Green Computing

Lecture four
Green Computing

 The word “Green” is used in everyday language to refer to environmentally

sustainable activities.

 The use of computer plays a big role in environment pollution and

Degradation. Therefore, today there is a great need to implement the
concept of Green computing and guide the common people to save our
environment

 The term Green computing came into existence with the launch of Energy
Star program in 1992 by U.S environmental protection agency.

 It aims towards electricity saving and less amount of heat generated by the
computers.
Green Computing

 Major causes of Green Computing;

1. Lot of electricity is used- Most of the natural resources are being used to get
the electricity that all have some impact on the environment. To save the
electricity we have to use the Green Computing.

2. Creation of more toxic waste:- Most of us are updating our computers,

throwing our outdated computer resources, peripherals and other hardware
devices etc., & are toxic waste that are really damaging the environment now
a days, hence use of Green Computing.

 By adapting “Green Computing”, “SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT, SAVE YOUR LIFE”.

Green Computing

 Definition: Green computing, also known as green IT, is the practice of

designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and
associated subsystems, such as printers, storage devices, and networking and
communication systems, in an environmentally friendly manner.

 The main objectives of green computing are to reduce energy consumption,

minimize waste and carbon emissions, promote the use of renewable energy
sources, and encourage sustainability throughout the entire IT lifecycle.

 By adopting green computing practices, organizations can not only reduce

their environmental impact but also save on energy costs and comply with
increasingly strict environmental regulations.
Green Computing

 Green Computing refer to 2 different things;

1. Greening of computing: Making computing systems more environmentally

friendly and sustainable. This approach involves designing and implementing
technologies, practices, and policies that reduce the negative impact of
computing on the environment

2. Computing for greening : Using computing technologies to promote

environmental sustainability. This approach involves deploying computing
applications, tools, and systems that help address environmental issues.

 People employing sustainable or green computing practices strive to minimize

gases emission and waste, while increasing the cost effectiveness of IT, such as
computers, local area networks and data Centre.
Domains of Green Computing
 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.

 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/overhauling and reusing old computers and

properly recycling unwanted computers and other electronic equipment.
Some Important features to go GREEN
 Low Use of Hazardous Elements: A lot of hazardous substances are used in the
production of a computer ranging from the more lethal ones to the relatively
less hazardous ones like flame retardants, pesticides, and chlorinated plastics. A
green computer's components should ideally be completely free of these lethal
substances, as for the less hazardous substances, the focus is on reduction of
their use, since their elimination may not be completely possible.

 Energy Efficient: This feature pleases not just environmentalists but also the
budget-conscious buyer. Every green computer will have an ENERGY STAR rating
on it. Some green computers are also available with the option of running them
on renewable energy like solar energy, for which the manufacturers will supply
you with all the required accessories.
Cont.
 Recycled Materials Used for Manufacturing: A truly green computer will
have most of its components, especially the plastic ones, made of recycled
materials. And the manufacturers are required to declare what percentage of
material used in the production of the computer is recycled, with minimum
thresholds specified at 10 percent.

 End of Life Recovery: The green computers are designed in such a way that
at the end of their life their components can be easily reused, or recycled. A
minimum of 65% of the parts of the computer should be recyclable or
reusable.
Cont.

 Low power Consumption - The first way to run a green computer is to look for
an 80 Plus (trademarked 80 PLUS) compliant power supply. These power
supplies deliver only the power required to run. For example, if you have a
600-watt power supply but your computer requires only 250 watts to function,
an 80 Plus power supply will provide 250 watts.

 Power Management - One easy way to green a computer is to use its built-in
settings. Both Windows and Macintosh computers include power-management
features that prompt the computer, hard drive and monitor to go into a low-
energy sleep mode after a preset period of inactivity.
Cont.

 Going smaller is another good way to green a computer. Laptops use

significantly less energy than desktops. A smaller flat screen monitor also
contributes to a green computer, since energy consumption grows rapidly with
monitor size.

 Use of Renewable and Bio-Based Materials: Another of the important green

computer features is the increased use of renewable or bio-based materials,
i.e. energy derived from renewable biological resources. Again a minimum of
10 percent of such materials should have been used in the production of the
green computer components, and the same must be declared.
 Refurbished parts or computers: Another way to "go green" is to purchase a
used or refurbished computer rather than a new model, if your computing
needs allow it. Choosing a refurbished desktop or laptop is cost-efficient, and
it saves an older computer from being thrown on the scrap heap before it’s
time is really up.

 Packaging Material: Do check the packaging material details to see that the
material used is completely non-toxic and at least 90% of it is recyclable.
Some efforts for Green Computing

 Buy energy star labeled products: - Energy star products are manufactured
keeping in mind the term of green computing and its features. These products
are manufactured on the idea of use less power consumption. These devices
are programmed power down to low power state when they are not in use.

 Enabling power management features: Without sacrificing performance,

computers can be programmed to automatically power down to an energy-
saving state when idle.

 Shut down your computer: - when we are not using computer, we should
switch off it because computer and its devices consume more power and the
result is more Co2 emission.
Cont.

 Sleep mode: - we should put our PC on sleep mode when it’s not in use
because in sleep mode PC consumes low power. Puts your work and settings in
memory and draws a small amount of power.

 Hibernate your computer:- Not shutting down everything when we don’t use
computer for short period of time. We should hibernate (lie dormant) our
computer.-puts your open documents and programs on hard disk , and then
turns off your computer -uses least amount of power in all power saving
states.

 Stop screensavers: Keep your screensaver off because it also use’s electricity
even when computer is not in use.
Cont.

 Set up your Power Plan for PC:- You have to set up an effective power plan
for your PC. It can save lot of electricity. If computer consumes more
electricity, then it is more harmful to our environment.

 Recycling of old devices:-Manufacturing of new computers from old ones by

using recycling techniques.

 Using thin client computer: Network computer without a hard drive, runs
from resources stored on a central server. Users can choose to deploy thin
client computers which draw about a fifth of the power of a desktop PC.
Cont.

 Printing: Printing should be done prudently and only those pages that are
absolutely indispensable/necessary. Apart from electricity this will save lot of
paper and consequently lower cutting down of trees.

 Refilling: Refilling of ink cartridges and laser toners are cheaper.

Green Technologies (Innovations)

 Share port - Share Port technology saves power by eliminating the need to
connect a printer or storage device individually to a dedicated PC or print
server. Both devices can share one port.

 Digital Photo Frame Power Saving (Motion Detection Sensor) - Rather than
constantly powering a device, the motion detection sensor detects if people
are within the vicinity. When users are not present, the device automatically
turns off to minimize energy consumption.

 Time-Based Power over Ethernet (PoE) - Time-based PoE optimization turns

PoE on or off based on a schedule to save power. When PoE devices are not in
use (i.e. during the night, or on the weekend) PoE be disabled until needed.
 Green Technologies (Innovations)

 Smart FAN - Conventionally, fans in network equipment run constantly

regardless of if they are needed or not. Green technology makes use of Smart
Fan technology to automatically turn off or lower the speed of the fan to reduce
noise and power consumption whenever system temperatures are low, i.e.
Regulates the speed of the fan based on an increase or decrease in temperature.

 Power Saving by Hard Drives Hibernation - In conventional network attached

storage (NAS) systems, hard drives are constantly spinning/rotating even when
they are not actively being accessed. With green hard drive power management,
the hard drive is automatically powered down during periods of inactivity, saving
power, reducing heat and prolonging the life of the equipment.
Green Technologies (Innovations)

 Power on/off Button - The Power On/Off button allows customers to turn off their
router/gateway when not in use. Products without an on/off button can only be
powered down by physically unplugging it, and in many cases the cord falls behind
a desk in a mess of cables, making it very difficult to find later. For this reason,
many customers do not power down their routers, and therefore consume more
energy when needed. The Power On/Off button addresses this issue.

 Green Web Surfing - There are green search engines, green shopping sites, and
even green dating sites. Many initiatives have been taken to make the entire web
surfing experience more green, i.e. eco-friendly. E.g. Greener Google Browsing -
Blackle.com claims to help you save energy by offering a version of Google that has
a black background, which may cut down on your display’s electricity consumption.
Green Technologies (Innovations)

 Wireless On/Off Button - Even when wireless connection is not needed it is still
being used. This function allows users to simply turn off the function, which saves
energy. The Wireless On/Off button allows customers to turn off the wireless
portion of their router/gateway when not in use. Turning off wireless also has a
security benefit, since it prevents anyone from hacking into the wireless network.

 Power saving by Link Status - When a computer or network equipment is shut

down, switches often remain on and continue to consume considerable amounts of
power. But this Green Technology allows switches to automatically detect link
status and reduce power usage of ports that are idle. Switch can detect whether
or not a device is connected to each port. If no device is connected to a port, the
switch will automatically power down that port.
Green Technologies (Innovations)

 Green Laptops - Green Laptops are innovative Energy Efficient Laptops which
are eco-friendly. Green Laptops are Recyclable, Nontoxic, Disposable. They
consume less power with LED-backlit displays. They support 100% recyclable
packaging. E.g. Bamboo Laptops, etc.

 Desktop virtualization: Implement desktop virtualization, allowing users to

access their desktop environment remotely, which can reduce the need for
individual workstations and lower energy consumption.

 Storage virtualization: Use storage virtualization to pool storage resources

and optimize utilization, minimizing the need for additional hardware and
reducing energy consumption.
Benefits of Green Computing

Environmental benefits

 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Green computing practices help

decrease energy consumption, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions
from electricity generation.

 Conserving natural resources: By using energy-efficient hardware and

promoting recycling, green computing helps conserve natural resources, such
as metals and minerals, used in the production of electronic devices.

 Reducing landfill waste: Proper disposal and recycling of electronic waste (e-
waste) can minimize the amount of harmful waste ending up in landfills,
preventing soil and water contamination.
Economic benefits:

 Lowering energy costs: Implementing energy-efficient technology and power

management practices can significantly reduce energy costs for both individuals
and organizations.

 Reducing maintenance and replacement costs: Green computing practices

often involve using longer-lasting and more durable components, which can
lower the costs associated with maintenance and replacement of IT equipment.

 Improving overall efficiency: Green computing practices can optimize resource

utilization and minimize waste, leading to improved efficiency and cost savings
in the long term.
Cont.
Social and regulatory benefits:

 Enhancing brand image: Embracing green computing can improve an

organization's reputation as an environmentally responsible entity, making
it more attractive to consumers, investors, and employees.

 Complying with regulations: As governments around the world implement

more stringent environmental regulations, adopting green computing
practices can help organizations ensure compliance and avoid potential
penalties.

 Qn: What do you think will be the Future of Green

Computing