Green Tech: How to Plan and Implement Sustainable It Solutions

Green Tech divides the mission of sustainable IT into three major goals.

The first is to rethink your purchasing goals. Often, the lowest-priced equipment is so energy-inefficient that its initial advantage is negated during its first year of operation; while only slightly higher outlays will result in substantial savings very soon and for years to come.

Second, your company needs to examine the specific equipment it has and the specific tasks for which it is used. Are your servers bigger than you need; your backups overly redundant; your work­stations, printers, scanners, copiers, and other items left on overnight and over the weekend?

Third, think long term. Disposal may seem like an issue for down the road but getting rid of old equipment can be a costly endeavor. You don't want to have to pay hefty waste-processing fees, fines, or indefinite warehousing costs. And if you've bought quality equipment in the first place, you'll find many opportunities to sell or donate it when you've outgrown it.

A book not just for IT buyers but for anyone in business, from the C-suite to purchasing to public relations, Green Tech offers practical ways to:

• Encourage sensible power usage by bridging the gap between the people using the electricity and the people paying the bills
• Build the business case for adopting and executing green technology strategies across the entire organization
• Reduce energy and equipment costs without sacrificing customer service levels
• Identify old equipment and cost-effective, energy-smart replacements
• Right-size your equipment for the tasks at hand, including reducing or virtualizing servers
• Cool your data centers for a fraction of the cost you're paying now
• Conduct an energy audit and establish your company's energy baseline
• Recycle or donate old equipment responsibly

One at a time or in combination, each idea in this book will have a noticeable impact on your bottom line--and on the world around you.