You don’t have to be Google, with your own hydroelectric dam, to reap the benefits of a green IT program. A recent case study from the Royal BC Museum Corporation, based on the museum’s 200 employee workstations, showed remarkable potential to cut costs. Green IT initiatives will reduce the energy consumption generated by the museum’s IT/computer operations by 60 per cent and save $6,000 per year. Their return on investment will be seen in under a year.
Few CIOs have the time or major capital to invest in a comprehensive green IT program, so start with the low-hanging fruit. Short-term gains should be realized within one year. The most common areas that offer the biggest cost savings and require the smallest investments include: implementing policies, providing education to employees, reducing vampire loads, rationalizing currently deployed equipment, and desktop power management.
Over time, the money you have saved can be reinvested into opportunities for even greater savings.