47%

0%

Rebates Exceeded

Expectations

Not Important

Important Driver

Source: Info-Tech N = 23

47% of organizations that viewed rebates as an important driver obtained rebates that exceeded expectations – compared to 0% of those who felt rebates were not an important driver.

The US & Canada are still lagging behind the rest of the world in overall environmental stewardship


• Defining clear environmental goals at a senior management level is the single biggest factor in Green IT success. It drives staff buy-in and measuring energy usage, which are key factors in making the business case for Green IT.

• Large US corporations such as Cisco, Google, HP, and IBM have taken a strong organizational stance on the environment. However, it hasn’t trickled down to the majority of organizations.

• North American organizations such as Earth Rangers and Matrix Solutions (featured in our case studies) make sustainability part of their culture and demonstrate that being green makes good business sense, but they are in the minority.

In North America, Green IT is still primarily about reducing costs, so US and Canadian organizations are behind other countries in factors such as defining clear environmental goals and reducing the environmental impact of suppliers.

8%

16%

19%

22%

27%

30%

38%

http://www.cisco.com/web/about/citizenship/environment/index.html

http://www.google.com/corporate/green/

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/environment/commitment.html

http://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/

Organizations are beginning to include vendors’ environmental practices in their assessment, but it’s not

knock-out criteria


• Using vendors with sound environmental practices helps reinforce the organizational commitment to being green, is good for company morale, and provides a marketing opportunity.

• 23% of organizations are piloting or have already started incorporating the vendor’s environmental practices as a scoring metric, and another 40% are exploring or planning to do the same.

• However, vendors still need to catch up to the demand, and be competitively priced while being green. As a result, while vendors may be asked about their environmental practices, it is often not a factor in the purchase decision.

37%

23%

We ask for LEED compliance and environmental standards compliance but we do not exclude vendors if those aren’t there. It is still taxpayer dollars.

— Helen Hill-Schoenherr, ITS Business Planner, City of Ottawa“

“While organizations may insist on purchasing energy-efficient equipment, they aren’t as firm when it comes to choosing vendors based on their environmental practices, but they are at least starting to ask the questions.

IT projects such as server virtualization are being recast as Green IT initiatives


Government IT departments are receiving political pressure to be green. Similarly, businesses are incorporating sustainability in their marketing efforts to appeal to their client base. In both cases, IT leaders are promoting not only the technical benefits but also the green benefits of IT initiatives.

Examples of IT projects with non-green drivers that can be recast as Green IT initiatives

Server Virtualization

• Business drivers: Reduces hardware costs and provides IT departments with greater flexibility.

• Green benefits: Energy efficiency is a side-benefit and not a primary driver for most organizations. Similarly, reduced hardware demands lowers the overall carbon footprint.

Desktop Virtualization

• Business drivers: Centralizes control over end-user environments, which makes both application deployment and maintenance much easier to manage.

• Green benefits: Thin clients require less hardware and less processing power.

Data Center Consolidation

• Business drivers: Fewer facilities to manage and maintain, and greater control and efficiency through centralization.

• Green benefits: Few facilities, or even moving to a smaller facility, means less cooling and heating required.



s

SummaryHow do I implement a successful Green IT program?

Why is Green IT

important?

1 4 54


3

• Clear sustainability goals drive organizational commitment and a strategic approach that is far more successful than an ad-hoc approach.

• IT energy measurement at the asset level provides the data needed to make informed decisions that will maximize Green IT success.

• An annual review enables the organization to track progress, demonstrate success, and keep staff engaged.

Adopt a strategic approach to channel organizational efforts

& drive maximum impact


Green IT is done by accident

Don’t know current IT energy usage or costs

Based on gut feel

Green initiatives done in isolation

Aims to save on energy costs in the short-term

Considered as a future option

Leadership

Measuring

Planning

Staff Buy-In

Vision

Certification

Rip and replace approach

Ad-hoc

Offsetting

Make sustainability a core business strategy to drive initiatives

Define clear sustainability goals to drive initiatives that not only help the environment, but also the bottom line


• As shown earlier in this report, the greater the organization’s green score, the greater its success with Green IT initiatives.

• Setting clear environmental/sustainability goals is key since it drives energy measurement which in turn provides the data necessary to make informed, strategic decisions.

• However, setting clear goals is just a small part of the larger project. If you don’t follow up with measuring energy usage and build a case for Green IT, you are far less likely to be successful.

Clear goals set at a leadership level drive organization-wide support for green initiatives and a strategic approach that maximizes savings as well as a reduction in environmental impact.

The city recognizes that the business case is good. The challenge is actually having the time and manpower capacity to implement the initiatives.

— Helen Hill-Schoenherr, ITS Business Planner, City of Ottawa

Sustainability in any business has to be a prime objective. Shareholder base, employee base, client base, all the stakeholders in an organization benefit when sustainability principles are enacted. It’s about building stakeholder relationships.

–Chris Holmes, Director of Business & Technology Services, Allens Arthur Robinson

“ “

“

“

Start measuring energy usage now to fuel the business case and optimize your efforts


• Start by determining IT’s total energy cost, and use that information to drive support for energy measurement at the asset level so you can make informed decisions.

• For example, server energy measurement can help determine whether to accelerate a transition to virtual servers, or the impact of legacy servers and whether it’s time to replace them.

• As outlined in the Info-Tech note “Energy Measurement Methods for the Data Center,” many servers, power distribution units, and UPSs have built-in monitoring capability to help you get started.

• For additional energy measurement strategy, see the Info-Tech note “A Roadmap for IT Energy Measurement.”Info-Tech Insight

Many rebate programs require that you identify energy usage before and after an initiative, so if you implement an initiative without first measuring, you may be throwing away money.

Energy measurement raises awareness of how much energy costs impact the bottom line, which fuels the business case for exploring Green IT initiatives and a strategic plan that will be more successful than an ad-hoc approach.

Measuring energy usage is paying off

• 82% of those who are piloting, implementing, or have implemented IT energy measurement tools are in the top half of respondents in their Green IT implementation progress.

• 71% of organizations that are measuring energy usage and carbon footprint had a decrease in energy costs that exceeded expectations.

Source: Info-Tech; N count = 35

http://www.infotech.com/research/energy-measurement-methods-for-the-data-center

http://www.infotech.com/research/a-roadmap-for-it-energy-measurement

Measure both energy usage and carbon footprint with Info-Tech’s Energy & Carbon Calculator and Tracking Tool


Tracking carbon emissions is growing in importance as more countries begin exploring a carbon tax. The Info-Tech tool includes an estimate of your carbon emissions so you can begin tracking your carbon footprint as well as energy usage.You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

•Use Info-Tech’s Energy & Carbon Calculator and Tracking Tool to establish a baseline and track your organization’s progress over time.

•Establishing a baseline is critical to proving cost savings, which drives more funding, and it may be required to show compliance with future government regulations.

•If you have not started measuring yet, use Info-Tech’s Data Center Power Requirements Calculator to estimate energy usage, and then use this tool to estimate carbon emissions.

The upcoming carbon tax has a lot of companies concerned because they aren’t measuring yet and have no idea what the hit will be.

— Brian Rae, Virtuous Networking, in the UK

“ “

http://www.infotech.com/research/it-energy-carbon-calculator-and-tracking-tool

http://www.infotech.com/research/data-center-power-requirements-calculator

Leverage your measurement data to develop a strategic plan to reduce energy usage


It’s important to keep the big picture in mind. It may not be as simple as identifying where your biggest energy losses are and starting there.

•For example, if you embark on a server virtualization project, understand that as you move to a higher density environment, your cooling requirements will increase. So even if your CRAC was determined to be efficient, you may need to upgrade the CRAC or implement further cooling efficiency initiatives.

•Also consider what is appropriate for your organization’s size and energy usage. For example, end-to-end building automation is a costly endeavor (the building automation installation cost for Earth Rangers was $200,000 in donated services and equipment). However, even small organizations can afford sensors to automate lighting.

•Similarly, there are several initiatives that can be undertaken with little cost or risk, such as PC power management.

•Establish key energy reduction goals, and make your senior managers accountable by incorporating sustainability goals in their annual performance reviews.

After you have identified energy efficiency at the asset level, use that information to identify which Green IT initiatives are most appropriate for your organization.

Make sure you look at the total horizontal view and not look at just a single area. For example, server virtualization has an impact on the applications. Desktop virtualization has

an impact on the network.— Helen Hill-Schoenherr, ITS Business Planner, City of

Ottawa

“

“

Find a synergy between top-down & bottom-up support to ensure cross-departmental cooperation


• Establishing a green culture not only drives buy-in, it also helps sustain the program. As opposed to many project-based activities, sustainability is a long-term goal and an ongoing process.

• Similarly, while some initiatives have very quick payoffs, others such as building automation need a longer time period and a strong organizational commitment to achieve an ROI. A long-term view is necessary to move into more advanced initiatives.

A sustainability committee with senior and junior staff is an effective method for driving organization-wide support. Similarly, providing periodic updates on the strategy and the results of initiatives will maintain engagement.

Case Study: Allens Arthur Robinson “Footprint” is a strategic planning committee aimed at reducing the firm’s environmental impact. Through this collaborative model, the firm has been able to harvest new initiatives and develop an environment-friendly culture, to the point of even removing the light from the refrigerator – not for the energy savings, but as a reminder of their commitment to sustainability.

Case Study: Matrix Solutions The company established a committee dedicated to sound practices that reduce the environmental footprint within Matrix Solutions’ sphere of influence. They meet every first Thursday of the month to identify, promote, implement, and monitor environmentally prudent initiatives that stem from the company’s environmental goals and that coincide with current organizational goals.

Capitalize on public & private incentive programs to ease the burden of adaptation


Incentive Programs: US •The US has various programs to promote energy efficiency. See Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). •For state specific incentives provided by utility providers, see Spirax Sarco.

Incentive Programs: Australia•Australia has a range of Federal incentive programs aimed at encouraging the use of renewable energy. •Various other programs such as Climate Ready, Green Building Fund or Office of Energy Grant all provide incentives as well.

Incentive Programs: Canada

•In Canada, the requisite authority for energy incentives is the Office of Energy Efficiency at the Department of Natural Resources.

•Local utility providers such as Toronto Hydro or BC Hydro also have their own programs, so check with your service providers.

Incentive Programs: EU•The EU has a range of initiatives that stem from the EU-Emissions Trading System which acts as a market-based incentive. •Individual member states employ different incentives ranging from “feed-in tariffs,” credits, or grants to offset the cost reductions. •A climate change levy or tax is also used.

Look to local/regional regulatory agencies and service providers first. There are likely programs in place to positively contribute to the bottom line.

http://www.dsireusa.org/

http://www.dsireusa.org/

http://www.spiraxsarco.com/us/about/news-article.asp?news_id=30

http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/grants-and-assistance-available/#environment

http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/InnovationandRandD/ClimateReadyProgram/Pages/ClimateReadyProgram.aspx

http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/InnovationandRandD/GreenBuildingFund/Pages/GreenBuildingFund.aspx

http://www.energy.wa.gov.au/1/3578/64/grants_and_rebates.pm

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/incentives.cfm

http://www.torontohydro.com/sites/corporate/CorporateResponsibility/ConservationCulture/Pages/ConservationCulture.aspx

http://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/resources/Inc_program.html

Obtain third party certifications to qualify for rebates and promote your commitment to the environment


Energy Efficiency Certificates

• Qualifying for energy efficiency certificates will cost you money – you need a third-party to verify your energy usage before and after an energy efficiency project, and there is the cost of the initiative, but the savings usually outweigh the costs.

• For more details, refer to Info-Tech’s “Understand the Benefits of Energy Efficiency Certificates.”

LEED • LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to measure a building’s energy efficiency and environmental impact.

• LEED ratings cover the overall site, including factors beyond energy efficiency such as building materials and indoor environmental quality.

Energy Star Data Center Ratings

• The Energy Star program provides resources to help businesses (as well as

homeowners) be more energy efficient. • The Energy Star program also includes data center ratings and awards

that you can use to market your commitment to sustainability.

Below are a sampling of available certifications. Check with your local utility to learn about available incentives and how to qualify.

Info-Tech Insight

Third-party audits are more common in the US and Canada where governments take an incentives approach to encouraging energy efficiency, whereas in the EU sustainability is implemented through legislation.

http://www.infotech.com/research/understand-the-benefits-of-energy-efficiency-certificates

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=prod_development.server_efficiency#rating

As you climb the Green IT maturity scale, set a stretch goal of being 100% carbon neutral


Sustainability makes financial business sense. So does moving towards becoming carbon neutral when you consider the intangible benefits and the continued pressure on organizations to do more for the environment.

• Some countries in the EU are already charging a carbon tax.

• While in North America carbon taxing is most likely not going to occur in the short term, striving to be carbon neutral puts your organization ahead of the curve and better prepared to abide by tougher environmental laws in the future.

• In addition to improving energy efficiency, organizations can also become carbon neutral by purchasing carbon offsets and energy efficiency certificates that they can apply against their carbon footprint.

• Organizations that have surpassed regulatory obligations are also rewarded by being able to sell carbon offsets and energy efficiency certificates on the open market.

• Large corporations can use the “Clean Development Mechanism” (CDM), which involves investing in environmental projects in developing countries to gain carbon offset credits that you can apply to your organization.

http://www.carbon-clear.com/us/projects/what_is_carbon_offsetting

http://cdm.unfccc.int/index.html

Constantly drive organizational reform by consistently revisiting and reevaluating sustainability goals


• Develop an annual review process that revisits the past year’s initiatives, critiques their implementation, and extracts best practices for future application.

• Frame your review in terms of a pre-defined objective metric (e.g. kW/h vs. GHG emissions) to maintain impartiality.

• Also report progress mid-year or quarterly to ensure that initiatives are staying on track.

• Kick start your process with Info-Tech’s Sustainability Annual Review Template.

Remember that success breeds complacency. Don’t treat sustainability as a project that starts and ends, but rather as an ongoing objective that is redeveloped based on new technologies and a goal of continuous improvement.

Info-Tech Insight

Be aware of the environmental impact beyond the numbers. For example, using cloud resources is not a green initiative if the vendor lacks sound environmental practices. Similarly, desktop virtualization utilizing old PCs as thin clients is counterproductive.

http://www.infotech.com/research/it-sustainability-annual-review-template



s

How do I implement


SummaryWhy is Green IT

important?

1 543


• A recap of the state of Green IT.

• Summary of recommendations for a strategic approach to Sustainability and Green IT.

• Links to Info-Tech research and tools referenced in this report, and to additional external Green IT resources.

• Full case study details, including a summary of initiatives, drivers, barriers, and examples of organizational commitment.

2

The State of Green IT


• Energy shortages, a desire to cut costs, and the specter of future tougher environmental laws have made sustainability a strategic business objective.

• Renewable energy sources such as solar power are enabling organizations to bridge power gaps, but they are not yet practical as a primary source of electricity.

• The economic downturn stalled Green IT initiatives for many organizations. However, those who are committed to sustainability have continued to implement Green IT initiatives, despite difficult economic times, and they have been rewarded with reduced energy costs.

• Cooling is the biggest energy drain in a data center, and it’s being tackled with green strategies such as “free cooling” and optimizing airflow to reduce the load on CRACs.

• Defining clear environmental goals, measuring energy usage, and taking a strategic approach to Green IT have been the keys to maximizing energy savings and minimizing environmental impact.

Recommendations


1. Define clear environmental goals. As a starting point, this can simply be an intent to investigate current energy usage and then set targets based on those measurements.

2. Start measuring energy costs to fuel the business case and gather the data necessary to create an informed, strategic plan.

3. Create an environmental committee of senior and junior employees to drive top-down and bottom-up support. Establishing a green culture in your organization encourages end-user buy-in, cross-department cooperation, and input from staff on potential initiatives.

4. Seek out incentives and rebate programs to fund initiatives. Certification may be required to qualify. Your local utility company can provide details about available incentives and rebates in your area.

5. Make sustainability an ongoing process. Evaluate and report progress at regular checkpoints to ensure initiatives stay on track and to keep staff engaged.

Additional Green IT Resources


Info-Tech Research Referenced in This Report• Active Power CleanSource: Flywheel Technology for Ride-T

hrough UPS

• FirePASS: The Next Revolution in Fire Prevention and Suppression?

• Energy Measurement Methods for the Data Center

• Get Moving with Server Virtualization

• Greening the Data Center: Reduce Cooling Requirements

• Make Consolidation Your Green Project

• Mitigate Costs & Maximize Value with a Consolidated Network Storage Strategy

• A Realistic Assessment of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Energy Savings

• Reduce Costs through Printer Consolidation

• A Roadmap for IT Energy Measurement

• Understand the Benefits of Energy Efficiency Certificates

Info-Tech Tools Referenced in This Report• Data Center Power Requirements Calculator

• Energy & Carbon Calculator and Tracking Tool

• Sustainability Annual Review Template

Additional Info-Tech Resources•Green IT Maturity: How Green Can You Go?

•Renovate the Data Center

•Move a Data Center

•Build a Data Center

•Craft a Converged Data Center Network Strategy

Key External Sites Referenced in This Report•Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)

•Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency

•LEED Overview

•Energy Star Overview

•Energy Star Data Center Ratings and Awards

•Smart Grid

•The Green Grid

•Clean Development Mechanism

Case Study: Allens Arthur Robinson – Green IT Initiatives


Green IT Initiatives Include:

Carbon Auditing

• Uses an independent auditor to measure the firm’s greenhouse gas emissions and conduct energy audits. Also GHG reduction targets are revisited annually.

• Has reduced GHG emissions from 14.7 tons (GHG/FTE) in 2006-07 to 10.8 tons in 2008-09 representing a 31% reduction over the 4 years of the program.

Green Power • The firm has implemented a GreenPower initiative which has integrated the use of renewable energy sources into the firm’s energy mix, and they pay a premium for it.

Procurement Policy

• The firm is committed to sustainable procurement. The environmental practices of vendors are taken into account in its procurement procedure.

• Current and prospective service provides are expected to demonstrate that their practices support the firm’s environmental goals.

Facilities • Cooling is delivered directly to processor elements to minimize leakage.• Data center design is vital as redesign allows for cost reductions in

cooling.• CPU room temperature increased (22 degrees in office vs. 26 degrees in

data center).

Allens Arthur Robinson is an international law firm with offices throughout Australia and Asia.

Number of IT staff: 58Number of employees: 1500Number of offices: 15

Case Study: Allens Arthur Robinson – Green IT Initiatives (continued)


Green IT Initiatives Continued:

Server Virtualization

• Phase 1 in 2007 brought a 40% reduction in energy usage and currently in phase 3.

Printing Consolidation and Reduction

• Moved exclusively to group printers with double sided printing as default.• Paper use was reduced from 61 million pages in 2004 to 28.5 million in

2009. Representing a 53% reduction in organizational paper use over 5 years.

PC Lifecycle • As assets have come to the end of their economic life, the firm has moved to replace them to maintain consistent embodied energy levels for the firm, while systematically reducing its carbon impact.

Ongoing Staff Education

• Each year the footprint committees organize various educational events to develop a firm-wide environmental ethic. These range from lectures to community outreach initiatives aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues.

• Also use internal incentive programs aimed at building a community engagement.

Technology Recycling

• The firm engages with partners for the ethical removal and disposal of noxious technology products.

Food/Bottled Water

• By engaging the firm’s administrative staff to work to develop creative solutions to address food waste, the firm has been able to develop a firm-wide respect for food resources.

• Removal of bottled water in the firm and replacement with filtered water has shown significant cost savings.

Case Study: Allens Arthur Robinson – Drivers, Barriers, and Organizational Buy-In


Drivers • Move towards sustainability on the part of client base, employee base, and stakeholders. Environmental stewardship along with building stakeholder relationships are key drivers.

Barriers • Resistance to capital expenditures and success becomes your worst enemy.

Organizational Buy-In

• Establish top-down and bottom-up support to increase staff morale, and maintain a strong degree of engagement. (Footprint Committee)

• Plan in advance to ensure that the business benefits of GHG reductions are able to be realized in that year.

• Maintain a coordination mechanism to minimize duplication, and maximize resources.

• Even if the initiative does not have a significant impact on GHG, consider if it can have an organizational impact on the organization (e.g. No light bulbs in office fridges).

We have an extremely high environmental awareness at the firm, especially among our younger

associates. Our client base has sustainability as a part of their shareholder reporting frameworks,

and most are within jurisdictions that require mandatory sustainability reporting.

– Chris Holmes, Director of Business & Technology Services, Allens Arthur Robinson

“ “

Case Study: City of Ottawa – Green IT Initiatives



Facilities • Power monitoring underway in the data center, targeting power consumption reduction opportunities and cooling efficiency.

Server/Storage Consolidation

• Server virtualization has already eliminated approximately 60 servers.

• The server consolidation is enabling the city to eliminate one data center (reducing from 4 data centers to 3) which further lowers its carbon footprint by reducing energy usage and overall facility/supporting equipment requirements (e.g. A/C, Power Distribution Units, Fire Suppression Systems).


• By year end in 2011 (when the current lease is up), the city will have moved to multifunctional devices (print, fax, photocopier all-in-one) where applicable. This will reduce the peripheral footprint by 44% (approx 1200 devices).

• All printers with remote setting capabilities are now set to double-sided and econo-mode by default.

Other • Use recycled materials (e.g. paper, toner).

• Donate old PCs and CRTs to schools.

Capital of Canada, with a population of approximately 800,000.

Number of IT staff: 290Number of employees: 10,777Number of offices: 317

Case Study: City of Ottawa – Drivers, Barriers, and Organizational Buy-In


Drivers • Hard cost savings and future cost avoidance.

• Limited staff increase in IT since 2004, so they have to do more with less. A major corporate drive is to achieve service efficiency.

• Initiatives such as server virtualization and data center consolidation mean less equipment and fewer locations to manage in addition to future cost avoidance.

Barriers • Money is not an issue because the business case is good. The challenge is having the time and manpower capacity to implement the initiatives.


• The organization’s view on environmental issues is very high.

• The city has 9 top projects, and one of them is “smart energy” which includes promoting the use of buses and cycling, buildings and energy utilization, preserving green space, and planting trees.

• However, for the Green IT initiatives, they need a sound financial business case to move forward, and so far that has not been an issue. The business case is good. The culture today is very concerned with the environment, so we didn’t really run into

any issues with getting cooperation from other departments or groups such as the real-estate

group for the data center consolidation project.

— Helen Hill-Schoenherr, ITS Business Planner, City of Ottawa

“ “

Case Study: City of Windsor – Green IT Initiatives



Facilities • Moving to a new data center and expect a 60% improvement in cooling efficiency.

• All new equipment must have an Energy Star rating or equivalent.


• Moving to virtual servers. Using Blade servers which have better disk utilization, require less cooling, take up less space, and last longer.

• All offsite servers have been consolidated to a centralized data center as the city has improved its network capabilities.


• Switched to network printing (eliminated approximately 100-150 desktop printers). Has also eliminated approximately 10-20 network printers through attrition.

• When a copier is replaced by a multi-function print/copy/fax device, a network printer must be eliminated; otherwise, this is adding a printer to the network.

• Printers are set to double-sided by default.

PC Lifecycle and Power Usage

• All PCs/laptops now have energy efficient power supplies and LCD monitors.

• Extended the lifecycle from 3 years to at least 4.5 years on average.

A smaller city with a population of approximately 200,000.


Case Study: City of Windsor – Drivers, Barriers, and Organizational Buy-In


Drivers • The city is trying to be more environmentally friendly. On the IT side, the city wants to be green where possible within budgetary constraints.

• As the data center continues to grow, there is a need to simplify the IT environment to make it more manageable, and that means consolidation and being more efficient.

• Cost reduction.

Barriers • Staff turnover has led to a need for ongoing education on initiatives such as requiring staff to print double-sided and why desktop printers are not permitted.


• Old PCs and CRTs are donated to a computers for kids program.

• Communications campaign for staff to turn off computers at night. This has been very successful. Now the city has to communicate to staff when to leave computers on (e.g. to install patches that should be run overnight).

• The provincial government is encouraging cooperation among municipalities to share facilities, by making funding available when regions are working together.

DR facilities have to be outside of the city, so that is a great opportunity to work with other governments and share a facility to be more efficient.

― Harry Turnbull, Executive Director of IT, City of Windsor

“

“

Case Study: Earth Rangers – Green IT Initiatives



Facilities • Building automation system (at a cost of $400,000 in donated supplies and services) and energy sub-metering installed (e.g. they now measure at the server level).

• Sub-metering enabled them to verify the energy savings from raising the data center temperature from 68 ºF (20 ºC) to 73ºF (23 ºC).

• Warm air vented from the data center is funneled into an adjacent room and hallway to provide free heating there.

• Renewable energy sources include solar power and geothermal heating.• Earth tubes are used to pre-cool air in the summer and pre-warm air in

the winter, reducing the load on the HVAC.• Radiating tubes embedded in the building walls assist both heating and

cooling.


• Went from 8 physical servers to 63 virtual servers, saving 100,000 kWh per year.

• Using energy efficient Blade servers and UPS systems.


• Using a free application (“Edison”) to optimize power management.• APC smart power bars eliminate phantom power usage.• Employees are asked to turn off their PCs and monitors at the end of the

day.

A non-profit nature conservation educational center. The data center demonstrates the potential of Green IT.


Case Study: Earth Rangers – Drivers, Barriers, and Organizational Buy-In


Drivers • The building is a demonstration site, aimed at building the greenest data center to influence others.

Barriers • No barriers. They had the benefit of being able to start from the ground up with a new building; this demonstrates the potential for organizations building a new data center.

• They partner with vendors who donate services, so funding is also not an issue.


• The founder of Earth Rangers, Robert Schad, has always been an environmentalist, and has established a mandate for the organization to be as green as possible.

• They expect their vendors to follow environmentally friendly practices. It’s part of their procurement process.

• Applying for LEED Platinum certification.

Organizations should go green not only to save money but also to save the environment. The world’s data centers take 0.5% of the world’s power,

and we need to do something about that.

– Rob Di Stefano, IT Systems Director, Earth Rangers

“ “

Case Study: Matrix Solutions – Green IT Initiatives



Facilities • Interior modular glass walls enable easy floor plan reconfiguration without renovation and allow in more natural light.

• Low energy lights and light sensors further reduce energy usage.


• Has become 91% virtualized over the last two years, and has consolidated storage.

• Invested heavily in a solid WAN to prevent data server sprawl to other offices.

Reducing Storage Demand

• An image management system detects and prevents duplicate data from being stored.

• Implementing and managing document retention policies to ensure data that is no longer needed is archived and removed from its storage devices.

Application Efficiency

• For its air modeling simulation system, the traditional approach is to use a large cluster of machines due to the amount of data and the complexity of the program.

• By breaking up the analysis by location and time, and then using a utility to combine the results, the company was able to make the application run serially rather than all at once. As a result, it was able to scale back to a couple of core-dense servers, greatly reducing hardware costs, carbon footprint, and energy consumption.


• Purchasing better PCs/laptops, enabling a lifecycle extension of 4 or 5 years.

• A script sends an e-mail to users who forget to turn off their PC at night.

Matrix Solutions is a multi-service environmental consulting and engineering company.


Case Study: Matrix Solutions – Drivers, Barriers, and Organizational Buy-In


Drivers • Being an environmental consulting business, it is extremely conscious of environmental issues.

• Reduce costs through energy efficiency. The business justification strong.

Barriers • No barriers. Green initiatives have the organization’s support.


• An Environmental Committee helps ensure the organization continues to be environmentally friendly.

• The organization’s coffee is brought to them by a vendor who delivers its coffee by bike.

• Staff minimize travel by carpooling and grouping trips to field locations that are nearby to each other, saving money for their clients and reducing carbon emissions.

• PCs that no longer meet business needs are auctioned to employees or donated to schools.

• Telecommuting is supported by a move to laptops and a good VPN.

The Environmental Committee is dedicated to environmentally-sound practices that reduce the Environmental Footprint within Matrix Solutions’ sphere of influence. The group meets

every first Thursday of the month to identify, promote, implement, and monitor environmentally prudent initiatives that stem from the company’s environmental goals and

that coincide with current organizational goals.

–Mike Morley, Enterprise Architect, Matrix Solutions

“ “

Case Study: RS Investments – Green IT Initiatives



Facilities • Installed energy efficient lighting and motion sensors for lights as part of renovation.

• All new equipment must have an Energy Star rating or equivalent.


• Implemented server virtualization to facilitate disaster recovery capability, but a secondary benefit has been reduced cooling and overall energy costs.

• Looking at a SAN device that will provide better fault tolerance, better performance, and is more energy efficient.


• Replaced print/copy/fax machines with multi-function devices.

• Replaced individual printers with group/network printers.

• Encourage electronic distribution as the first option.


• PCs that no longer meet business needs are donated to non-profit organizations that rebuild them, enabling the equipment to be reused.

• Considering desktop virtualization.

RS Investments is based in California, a regulated state, and is very aware of environmental concerns.


Case Study: RS Investments – Drivers, Barriers, and Organizational Buy-In


Drivers • California environmental laws. E.g. Global Warming Solutions Act aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (Assembly Bill 32), and the California Code of Regulations (Title 24).

• Desire to be environmentally friendly. The company’s first step is meet the business problem (e.g. consolidate storage), but if staff have an option to be energy efficient with all other things being equal, they’ll take it.

Barriers • No resistance because the initiatives are in line with business requirements and the business case is strong.


• The company is the second largest tenant in the building, so staff asked the landlord to do more about facilitating recycling, and the landlord has complied.

• The company encourages the use of public transit via Commuter Checks (effectively a tax deduction for fare expenses).

• If a client asks for certain companies not to be included in his portfolio, the company has the software in place to ensure those wishes are followed.Although we need to solve the business problem first, after that,

all things being equal, we’ll look for the energy efficient option.

- Larry Chu, CTO, RS Investments

“

“

Appendix – Demographics














Strategic approach to green it

Technology

state of green

business benefits of

organizations organizations

nongreen reasons

energy demand

account energy efficiency

new sources of energy

renewable energy sources