green
TRANSCRIPT
GREEN COMPUTING
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Green computing or green IT, refers to environmentally sustainable computing
or IT. In the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices, San Murugesan
defines the field of green computing as "the study and practice of designing,
manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated
subsystems—such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and
communications systems—efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact
on the environment.
The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry; reduce the use of
hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and
promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory
waste. Research continues into key areas such as making the use of computers as
energy-efficient as possible, and designing algorithms and systems for efficiency-
related computer technologies
Modern IT systems rely upon a complicated mix of people, networks and
hardware; as such, a green computing initiative must be systemic in nature, and
address increasingly sophisticated problems. Elements of such as solution may
comprise items such as end user satisfaction, management restructuring, regulatory
compliance, disposal of electronic waste, telecommuting, virtualization of server
resources, energy use, thin client solutions, and return on investment (ROI).
CHAPTER 2
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ORIGINS
In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched Energy Star, a
voluntary labeling program which is designed to promote and recognize energy-
efficiency in monitors, climate control equipment, and other technologies. This
resulted in the widespread adoption of sleep mode among consumer electronics.
The term "green computing" was probably coined shortly after the Energy Star
program began; there are several USENET posts dating back to 1992 which use
the term in this manner. Concurrently, the Swedish organization TCO
Development launched the TCO Certification program to promote low magnetic
and electrical emissions from CRT-based computer displays; this program was
later expanded to include criteria on energy consumption, ergonomics, and the use
of hazardous materials in construction.
CHAPTER 3
SCOPE OF THE SEMINAR
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Each Green IT seminar targets specified aspects of sustainability. All
seminar cover basic elements:
The difference between “green” and “green wash”
How to access their organizations current ICT eco-footprint
How to create objective standards for measurement and
performance.
How to create a plan to reduce the cost and eco-footprint of ICT
operations.
How to document the benefits of greening IT
How to present and justify green ICTinitiatives to stakeholders
CHAPTER 4
NEED FOR GREEN IT
4.1 WHY GREEN IT ?
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Because the world's appetite for energy is outpacing production of renewable and
non-renewable resources. Because the world is too densely populated to escape
the effects of Greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste disposal and toxic
production methods. Because ICT is both part of the problem and a key to the
solution. Because to thrive requires combining social responsibility, smart
resource use and technological innovation.
Don’t get lost in the Green wash
ICT is the fastest growing sector of energy use
Energy savings is the low-hanging fruit ready to be picked
The days of unregulated energy waste are over
Customers shop for Green Supply Chains
EPP – Environmentally Preferred Purchasing – Sets the Bar
Customers Demand Sustainable Behavior
E-Waste and U-Waste reduction programs are no longer voluntary
Green IT innovation leads the way to Sustainability
4.1.1 Don’t get lost in the Green wash
The overuse of “Green” may have you seeing red, but hype is a normal part of the
evolution of new technologies. The issues driving the need for Green ICT are real,
and growing.
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4.1.2 ICT is the fastest growing sector of energy use
Global carbon emissions attributable to ICT have been estimated at 2% to 2.5% of
world totals - about the same as the airline industry - and as high as 5-6% of
developed nation totals. McKinsey forecasts that the ICT sector’s carbon footprint
will triple during the period from 2002 to 2020. For office buildings, ICT typically
accounts for more than 20% of the energy used, and in some offices up to 70%.
Although energy costs typically comprise less than 10% of an overall IT budget, in
a few years they could rise to more than 50% according to a 2006 Gartner report.
Many large organizations - such as Google - already claim that their annual energy
costs exceed their server costs.
4.1.3 Energy savings is the low-hanging fruit ready to be picked
Between 30% and 60% of the electricity consumed in server rooms is wasted - but
integrated planning using current and emerging technologies can reduce power
consumption in data centers by 50-80% and required floor space by up to 65%.
According to the Aug 2007 EPA Report to Congress on Data Center Efficiency,
implementing best energy-management practices in existing data centers could
reduce their current energy usage by 30%. Up to 70% reduction in energy usage
could be achieved by using high efficiency technologies for cooling and power
equipment and virtualization techniques.
4.1.4 The days of unregulated energy waste are over
In January 2007, eight Northeastern US states set carbon emissions capping
programs under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. By August 2007, 663 US
cities in 50 states - representing more than 72 million Americans - had signed on
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to support the Kyoto Protocol after Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle spearheaded a
nationwide effort.
The European Union, several US States, and many countries around the world
have enacted or are considering environmental regulations that apply to IT
products. While most product suppliers are moving to comply, enterprise-wide
education programs are needed to successfully compete to meet the requirements
of a changed marketplace.
Six EU countries met the 2007 deadline to comply with European Union The
Energy-using Products Directive, which encourages manufacturers to design
products with their environmental impact and energy conservation in mind
throughout their entire life cycle. California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of
2006 set an official timetable for reducing GHG emission to 2000 levels by 2010.
4.1.5 Customers shop for Green Supply Chains
Public and private sector procurement departments are incorporating
Environmentally Preferred Purchasing (EPP) requirements into IT contracts. To do
that requires Purchasing to work with both IT and Sustainability specialists to
understand what is desirable and possible. Major global corporations – Coca Cola,
Sharp, BT, to name a few - have launched programs to evaluate the life-cycle
environmental footprint of products they sell and assess the environmental policies
of their suppliers. Communicating and educating suppliers on expectations is a
basic part of any sustainable supply-chain initiative. Often, companies get
compliance from their supply chain by enforcing adherence requirements.
Examples of these are the requirements to use less material, to use post consumer
recyclable content, and to purchase all packaging materials from certified forests
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4.1.6 EPP – Environmentally Preferred Purchasing – Sets the Bar
EPP policies are now routinely included in RFPs from Federal, State and local
agencies and from corporations. Many RFPS require or give preference to vendors
that meet Energy Star or EPEAT guidelines. A product supplier’s proposal can be
entirely excluded from consideration for a government RFP if the products do not
meet the relevant criteria.
In 2007, the US Government, which purchases $63B worth of electronic
equipment every year, issued a Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC), instructing
its agencies and facilities to purchase greener electronic products, reduce the
impact of the ones it used, and dispose of obsolete products in an environmentally
safe way. As a result, by 2008, 95% of computers purchased by FEC partners will
be EPEAT Bronze-certified or higher and 100% of computer monitors purchased
will be Energy Star compliant.
4.1.7 Customers Demand Sustainable Behavior
Corporate Social Responsibility reports are increasingly expected of companies.
Sometimes, as in the case of the Carbon Disclosure Project, companies are asked
to produce such a report of the same comprehensiveness and attention to detail as
their financial reports.
ISO 14000, a specification for establishing environmental policy and determining
the impact of a company’s products, activities and services, was adopted by the
EU in 2001. It establishes standards for environmental auditing, labeling and life
cycle assessment. Enterprises certified to ISO 14000 demonstrate commitment to
Green policy.
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With a mind toward increasing brand equity, Dell recently announced its intention
to be the “greenest computer company on earth”, an initiative that puts it in
competition with Hewlett-Packard for the same high ground. Other companies
adopting similar mantles include IBM, Sun Microsystems, and AMD, to name a
very few.
In 2006, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, adopted a directive for Ethical
Sourcing. Which required all its suppliers, among other practices, to provide a
healthy environment for their workers, to strictly follow fair labor laws, and to use
nontoxic materials
4.1.8 E-Waste and U-Waste reduction programs are no longer voluntary
In 2005, California’s Integrated Waste Management Board began imposing a $10
fee on all CRT sales in order to cover the cost of later recycling. Massachusetts
has had a buy-recycled program in place since 1988. Since 2005, European Union
countries have held manufacturers financially responsible for compliance to the
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive requiring all manufacturers
of electrical and electronic equipment to pay for recycling costs.
. 4.1.9 Green IT innovation leads the way to Sustainability
Radical improvements in waste reduction and energy use rely on innovative
applications of information technology: Telework can reduce not only automobile
travel but overall energy use by reducing the amount of dedicated office space
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CHAPTER 5
ROLES OF GREEN COMPUTING
Protection Agency launched energy star', a voluntary labeling program in year
1992, which is designed to promote and recognize energy-efficiency in monitors,
climate control equipment, and other technologies. This resulted in the widespread
adoption of sleep mode in computers and electronics popular among consumer
electronics. The term "green computing" was probably introduced after the Energy
Star program began; there are several To comprehensively and effectively address
the environmental impacts of computing/IT, we must adopt a holistic approach
and make the entire IT lifecycle greener by addressing environmental
sustainability along the following four complementary paths:
Green use — reducing the energy consumption of computers and other
information systems as well as using them in an environmentally sound manner
Green disposal — refurbishing and reusing old computers and properly
recycling unwanted computers and other electronic equipment
Green design — designing energy-efficient and environmentally sound
components, computers, servers, cooling equipment, and data centers
Green manufacturing — manufacturing electronic components,
computers, and other associated subsystems with minimal impact on the
environment
Background information: The U.S Environment USENET posts dating back to
1992 which use the term in this manner. Concurrently, the Swedish organization
TCO Development launched the TCO certification program to promote low
magnetic and electrical emissions from CRT-based COMPUTER DISPLAYS; this
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program was later expanded to include criteria on energy consumption,
ergonomics, and the use of hazardous materials in construction. The Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a survey of
over 90 government and industry initiatives on "Green ICTs", i.e. information and
communication technologies, the environment and climate change. The report
concludes that initiatives concentrate on greening ICTs rather than tackling global
warming and environmental degradation through the use of ICT applications. In
general, only 20% of initiatives have measurable targets, with government
programmes including them more frequently than business associations. Many
governmental agencies have continued to implement standards and regulations that
encourage green computing. The energy star program was revised in October 2006
to include stricter efficiency requirements for computer equipment, along with a
tiered ranking system for approved products. More than 26 US States that have
established state-wide recycling programs for obsolete computers and consumer
electronics equipment. Green Computing Impact Organization (GCIO) is a non-
profit organization dedicated to assisting the end-users of computing products in
being environmentally responsible motivating community of environmentally
concerned IT leaders who pool their time, resources, and buying power to educate,
broaden the use, and improve the efficiency of, green computing products and
services. Members work to increase the ROI of green computing products through
a more thorough understanding of real measurable and sustainable savings
incurred by peers; enforcing a greater drive toward efficiency of vendor products
by keeping a community accounting of savings generated; and through group
negotiation power.
It is becoming widely understood that the way in which we are behaving as a
society is environmentally unsustainable, causing irreparable damage to our
planet. Rising energy prices, together with government-imposed levies on carbon
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production, are increasingly impacting on the cost of doing business, making
many current business practices economically unsustainable. It is becoming
progressively more important for all businesses to act (and to be seen to act) in an
environmentally responsible manner, both to fulfill their legal and moral
obligations, but also to enhance the brand and to improve corporate image.
Companies are competing in an increasingly ‘green’ market, and must avoid the
real and growing financial penalties that are increasingly being levied against
carbon production.
IT has a large part to play in all this. With the increasing drive towards centralized
mega data centers alongside the huge growth in power hungry blade technologies
in some companies, and with a shift to an equally power-hungry distributed
architecture in others, the IT function of business is driving an exponential
increase in demand for energy, and, along with it, is having to bear the associated
cost increases.
5.1 How to Contribute in Green Computing
As computers play an ever-larger role in our lives, energy demands, costs, and
waste are escalating dramatically. Consider the following from the Climate Savers
Computing
Initiative: In a typical desktop computer, nearly half the power coming out of the
wall is wasted and never reaches the processor, memory, disks, or other
components. The added heat from inefficient computers can increase the demand
on air conditioners and cooling systems, making your computing equipment even
more expensive to run. Even though most of today’s desktop computers are
capable of automatically transitioning to a sleep or hibernate state when inactive,
about 90 percent of systems have this function disabled. Some 25 percent of the
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electricity used to power home electronics—computers, DVD players, stereos,
TVs—is consumed while the products are turned off. Turn off your computer at
night so it runs only eight hours a day—you’ll reduce your energy use by 810
kWh per year and net a 67 percent annual savings. Purchase flat-screen monitors
—they use significantly less energy and are not as hard on your eyes as
CRTs.Purchase an Energy Star–compliant computer. Note that laptop models use
much less energy than desktop units. Plug your computer into a surge protector
with a master control outlet, which automatically senses when the computer is not
in use and cuts power to it and all your peripherals. Plan your computer-related
activities so you can do them all at once, keeping the computer off at other times.
Consider a smaller monitor—a 14-inch display uses 40 percent less energy than a
17-inch one. Enable the standby/sleep mode and power management settings on
your computer. Forgo the screen saver—it doesn’t save energy or your screen
unless you’re using an old monochrome monitor. Review document drafts and e-
mails onscreen instead of printing them out. Power off your monitor when you are
not using it instead of using screen savers. Consider using an ink-jet printer—
although a bit slower than laser printers, inkjets use 80 to 90 percent less energy.
Buy vegetable or non-petroleum-based inks—They are made from renewable
resources, require fewer hazardous solvents, and often produce brighter, cleaner
colors. Turn off all printers and peripherals unless you are using them. Do not
leave the computer running overnight or on weekends. Choose dark backgrounds
for your screen display—bright-colored displays consumer more power. Reduce
the light level in your room when you are working on your computer.
Network and share printers where possible. Print on recycled-content paper. Look
for non-chlorine bleached papers with 50 to 100 percent post-consumer waste. Use
double-sided printing functions. E-mail communications as an alternative to paper
memos and fax documents.
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5.1 Create Green Machines:
Activating the power management features on your computer saves energy and
money while helping the environment. Your computer’s SLEEP and
HIBERNATE settings are two of the most effective ways for you to make your
computer more environmentally friendly. You can activate these functions
manually or through your operating system’s pre-set power management settings.
5.2 Sleep Mode
Sleep or standby mode conserves energy by cutting off power to your display,
hard drive, and peripherals. After a pre-set period of inactivity, your computer
switches to a low power state. When you move your mouse or press any computer
key, you exit sleep mode and your computer takes you back to its previous
operating state. Sleep mode is an especially effective way to conserve battery
power in a laptop computer
5.3 Hibernate Mode
Hibernate mode saves energy and protects your work by copying system data to a
reserved area on your hard drive and then completely turning off your computer. It
also reduces wear and tear on your components. When you turn power back on,
your files and your documents appear on your desktop just as you left them.
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CHAPTER 6
REGULATIONS AND INDUSTRY INITIATIVES
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has
published a survey of over 90 government and industry initiatives on "Green
ICTs", i.e. information and communication technologies, the environment and
climate change. The report concludes that initiatives tend to concentrate on the
greening ICTs themselves rather than on their actual implementation to tackle
global warming and environmental degradation. In general, only 20% of initiatives
have measurable targets, with government programs tending to include targets
more frequently than business associations.
6.1 Government
Many governmental agencies have continued to implement standards and
regulations that encourage green computing. The Energy Star program was revised
in October 2006 to include stricter efficiency requirements for computer
equipment, along with a tiered ranking system for approved products
Some efforts place responsibility on the manufacturer to dispose of the equipment
themselves after it is no longer needed; this is called the extended producer
responsibility model. The European Union's directives 2002/95/EC (Restriction of
Hazardous Substances Directive), on the reduction of hazardous substances, and
2002/96/EC (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) on waste
electrical and electronic equipment required the substitution of heavy metals and
flame retardants like Polybrominated biphenyl and Polybrominated diphenyl
ethers in all electronic equipment put on the market starting on July 1, 2006. The
directives placed responsibility on manufacturers for the gathering and recycling
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of old equipment. There are currently 26 US States that have established state-
wide recycling programs for obsolete computers and consumer electronics
equipment. The statutes either impose an "advance recovery fee" for each unit sold
at retail, or require the manufacturers to reclaim the equipment at disposal.
6.2 Industry
Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) is an effort to reduce the electric
power consumption of PCs in active and inactive states The CSCI provides a
catalog of green products from its member organizations, and information for
reducing PC power consumption. It was started on 2007-06-12. The name
stems from the World Wildlife Fund's Climate Savers program, which was
launched in 1999. The WWF is also a member of the Computing Initiative.
The Green Electronics Council offers the Electronic Products Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT) to assist in the purchase of "green" computing
systems. The Council evaluates computing equipment on 28 criteria that
measure a product's efficiency and sustainability attributes. On 2007-01-24,
President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13423, which requires all
United States Federal agencies to use EPEAT when purchasing computer
systems.
The Green Grid is a global consortium dedicated to advancing energy
efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. It was founded
in February 2007 by several key companies in the industry – AMD, APC, Dell,
HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Rackable Systems, SprayCool, Sun Microsystems
and VMware. The Green Grid has since grown to hundreds of members,
including end users and government organizations, all focused on improving
data center efficiency.
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CHAPTER 7
APPROACHES TO GREEN COMPUTING
In the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices, San Murugesan
defines the field of green computing as "the study and practice of designing,
manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated
subsystems—such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and
communications systems—efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact
on the environment." Murugesan lays out four paths along which he believes the
environmental affects of computing should be addressed: Green use, green
disposal, green design, and green manufacturing.
Modern IT systems rely upon a complicated mix of people, networks and
hardware; as such, a green computing initiative must cover all of these areas as
well. A solution may also need to address end user satisfaction, management
restructuring, regulatory compliance, and return on investment (ROI). There are
also considerable fiscal motivations for companies to take control of their own
power consumption; "of the power management tools available, one of the most
powerful may still be simple, plain, common sense."
7.1 Product longevity
Gartner maintains that the PC manufacturing process accounts for 70 % of the
natural resources used in the life cycle of a PC.. Therefore, the biggest
contribution to green computing usually is to prolong the equipment's lifetime.
Another report from Gartner recommends to "Look for product longevity,
including upgradability and modularity." For instance, manufacturing a new PC
makes a far bigger ecological footprint than manufacturing a new RAM module to
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upgrade an existing one, a common upgrade that saves the user having to purchase
a new computer]
7.2 Algorithmic efficiency
The efficiency of algorithms has an impact on the amount of computer resources
required for any given computing function and there are many efficiency trade-
offs in writing programs. As computers have become more numerous and the cost
of hardware has declined relative to the cost of energy, the energy efficiency and
environmental impact of computing systems and programs has received increased
attention. A study by Alex Wissner-Gross, a physicist at Harvard, estimated that
the average Google search released 7 grams of carbon dioxide (CO₂). However,
Google disputes this figure, arguing instead that a typical search produces only
0.2 grams of CO.
7.3 Resource allocation
Algorithms can also be used to route data to data centers where electricity is less
expensive. Researchers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, and Akamai have
tested an energy allocation algorithm that successfully routes traffic to the location
with the cheapest energy costs. The researchers project up to a 40 percent savings
on energy costs if their proposed algorithm were to be deployed. Strictly speaking,
this approach does not actually reduce the amount of energy being used; it only
reduces the cost to the company using it. However, a similar strategy could be
used to direct traffic to rely on energy that is produced in a more environmentally
friendly or efficient way. A similar approach has also been used to cut energy
usage by routing traffic away from data centers experiencing warm weather; this
allows computers to be shut down to avoid using air conditioning.
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7.4 Virtualization
Computer virtualization refers to the abstraction of computer resources, such as
the process of running two or more logical computer systems on one set of
physical hardware. The concept originated with the IBM mainframe operating
systems of the 1960s, but was commercialized for x86-compatible computers only
in the 1990s. With virtualization, a system administrator could combine several
physical systems into virtual machines on one single, powerful system, thereby
unplugging the original hardware and reducing power and cooling consumption.
Several commercial companies and open-source projects now offer software
packages to enable a transition to virtual computing. Intel Corporation and AMD
have also built proprietary virtualization enhancements to the x86 instruction set
into each of their CPU product lines, in order to facilitate virtualized computing.
7.5 Terminal servers
Terminal servers have also been used in green computing. When using the system,
users at a terminal connect to a central server; all of the actual computing is done
on the server, but the end user experiences the operating system on the terminal.
These can be combined with thin clients, which use up to 1/8 the amount of energy
of a normal workstation, resulting in a decrease of energy costs and consumption.
There has been an increase in using terminal services with thin clients to create
virtual labs. Examples of terminal server software include Terminal Services for
Windows and the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) for the Linux operating
system.
7.6 Power management
This section includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its
sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this
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article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (August 2008)
The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), an open industry
standard, allows an operating system to directly control the power-saving aspects
of its underlying hardware. This allows a system to automatically turn off
components such as monitors and hard drives after set periods of inactivity. In
addition, a system may hibernate, where most components (including the CPU and
the system RAM) are turned off. ACPI is a successor to an earlier Intel-Microsoft
standard called Advanced Power Management, which allows a computer's BIOS
to control power management functions
Some programs allow the user to manually adjust the voltages supplied to the
CPU, which reduces both the amount of heat produced and electricity consumed.
This process is called undervolting. Some CPUs can automatically undervolt the
processor depending on the workload; this technology is called "SpeedStep" on
Intel processors, "PowerNow!"/"Cool'n'Quiet" on AMD chips, LongHaul on VIA
CPUs, and LongRun with Transmeta processors.
7.7 Operating system support
The dominant desktop operating system, Microsoft Windows, has included limited
PC power management features since Windows 95. These initially provided for
stand-by (suspend-to-RAM) and a monitor low power state. Further iterations of
Windows added hibernate (suspend-to-disk) and support for the ACPI standard.
Windows 2000 was the first NT based operation system to include power
management. This required major changes to the underlying operating system
architecture and a new hardware driver model. Windows 2000 also introduced
Group Policy, a technology which allowed administrators to centrally configure
most Windows features. However, power management was not one of those
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features. This is probably because the power management settings design relied
upon a connected set of per-user and per-machine binary registry values,
effectively leaving it up to each user to configure their own power management
settings.
This approach, which is not compatible with Windows Group Policy, was repeated
in Windows XP. The reasons for this design decision by Microsoft are not known,
and it has resulted in heavy criticism Microsoft significantly improved this in
Windows Vista by redesigning the power management system to allow basic
configuration by Group Policy. The support offered is limited to a single per-
computer policy. The most recent release, Windows 7 retains these limitations but
does include refinements for more efficient user of operating system timers,
processor power management, and display panel brightness. The most significant
change in Windows 7 is in the user experience. The prominence of the default
High Performance power plan has been reduced with the aim of encouraging users
to save power.
There is a significant market in third-party PC power management software
offering features beyond those present in the Windows operating system. Most
products offer Active Directory integration and per-user/per-machine settings with
the more advanced offering multiple power plans, scheduled power plans, anti-
insomnia features and enterprise power usage reporting. The University of
California, Berkeley has started an initiative using a system called the Auto
Shutdown Manager along with wireless power meters to measure energy
consumption and reduction in real time.
7.8 Power supply
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Desktop computer power supplies (PSUs) are generally 70–75% efficient,
dissipating the remaining energy as heat. An industry initiative called 80 PLUS
certifies PSUs that are at least 80% efficient; typically these models are drop-in
replacements for older, less efficient PSUs of the same form factor. As of July 20,
2007, all new Energy Star 4.0-certified desktop PSUs must be at least 80%
efficient.
7.9 Storage
Smaller form factor (e.g. 2.5 inch) hard disk drives often consume less power per
gigabyte than physically larger drives.
Unlike hard disk drives, solid-state drives store data in flash memory or DRAM.
With no moving parts, power consumption may be reduced somewhat for low
capacity flash based devices. In a recent case study, Fusion-io, manufacturers of
the world's fastest Solid State Storage devices, managed to reduce the carbon
footprint and operating costs of My Space data centers by 80% while increasing
performance speeds beyond that which had been attainable via multiple hard disk
drives in Raid 0. In response, My Space was able to permanently retire several of
their servers, including all their heavy-load servers, further reducing their carbon
footprint.
As hard drive prices have fallen, storage farms have tended to increase in capacity
to make more data available online. This includes archival and backup data that
would formerly have been saved on tape or other offline storage. The increase in
online storage has increased power consumption. Reducing the power consumed
by large storage arrays, while still providing the benefits of online storage, is a
subject of ongoing research.
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7.10 Video card
A fast GPU may be the largest power consumer in a computer.
Energy efficient display options include:
No video card - use a shared terminal, shared thin client, or desktop sharing
software if display required.
Use motherboard video output - typically low 3D performance and low
power.
Select a GPU based on average wattage or performance per watt.
7.11 Display
LCD monitors typically use a cold-cathode fluorescent bulb to provide light for
the display. Some newer displays use an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in
place of the fluorescent bulb, which reduces the amount of electricity used by the
display.
7.12 Materials recycling
Recycling computing equipment can keep harmful materials such as lead,
mercury, and hexavalent chromium out of landfills, and can also replace
equipment that otherwise would need to be manufactured, saving further energy
and emissions. Computer systems that have outlived their particular function can
be re-purposed, or donated to various charities and non-profit organizations.
However, many charities have recently imposed minimum system requirements
for donated equipment. Additionally, parts from outdated systems may be
salvaged and recycled through certain retail outlets and municipal or private
recycling centers. Computing supplies, such as printer cartridges, paper, and
batteries may be recycled as well. A drawback to many of these schemes is that
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computers gathered through recycling drives are often shipped to developing
countries where environmental standards are less strict than in North America and
Europe. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition estimates that 80% of the post-
consumer e-waste collected for recycling is shipped abroad to countries such as
China and Pakistan
The recycling of old computers raises an important privacy issue. The old storage
devices still hold private information, such as emails, passwords and credit card
numbers, which can be recovered simply by someone using software that is
available freely on the Internet. Deletion of a file does not actually remove the file
from the hard drive. Before recycling a computer, users should remove the hard
drive, or hard drives if there is more than one, and physically destroy it or store it
somewhere safe. There are some authorized hardware recycling companies to
whom the computer may be given for recycling, and they typically sign a non-
disclosure agreement.
7.13 Telecommuting
Teleconferencing and telepresence technologies are often implemented in green
computing initiatives. The advantages are many; increased worker satisfaction,
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions related to travel, and increased profit
margins as a result of lower overhead costs for office space, heat, lighting, etc. The
savings are significant; the average annual energy consumption for U.S. office
buildings is over 23 kilowatt hours per square foot, with heat, air conditioning and
lighting accounting for 70% of all energy consumed. Other related initiatives, such
as hotelling, reduce the square footage per employee as workers reserve space only
when they need it. Many types of jobs, such as sales, consulting, and field service,
integrate well with this technique.
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CHAPTER 8
ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATIONS
Two Meta trends will drive economic and social development in the 21st Century:
The networking of the world, driven by innovations in ICT
The need to create sustainable modes of living
Successful organizations will develop strategies to survive in a changing world.
Strategies to reduce the eco-footprint of the growing volumes of ICT gear they
consume. Strategies to harness the power of ICT to enable innovation throughout
their enterprise. To create sustainability strategies, people need a common
vocabulary. To execute them requires changes in behavior and attitude. Education,
from the boardroom to the shop floor, is the catalyst for change. Green IT offers
the following standard seminars. Custom training is available on request.
8.1 Green IT 21
8.1.1 Efficiency and Innovation for Sustainable Information Technology in the 21st century
Aimed at Sustainability Program leaders and participants, this seminar equips the
participants with a basic understanding of sustainability issues, assessment
methods, planning techniques and measurement methods for creating a viable
sustainable IT plan.
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8.2 Green Grows the Market
8.2.1 Selling sustainable solutions to new and existing markets
Targeted at Vendors, VARs, and Technology companies, this seminar focuses on
successfully marketing to customers with Environmentally Preferred Purchasing
policies. Participants learn about EPP requirements, how they relate to features of
existing products and systems and how to drive green requirements into product
development.]
8.3 Buy Green, Be Green
8.3.1 Driving Eco-Responsibility down the Supply Chain
For Purchasing, Production and Distribution professionals, this seminar explores
Environmentally Preferred Purchasing practices. Using the SCOR model, each
factor of supply chain performance is evaluated and examples given for potential
green practice and policy.
8.4 Green IT Building Blocks
8.4.1 Building capability for Greener, Cheaper IT Operations
Aimed at Enterprise IT professionals, Building Blocks details the basic elements
of Sustainable IT planning. Topics include EPP, Trends in Green ICT, What does
IT include, creating an accurate inventory, measurement methods, achieving
efficiencies, IT innovation and more.
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CHAPTER 9
FUTURE OF GREEN COMPUTING
As 21st century belongs to computers, gizmos and electronic items, energy issues
will get a serious ring in the coming days, as the public debate on carbon
emissions, global warming and climate change gets hotter. If we think computers
are nonpolluting and consume very little energy we need to think again. It is
estimated that out of $250billion per year spent on powering computers worldwide
only about 15% of that power is spent computing- the rest is wasted idling. Thus,
energy saved on computer hardware and computing will equate tonnes of carbon
emissions saved per year. Taking into consideration the popular use of information
technology industry, it has to lead a revolution of sorts by turning green in a
manner no industry has ever done before. Opportunities lie in green technology
like never before in history and organizations are seeing it as a way to create new
profit centers while trying to help the environmental cause.
The plan towards green IT should include new electronic products and services
with optimum efficiency and all possible options towards energy savings. Faster
processors historically use more power. Inefficient CPU's are a double hit because
they both use too much power themselves and their waste heat increases air
conditioning needs, especially in server farms--between the computers and the
HVAC.
The waste heat also causes reliability problems, as CPU's crash much more often
at higher temperatures. Many people have been working for years to slice this
inefficiency out of computers. Similarly, power supplies are notoriously bad,
generally as little as 47% efficient. And since everything in a computer runs off
the power supply, nothing can be efficient without a good power supply.
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CHAPTER 10
WAYS OF IMPLEMENTATION
Power management software helps the computers to sleep or hibernate when not in
use. Reversible computing (which also includes quantum computing) promises to
reduce power consumption by a factor of several thousand, but such systems are
still very much in the laboratories. Reversible computing includes any
computational process that is (at least to some close approximation) reversible,
i.e., time-invertible, meaning that a time-reversed version of the process could
exist within the same general dynamical framework as the original process.
Reversible computing efficient use of heat could make it possible to come up with
3-D chip designs, Bennett said. This would push all of the circuitry closer together
and ultimately increase performance. The best way to recycle a computer,
however, is to keep it and upgrade it.
Further, it is important to design computers which can be powered with low
power obtained from non-conventional energy sources like solar energy, pedaling
a bike, turning a hand-crank etc. The electric utility industry is in an
unprecedented era of change to meet increasing customer demand for greater
reliability and different services in the face of substantial regulation and volatile
energy costs. This requires new approaches and business models to allow greater
network reliability, efficiency, flexibility and transparency. At the same time, the
utility industry is digitizing, transforming from an electromechanical environment
to a digitized one. New Internet Protocol-enabled networks now allow for network
integration along the entire supply chain – from generation, transmission, to end-
use and metering -- and create the opportunity for Intelligent Utility Networks
(IUN) which applies sensor sand other technologies to sense and respond in real-
time to changes throughout the supply chain.
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The IP-enabled network connects all parts of the utility grid equipment, control
systems, applications, and employees. It also enables automatic data collection and
storage from across the utility based on a common information model and service-
oriented architecture (SOA), which enables a flexible use of information
technology. This in turn allows utilities to continuously analyze data so that they
can better manage assets and operations. Electronics giants are about to roll out
eco-friendly range of computers (like desktops and laptops) that aim at reducing
the e-waste in the environment. Besides desktops and laptops, other electronic
hardware products should also be strictly adhering to the restricted use of
hazardous substances.
In other words, they should be free of hazardous materials such as brominates
flame retardants, PVCs and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury,
which are commonly used in computer manufacturing. Reliability about the use of
green materials in computer is perhaps the biggest single challenge facing the
electronics industry. Lead-tin solder in use today is very malleable making it an
ideal shock absorber. So far, more brittle replacement solders have yet to show the
same reliability in arduous real-world applications.
Energy-intensive manufacturing of computer parts can be minimized by making
manufacturing process more energy efficient by replacing petroleum filled plastic
with bioplastics—plant-based polymers— require less oil and energy to produce
than traditional plastics with a challenge to keep these bioplastic computers cool
so that electronics won't melt them.
Power-sucking displays can be replaced with green light displays made of
OLEDs or organic light - emitting diodes.
Use of toxic materials like lead can be replaced by silver and copper
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.Making recycling of computers (which is expensive and time consuming at
present) more effective by recycling computer parts separately with an option of
reuse or resale
Future computers could knock 10 percent off their energy use just by replacing
hard drives with solid-state, or flash, memory, which has no watt-hungry moving
parts.
Buy and use a low power desktop or a laptop computer (40-90 watts) rather a
higher power desktop (e.g. 300 watts).
Find out the normal operating power (watts) required.
The maximum power supply (up to 1kW in some modern gaming PCs) is not
important as the normal operating power, but note that power supply efficiency
generally peaks at about 50-75% load
Idle state represents 69 to 97% of total annual energy use, even if power
management is enabled
Computer power supplies are generally about 70–75% efficient; to produce 75W
of DC output they require 100 W of AC input and dissipate the remaining25 W in
heat
.Higher-quality power supplies can be over 80% efficient; higher energy
efficiency uses less power directly, and requires less power to cool as well. As of
2007, 93% efficient power supplies are available.
Thin clients can use only 4 to 8 watts of power at the desktop as the processing
is done by a server.
For desktops, buy a low power central processing unit (CPU). This reduces
both power consumption and cooling requirements.
Buy hardware from manufacturers that have a hardware recycling scheme, and
recycle your old computer equipment rather than sending it to landfill.
Turn your computer and monitor off when you are not using it.
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GREEN COMPUTING
Enable hibernation using the power management settings. Standby does not save
as much power
Replace your CRT screen with an LCD screen.
Keep your PC or laptop for at least 5 years. If you're leasing, shift to a 5 year
period. This reduces resource and energy consumption associated with the
manufacture and distribution of PCs by 40%, compared to replacing PC severy 3
years which is current corporate practice.
Avoid an unnecessary operating system version upgrade which requires a
hardware upgrade.
Use Linux (such as Ubuntu), which requires less resources than many other
operating systems on an older computer as a spare or a file server
.Use server virtualization to aggregate multiple under-utilized servers onto
more energy efficient server infrastructure.
Use blade servers instead of rack or standalone servers to reduce power
consumption.
Specify low energy consumption level in Request for Tender documents.
Measure your data centre power usage.
Use server and/or web-based applications where possible to extend desktop
service life and reduce desktop software maintenance
10.1 Reducing Energy Consumption
The following are some of the ways to make your Computer more
environmentally friendly. Modern Computers are power hungry things. There are
many things we can do to reduce the amount of power they use. As a General rule
laptops use less than Desktops, and LCD (Flat screens) Screens use less than CRT
(big fat screens).
10.1.1 Suggestions for your current PC
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← Switch your computer off when you're not using it, especially over night and if
you will be out for the day.
← If your going to be away from it for a short time then turn off the monitor. You
can also adjust the power management using the control panel to turn off your
hard drive and put your system into standby after a set amount of time.
← For more advanced users remove unnecessary fans and Drives. If you have a
spare CD-ROM you use once in a blue moon unplug it. Also if your computer
is only used for office work or checking your email unplug excess devices you
do not use.
← Install third-party power management programs like Data Synergy Power
MAN or Snap Verdiem Surveyor. These programs allow power management
to be centrally configured which can be very important in larger organizations.
← Print wisely - Only print what you really need to have a paper copy of and
resist the urge to print 'all pages' when you only need what is on one particular
page. There is software available that can help with this, or simply use the
"print preview" to see which pages you really need and only print those pages.
← Refill Ink-jet cartridges and laser toner; its cheaper and doesn't add to landfill
← Switch off Cable Modems, Routers and Wifi Access Points when not in use /
overnight
← Replace your internal hard drive with a low energy solution such as Western
Digital's Green Drive
← An external hard drive is also useful to backup your content, or to use as
simple add-on storage capacity. Like the SimpleTech redrive, look for one that
is energy efficient and Energy Star qualified, is made from sustainable
materials such as bamboo and aluminum and is conscious about its packaging.
← Use a Google alternative, such as Smallest Google, saving energy, time, and
bandwidth.
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GREEN COMPUTING
10.1.2 Suggestions for Buying a New PC
← Buy a Laptop! Laptops use less power than a desktop.
← Buy a computer according to your needs. If your only using it for simple
tasks don't buy the most powerful available.
← Choose the latest Intel or VIA processors over AMD as they use less
power. VIA is the best for the environment although not as powerful.
← If you are going to build your own PC pick the parts carefully. Instead of
getting two 1 GB chips, buy one 2gb one. Build the computer to your needs
don't install unnecessary parts if you will never use them. Also consider
certified 80 plus energy efficient power supplies 80 PLUS Program
← If you are concerned about hazards chemicals used in pc components
consult Greenpeace's Green Electronics Ranking or The Restriction of
Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment Choose
Corded Keyboard and Mouse over wireless
CHAPTER 11
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GREEN IT: The next burning issue for business
It is becoming widely understood that the way in which we are behaving as a
society is environmentally unsustainable, causing irreparable damage to our
planet. Rising energy prices, together with government-imposed levies on carbon
production, are increasingly impacting on the cost of doing business, making
many current business practices economically unsustainable. It is becoming
progressively more important for all businesses to act (and to be seen to act) in an
environmentally responsible manner, both to fulfill their legal and moral
obligations, but also to enhance the brand and to improve corporate image.
Companies are competing in an increasingly ‘green’ market, and must avoid the
real and growing financial penalties that are increasingly being levied against
carbon production. IT has a large part to play in all this. With the increasing drive
towards centralized mega data centers alongside the huge growth in power hungry
blade technologies in some companies, and with a shift to an equally power-
hungry distributed architecture in others, the IT function of business is driving an
exponential increase in demand for energy, and, along with it, is having to bear the
associated cost increases.
11.1 The problem ‘
Rising energy costs will have an impact on all businesses, and all businesses will
increasingly be judged according to their environmental credentials, by legislators,
customers and shareholders. This won’t just affect the obvious, traditionally
power-hungry ‘smoke-belching’ manufacturing and heavy engineering industries,
and the power generators. The IT industry is more vulnerable than most –it has
sometimes been a reckless and profligate consumer of energy. Development and
Improvements in technology have largely been achieved without regard to energy
consumption
11.2. The impact:
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GREEN COMPUTING
Rising energy costs and increasing environmental damage can only become more
important issues, politically and economically. They will continue to drive
significant increases in the cost of living, and will continue to drive up the cost of
doing business. This will make it imperative for businesses to operate as green
entities, risking massive and expensive change. Cost and environmental concern
will continue to force us away from the ‘dirtiest’ forms of energy (coal/oil),
though all of the alternatives are problematic. We may find ourselves facing a
greater reliance on gas, which is economically unstable and whose supply is
potentially insecure, or at least unreliable. It may force greater investment in
nuclear power, which is unpopular and expensive, and it may lead to a massive
growth of intrusive alternative energy infrastructure –including huge wind farms,
or the equipment needed to exploit tidal energy. Solving the related problems of
rising energy costs and environmental damage will be extremely painful and
costly, and those perceived as being responsible will be increasingly expected to
shoulder the biggest burden of the cost and blame. It may even prove impossible
to reduce the growth in carbon emissions sufficiently to avoid environmental
catastrophe. Some believe that the spotlight may increasingly point towards IT as
an area to make major energy savings, and some even predict that IT may even
become tomorrow’s 4x4/SUV.
11.3 The solution:
A fresh approach to IT and power is now needed, putting power consumption at
the fore in all aspects of IT – from basic hardware design to architectural
standards, from bolt-on point solutions to bottom-up infrastructure build. IBM has
a real appreciation of the issues, thanks to its size, experience and expertise, and
can help its customers to avoid the dozens of ‘wrong ways’ of doing things, by
helping to identify the most appropriate solutions.
CHAPTER 12
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GREEN COMPUTING
RECENT IMPLEMENTATION
12.1 Blackle:
Blackle is a search-engine site powered by Google Search. Blackle came into
being based on the concept that when a computer screen is white, presenting an
empty word page or the Google home page, your computer consumes 74W. When
the screen is black it consumes only 59W. Based on this theory if everyone
switched from Google to Blackle, mother earth would save 750MW each year.
This was a really good implementation of Green Computing. The principle behind
Blackle is based on the fact that the display of different colors consumes different
amounts of energy on computer monitors.
12.2 Fit-PC: a tiny PC that draws only 5w:
Fit-PC is the size of a paperback and absolutely silent, yet fit enough to run
Windows or Linux. Fit-PC is designed to fit where a standard PC is too bulky,
noisy and power hungry. If you ever wished for a PC to be compact, quiet and
green – then fit-PC is the perfect fit for you. Fit-PC draws only 5 Watts,
consuming in a day less power than a traditional PC consumes in 1 hour. You can
leave fit-PC to work 24/without making a dent in your electric bill.
12.3 Zonbu Computer:
The Zonbu is a new, very energy efficient PC. The Zonbu consumes just one third
of the power of a typical light bulb. The device runs the Linux operating system
using a1.2 gigahertz processor and 512 Meg of RAM. using a1.2 gigahertz
processor and 512 Meg of RAM. It also contains no moving parts, and does even
contain a fan. You can get one for as little as US$99, but it does require you to
sign up for a two-year subscription
12.4. Sunray thin client:
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GREEN COMPUTING
Sun Microsystems is reporting increased customer interest in its Sun Ray, a thin
desktop client, as electricity prices climb, according to Subodh Bapat, vice-
president and chief engineer in the Eco Responsibility office at Sun. Thin clients
like the Sun Ray consume far less electricity than conventional desktops, he said.
A Sunray on a desktop consumes 4 to 8 watts of power, because most of the heavy
computation is performed by a server. Sun says Sunrays are particularly well
suited for cost-sensitive environments such as call centers, education, healthcare,
service providers, and finance. PCs have more powerful processors as well as hard
drives, something thin clients don’t have. Thus, traditional PCs invariably
consume a substantially larger amount of power. In the United States, desktops
need to consume 50 watts or less in idle mode to qualify for new stringent Energy
Star certification.
12.5 The Asus Eee PC and other ultra portables:
The "ultra-portable" class of personal computers is characterized by a small size,
fairly low power CPU, compact screen, low cost and innovations such as using
flash memory for storage rather than hard drives with spinning platters. These
factors combine to enable them to run more efficiently and use less power than a
standard an ultra portable. It is the size of a paperback, weighs less than a
kilogram, has built-in Wi-Fi and uses flash memory instead of a hard drive. It runs
Linux too.
CHAPTER 13
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GREEN COMPUTING
CONCLUSION
So far, consumers haven't cared about ecological impact when buying computers,
they've cared only about speed and price. But as Moore's Law marches on and
computers commoditize, consumers will become pickier about being green.
Devices use less and less power while renewable energy gets more and more
portable and effective. New green materials are developed every year, and many
toxic ones are already being replaced by them. The greenest computer will not
miraculously fall from the sky one day, it’ll be the product of years of
improvements. The features of a green computer of tomorrow would be like:
efficiency, manufacturing & materials, recyclability, service model, self-powering,
and other trends. Green computer will be one of the major contributions which
will break down the 'digital divide', the electronic gulf that separates the
information rich from the information poor.
CHAPTER 14
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REFERENCES
1<Samir Botros, Green technology and design for the environment.3rd ed
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996. Internet documents:
2<Wangari Maathai, Green IT Movements.,2nd ed New York: McGraw-Hill,
1996. Internet documents:
4 http://en.wikipedia.org
5 http://www.greenit.com/green.pdf
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