Green Computing Presenter: Nikola Stoikov

The cases illustrate that the transition of businesses towards green computing has not only proven to be a way to push down costs but also to commence an era in computing that aims at offsetting the carbon footprint of technology.

The computer industry has benefited our society in a tremendous way so it is difficult for us to imagine that it has a dark side. Indeed, the communications and information industry has a great polluting potential. According to a report by the European Social Investment Forum the sector is responsible for about two percent of global carbon emissions or about as much as from air transport (Kanter).

Corporations that have huge data centers struggle to find ways to keep them cool. There are several alternatives available to the business and social problems that data center power consumptions cause. Companies end up investing in cooling systems that require the cash up front, which is then added to the huge increase in power consumption.

Another possible alternative for data centers like Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center is a cooling solution referred to as Liebert XD which is a cooling system that is placed on top of the servers with the air being cooled by pipes containing waterless refrigerant.

Many of the most influential global companies in the information and communication industry have tried to implement solutions that will enable them to reach the same result of the conventional cooling systems while using natures bounties to their benefit. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce.com are looking for ways to push down their energy costs by reducing the consumption of energy. HPs Solution Verizon Wireless

ProblemSolution(s)Goal Power-hungry servers Googles Green Initiative: Efficient Servers and Efficient Data CentersReduce carbon footprint; Reduce energy consumption; Microsoft and HSBC: data centers using hydroelectric powerReduce energy consumption; Offsetting the carbon footprint; Salesforce.com: investment in renewable energy projects and alternative energy sources Offsetting its carbon footprint; HP: replacing copper wiring of microprocessors with light pulsesReduce carbon footprint; Be able to measure energy use and carbon emissions; Verizon Wireless: thin client computersConserving energy; Reduce carbon footprint; City University of New York: Surveyor softwareConserving energy; Reduce carbon footprint; University of Pittsburg Medical Center: adopted virtualizationAchieving cost-effective greener computing; Depletion of fresh water Googles Green Initiative: Efficient Water ManagementSwitch to 100% recycled water; Proper Equipment Retirement Googles Green Initiative: Server RetirementReduce carbon footprint; Safe Disposing of Servers; Heat Generated from Servers Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center: a network of overhead air conditioners Reduce energy consumption; Reduce carbon footprint; Emerson Network Power: Liebert XD cooling systemReduce the negative impact on the environment; Keep temperature in data centers down; Degree Controls Inc: floor tiles equipped with powerful fansReduce the negative impact on the environment; Keep temperature in data centers down;

Google in particular has pledged to a more efficient computing that has less of a negative impact on the environment. Most of the energy consumption of Google comes from their data centers (Going Green at Google). ActivityGoogle searches CO2 emissions of an average daily newspaper (100% recycled paper)daily newspaper850 A glass of orange juiceorange juice1,050 One load of dishes in an EnergyStar dishwasherEnergyStar dishwasher5,100 A five mile trip in the average U.S. automobileaverage U.S. automobile10,000 A cheeseburgercheeseburger15,000 Electricity consumed by the average US household in one monthaverage US household3,100,000 Googles Green Initiative

The company has created and put into practice a five-step plan to ensure that it meet its sustainability and businesses goals. Minimize electricity used by servers; Reduce the energy used by the data center facilities themselves; Conserve precious fresh water by using recycled water instead; Reuse or recycle all electronic equipment that leaves our data centers; Engage with our peers to advance smarter energy practices;

Develop a Sustainable Green Computing Paln Efficient Servers Efficient Data Centers Water Management Server Retirement An Efficient Future Google Google Goes Green

Nowadays, green computing is a hot topic among the top companies in the communications and information industry. Going green is the way to go not only for businesses that are concerned with high energy bills but also a way to be socially and environmentally aware. Innovations in air conditioning, new software and hardware applications, and virtualization enable the computing industry to cut down on energy consumption, reduce the use of fresh water to power up data centers, and ultimately offset their carbon footprint.

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