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Green ICT new approach in reducing energy consumption
- June 24, 2008, 1:22 pm
Along with ICT suppliers, organizations are changing the way in which their computer systems are designed, manufactured, operated and recycled. The initiative focuses on data centers, intelligent buildings and the consolidation of infrastructures; with cabling systems an excellent source of energy saving.
A new ICT
Green ICT is a new approach to reduce the energy consumption of ICT systems and aims to improve the environmental sustainability of organizations. One telling statistic about the need for Green ICT is that the global information and communications technology industry accounts for approximately 2% of global CO2 emissions - a figure equivalent to the aviation industry.
The Green ICT initiative is being typically driven by top ICT manufacturers that are partnering in various alliances and technical forums to work together, with the aim to:
o develop standards, and new technologies to improve data center performances;
o promote the adoption of energy efficient standards, processes, measurements and technologies;
o increase computing energy efficiency;
o increase the use of power management;
o reduce computer power consumption.
What Green ICT means for ICT organizations
Environmental concerns are becoming more and more important to IT and ICT departments inside organizations. Forty-eight per cent of IT procurement and operations professionals in European companies consider environmental concerns as ‘very important’ in planning IT operations. ‘The reasons are clear for switching to Green ICT now; it will reduce the impact and costs of energy consumption, it will meet customer and employee expectations, and it will allow companies to stay ahead of forthcoming regulations,’ Sudarshan Raman, Corporate Marketing & Communications, 3M explained.
What Green ICT means for vendors
The whole of the product life-cycle is being affected by the Green ICT approach. ICT suppliers are changing the way computing assets are designed, manufactured, operated, and disposed of, to gain efficiency and cost savings, while reducing their environmentally harmful impacts.
In addition to this, climate change also presents commercial opportunities for both existing and new products and services.
Implementing a Green ICT solution and action plan
‘The Green ICT approach implementation should be rolled out across the whole organization, and specific roles and responsibilities should be carefully allocated,’ stated Sudarshan.
Green ICT systems should be deployed covering all the aspects of the enterprise, from the back office infrastructure, to the desktop’s management, and should be part of a complete ‘Green Office’ approach. Many options and solutions are available to improve overall efficiency. The back office can be optimized by reducing power consumption in data centers; desktops can become ‘Green’ by reducing the usage of paper and implementing power management features, and increasing the adoption of videoconferencing systems. ‘In fact, the whole office can become ‘Green’ if a proper and coordinated strategy is put in place,’ Sudarshan said.
Green ICT and premises cabling systems: How fiber optic can help in saving power and reducing costs
A cabling system based on fiber optic could be a key factor in reducing power consumption inside office buildings, and can play an intrinsic role in the development of a Green ICT solution. The adoption of a full fiber optic cabling system - Fiber to the Desk (FTTD) - allows for the deployment of centralized network architecture (CNA). CNA - also known as ‘collapsed backbone’ - is based on a single technical room where all the active equipment and related solutions are located. Users are linked by fiber optic cables directly to the core technical room, and no more distributed technical rooms - like floor distributors - are needed.
‘As a result, power savings generated by this architecture come from network adapter cards or switch ports; as a 10G fiber optic card uses much less power than a copper one. It also provides better saturation of active ports; 90% compared to 60%, as they are centralized and available to all network users,’ commented Sudarshan. In addition, a floor technical room needs no power, no air conditioning or fan system, no active fire protection, no access control systems and no uninterruptible power supplies.
‘Not only can an FTTD centralized cabling system help reduce power consumption, but it can also improve the Economic Value for the Customer (EVC) of the cabling and networking enterprise system,’
Sudarshan said.
Best practice
Most central government staff in New Zealand work in office buildings and the operation of such buildings accounts for up to 40% of energy consumption in other OECD countries - before adding in the energy consumed for manufacturing building materials and so on. A recent guide developed by The Ministry of Environment of New Zealand has a number of practical suggestions to help organizations make sustainable decisions, with the government sector playing a significant role in the commercial building sector as tenant and commissioning authority.
The main recommendations for design of cabling and wiring is to install voice-data-video (VDV) cable that can serve upgraded networks, so that cable will not become obsolete as quickly and to minimize electromagnetic fields. Using ‘prudent avoidance’ strategies will minimize exposure of building occupants to these electromagnetic fields. ‘Specifications would include using halogen-free products and using fibre-optic cable; fibre optics, which are widely used to carry voice and data signals, require less insulation and jacketing than copper wiring because they transmit light signals instead of electricity,’ stated Sudarshan. It may be possible to run fibre-optic trunk lines to smaller copper distribution lines, thus reducing total insulated cable use.
3M’s approach to environmental sustainability
3M vigorously affirms its commitment to sustainable development through environmental protection, social responsibility and economic progress. It recognizes that the company’s long-term success springs from adopting and implementing the principles of sustainable development: stewardship to the environment, contributions to society, and to the creation of economic value and worth. At the same time, 3M recognizes that only by continuing to be a viable and successful enterprise can it continue to be a positive contributor to sustainable development.
Between 1990 and 2006, the company made considerable environmental progress, with a 95% reduction in absolute volatile air emissions, a 95% reduction in absolute U.S. Toxic Releases Inventory (TRI), a 54% reduction in absolute greenhouse gas emissions and a 57% reduction in solid waste indexed to net sales. As a further acknowledgment, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index recognized 3M for the seventh consecutive year as the diversified industrials sector leader.
3M Environmental Highlights:
EHS Management System
3M’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Management System promotes sound environmental management at its facilities worldwide. It helps 3M to address changing customer needs and expectations as it continues to drive sustainable growth. The EHS Management System:
o Includes an integrated, holistic system that anticipates and addresses long-term issues and drives continuous improvement;
o Promotes a strategic planning process that integrates EHS issues into business unit strategic plans;
o Requires each business unit to identify EHS issues, develop formal action plans, set goals and measure results.
Managing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Use
3M’s energy efficiency efforts date back to 1973, when the Energy Management Department was first formed. Today, 3M has an aggressive energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) management strategy, which includes developing a 3rd-party certified GHG inventory; continuously improving GHG accounting systems; setting voluntary GHG emissions reduction goals; reducing the company’s GHG footprint through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and controls; and developing a range of products that help 3M’s customers reduce their energy use and GHG emissions. 3M achieved a GHG emissions reduction goal of 50% from a 1990 base year, and achieved a 54% reduction between 1990 and 2006.
Corporate Environmental Goals
3M has been setting corporate environmental goals since the early 1990s. In 2005, 3M set a new group of goals for the period between 2005 and 2010. These goals are stretch goals directed at reducing the company’s environmental impact on top of significant progress already made. The goals, which are indexed to net sales, are: a reduction in volatile air emissions by 25%, to improve energy efficiency by 20%, to reduce waste by 20% and to complete 800 Pollution Prevention Plays (3P) projects.
Product Life Cycle Management
An integral part of the EHS Management System is Life Cycle Management (LCM). Instead of only focusing on the manufacturing process to control environmental, health, safety and energy effects, the spotlight is now on products throughout their entire life cycle, from manufacturing through to customer use and disposal. 3M has adopted a Life Cycle Management Policy requiring all business units to conduct LCM reviews for all new products and to conduct LCM reviews on existing products on a prioritized basis. LCM reviews of all existing products must be completed by 2010.
Environmental Product Solutions
In 2007, 3M launched a new catalog showcasing 3M products designed to address environmental challenges in the cleaning and maintenance, construction and industrial production, communications, office supplies, transportation, and health care markets.
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