Approximately 2% of the electricity produced in the US is used to power computers and other IT related equipment. If the energy required manufacturing equipment such as microprocessors, cables and printers is included then the proportion of electricity used by the IT sector is 3%. These figures may not seem large compared to the amount of electricity used, for example, by packaging manufacturers or to powerhouse appliances. However the increased use of computers, driven by the introduction of new communications technologies such as the Internet, means IT related energy consumption, and the carbon emissions resulting from the conversation of that energy from fossil fuel to electricity, are rising.
A typical PC consumes 600 kWh of electricity a year. In addition to the energy used by the PCs themselves the data centres that lay at the core of the Internet also need large amounts of electrical energy both to power equipment and to cool the rooms in which the equipment is installed. In the order of 1 billion PCs are in use worldwide and in the US over 75% of the population have some form of computing device with replacement rates running at over 50%. The number of Internet users crossed the 1 billon mark in 2005, and this is expected to rise to 2 billion in 2011 with growth being driven by emerging markets such as China, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, and India. It is therefore the rate of growth of the IT market and not just its present size that is causing particular concern.
Concerns over the environmental impact of their products computer manufacturers have encouraged manufacturers to jointly develop standards for low carbon emission technology. Eco-labelling is being used to encourage users to buy energy efficient computing equipment. Computer data centre managers are trying to find ways to cut their energy costs associated with data centres. Governments are encouraging equipment manufacturers to find new ways of cutting down standby power (the power consumed when a piece of equipment is idle), and consumers to switch off equipment when not in use, especially overnight.
For the IT manager, who until recently was focussed on maximising the speed at which data is processed and minimising the cost of storing that data, energy use is now influencing equipment purchasing decisions.
Low emission IT has also created both challenges and opportunities for the major players within the IT industry and has provided an important boost to products that support thin client computing. A number of smaller vendors who have power management solutions have seen their products move out of what has until recently been a niche market into mainstream computing.
This report examines a range of low emission computing technologies and initiatives and assesses their impact on equipment manufacturers and organisations who intend to modify their IT infrastructure in order to minimise energy bills and to meet emissions targets.
