The IT industry is growing exponentially and is driven by the need to have access to information at our finger tips 24 hours a day. Developments in software generally require faster and more powerful computers (PCs) and we are now individually and in business more reliant on computerised information.
There are a number of manufactures offering PCs now with reduced power consumptions. Dell offers an energy efficient chassis as an option for a small additional premium.
Power-down switches are available to hibernate PCs to reduce power consumption when they are not in use but the simple solution is to turn of the monitor when shut down the PC at the end of the day unless it needs to be left on.
Servers however need to run 24 hours a day and consume more power.
We estimate that new, more energy efficient servers will reduce power consumption and corresponding CO2 emissions compared to the existing servers by approximately 30%. This corresponds to approximately 1700KW/h lower annual power consumption per server. Assuming an electricity cost of 14p per KW/h, this can on average provide an annual saving of nearly £240 per server.
Further savings can be made by:
1. Virtualisation - one physical server housing multiple virtual servers
2. Hosting the server off site
3. Not having a server and moving to hosted services / cloud computing.
We advise clients on energy efficient IT systems and we aim operate our business in an environmentally friendly manner. To this end we are proud that we have taken the following steps and continue to find alternative ways to reduce our and our clients' carbon footprint.
· We recommend energy efficient hardware such as Servers, PCs and IT networking equipment to all of our clients.
· We propose that our clients consider server virtualisation to reduce the amount hardware and energy required to run their businesses. This means less landfill in future years and a massive energy saving. Where relevant we suggest cloud computing and hosted services to further reduce running costs including air conditioning.
· All our invoices and statements are electronically generated and sent by email unless a client has requested a paper copy. Moving information electronically is also much more energy and carbon efficient than physically sending hard copy.
· All internal documentation is generated and stored electronically. We minimise our use of paper internally by electronically scanning documents for multiple reproduction.
All IT equipment in operational use in an office consumes power. Servers and network equipment operate 24 hours a day. IT equipment especially servers need to be kept in a cool environment which generally requires air-conditioning. Quite often the servers are located in an area in an office where the whole room needs be kept cool, a bit like trying to keep food cool in a kitchen instead of using a fridge.
Reducing the number of servers and using Server Virtualisation
Reducing the number of servers will reduce your energy consumption. Server virtualisation in effect houses multiple virtual servers on one physical server where they can efficiently run multiple operating systems in parallel.
Move the Servers off site and have them hosted at a co location site
Hosting your servers off site is in effect having your own Private Cloud. Investing in your own IT equipment has a higher upfront cost, which can be offset by financing/leasing, but your ongoing costs are generally less. Hosting the servers in a co location site has monthly cost but that includes the cost you would otherwise spend on running and keeping the server cool in your own office.
Use Cloud Computing rather than investing in your own IT infrastructure
Cloud computing and services are about storing your data and running applications via a web browser from your PC, Laptop or Mobile device. Businesses are now recognising the clear benefits of outsourcing to a computer cloud. Capital expenditure is reduced, since applications are hosted by the cloud rather than by local computers.