We used to think it was cool
when
technology was “always on” or “anytime,
anyplace”. But now is smart energy policy to use technology
only
at the “right time and right place”.
1. Put
Desktops In “Sleep Mode” To Reduce Power Consumption Desktop
“idle mode” uses 45 watts of power, while
“sleep
mode” uses 5 watts. “Which is more
efficient?” asks
Ken Salaets, Director of Technology and Trade Policy at the Information
Technology Industry Council (ITI) rhetorically?
Salaets says we can have the most efficient Data Centers in the world,
but if we don’t get down to the desktop, then what are we
accomplishing? Salaets also makes this bold statement. “If we
can
have effective enablement of power management on desktops across the
government, then we could save more energy than most anything we can do
with Data Centers.”
Salaets also says the “sleep mode” feature is
enabled in
just 2 percent of those that have that capability in the government.
“We need a system wide approach,” said Salaets.
“People don’t want to waste energy and they will respond because they want to do their part.”
Power management also includes leaving phone, PDA and laptop chargers
unplugged when not in use. These “wall warts”
consume power
when plugged in. Also turn off your power strips when not using your
desktop or laptop. They become “vampire loads” when
on
using unneeded power.
2. Follow
the Green IT Lifecycle According
to EPA CIO Molly O’Neill, government buyers need to embrace
the
“Green IT lifecycle” when planning, buying and
implementing
programs where IT is essential. And face it; what program in
today’s government doesn’t rely on IT. The cycle: A.
Buy/Design
– incorporating sound Green practices when building new
facilities especially Data Centers, retrofitting existing ones and
purchasing new IT equipment. B.
Use/Manage
– looking for any way to optimize IT performance and increase
computing power while reducing electric power consumption including
lowering heating and cooling costs. C.
Recycle/Dispose – using every means possible to recycle IT components and dispose of outdated equipment in environmentally sound ways.
3. Follow
Green Policy – EPEAT Earlier
this year two policies went into effect formalizing requirements that
agencies must buy environmentally friendly technology products and look
for opportunities internally to expand their environmental and
energy-saving efforts.
First, changes to the FAR require the use of EPEAT – the
Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool -- when acquiring PC
products. EPEAT is a set of performance criteria developed by the IEEE
to help buyers compare and select computer products based on their
environmental attributes.
The use of EPEAT stems from Executive Order 13423,
“Strengthening
Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management”
signed by President Bush on January 24, 2007. The executive order
requires agencies to acquire EPEAT-registered electronic products for
at least 95 percent of electronic product acquisitions, unless there is
no EPEAT standard for the product. OMB and The Council on Environmental
Quality have issued the Implementing Instructions for E.O.
13423.
Second, OMB/OFPP policy says agencies must now “give
preference
to Green products and services, including alternative fuels and hybrid
vehicles; bio-based products; and ENERGY STAR® and Federal
Energy
Management Program-designated products.”
Central supply agencies, such as the General Services Administration
and the Defense Logistics Agency, will designate green products and
services, and phase out competing non-green products from their
catalogs and online ordering systems by 2010.
4. Take
The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC)
The Electronic Stewardship Program addresses the lifecycle management
of electronics from procurement to disposal. Essential to the program are
the FEC, EPEAT and ENERGY STAR®.
According to EPA, the FEC is a partnership program that encourages
federal facilities and agencies to purchase Greener electronic
products, reduce impacts of electronic products during use and manage
obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way.
Agencies can use the FEC for resources and technical assistance for
improving electronics management practices. The FEC primarily targets
common office electronic equipment such as desktop and laptop/portable
computers, monitors, peripherals, TVs, printers, fax/copy machines and mobile phones.
EPA says the national program goals at FEC partner facilities by 2010 are as follows:
95% of eligible electronic equipment
purchased or leased annually is EPEAT-registered.
100% of eligible computers and monitors
in operation have ENERGY STAR® features enabled.
Electronic equipment in operation has an
average life span of at least 4 years.
100% percent of non-reusable electronic
equipment disposed of annually facilities is recycled using EPA's
Plug-In To eCycling guidance.
5.
Bridge The Gap Between IT and Facilities
Be part of active, consistent, persistent engagement. “We
need to
do more than talk to our silos, we need to spread this information
throughout the government,” explained ITI’s Ken
Salaets. “And conservation is just the first
step.”
Putting desktops into sleep mode is “not grabbing at the low
hanging fruit, it’s picking up what’s already on
the
ground,” said Salaets. And when it comes to energy
investments,
the greater challenge government faces is sometimes we focus far too
much attention on the “trees” (i.e. Data Center
cooling/ heating strategies) at the expense of the “forest.”
(a
governmentwide holistic approach to conservation and efficiencies)
The solution has to be the active, consistent engagement by and between
OMB, EPA, DOE, Congress, the “end user”, CIO/CTOs,
agency
facility managers and the IT sector noted Salaets. And there has to be
dedicated staff whose job is to lead agency Green efforts.
6. Be An
Awareness Advocate “Education,”
said GSA’s Johnson, “I think that internal staff
training
and employee awareness programs are very important.”
A common complaint from people is they say they understand that
“Green sustainability” is important and they want
to do the
right things, including turning off outlets or lights. What they
don’t always know is what is the right thing in terms of
trying
to be Green or energy efficient.
That means you’ve got to focus internally on awareness and
look
specifically at your internal processes to come up with practical ways
to create awareness so that the staff understands how to make their own
decisions. Because in the end, those individual decisions really add up
to a huge impact.
Awareness directly relates to linking new IT proposals to an IT
optimization plan that helps agencies systemic development of their
infrastructure. Doing that allows you to really target energy savings,
increasing the life span of computers and integrating other initiatives
associated with Electronic Stewardship Program.
Electronic Stewardship is a very inter disciplinary initiative and
takes teamwork between environment personnel, IT, facilities
management, acquisition and COs.
7. Design
Green In From The Outset
The best way to make sure a facility such as a Data Center is Green is
to design Green in from the beginning. That’s a reality if
you
are building a new Data Center, but out of the question when talking
about one of the historic buildings in Washington, DC. GSA’s
Johnson said that GSA is building smart buildings with smart
heating/cooling systems. He along with EPA’s
O’Neill
advocate implementing Virtualization strategies as a way to be Green
especially in buildings.
If the option exists to build from scratch, you can work with the U.S.
Green Building Council which oversees the LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) rating system for construction. Software
exists today where you can use information modeling to create a
sustainable design.
These are the kinds of solutions that help designers and the facility
managers understand how to make those individual good decisions. That
includes adding features to products, pilot programs and working with
customers on special initiatives that will help others in the industry understand
the best practices.
8. Change
To Green Behavior
Green awareness leads to Green behavior. For management Green behavior
would be a normal part of systems procurement and RFP development,
expense analysis and cost reduction. According to Johnson that means
making sure that project managers are paying attention to being Green
and implementing “Green procurement design activities in
terms of
being forward thinking in terms of what can be done today and building
that into our procurements.”
For IT pros, it means using all the tools mentioned such as the FEC and
EPEAT and using Virtualization technologies and anything else to reduce
power consumption at the Data Center and on the Desktop.
For everybody, it simply means think about ways you can be Green all
the time. As Johnson says, “I don’t want to take on
Kermit
the Frog, but I don’t think it is tough being green if you
are
really committed to it.”
9.
Encourage and Embrace Telework
Telework is the single best way to help you and your agency be Green.
Though many managers are resistant to Telework, it is gaining in
numbers – more than 100,000 federal workers Telework now.
Further
Congress is set to pass legislation that will put the onus on managers
to prove why workers can’t Telework. Agencies will be
required to
report their Telework efforts to Congress. Telework must be a major
component of your COOP plan, so build your infrastructure to support
safe and secure Telework.
10.
Embrace Virtualization to Green Data Centers and Desktops
According to Salaets, effective implementation of Virtualization can
reduce energy allocations by 80-90 % and can raise server utilization
to 50+ % by 2010. He also sees on the horizon – virtual
storage,
streamlined networks with FCOE, RAM silos, possibly even fan silos.
11. Choose
Green Whenever Possible We
can make a variety of good Green choices. So think about virtualizing
servers and desktops; consolidating servers and software; using Web 2.0
collaboration tools; using thin clients; trying videoconferencing;
printing double-sided; recycling print cartridges and batteries;
cooling racks,
not space; encouraging a mobile workforce that telecommutes; using
solar energy; enabling the sleep mode. And by the way, turn your
monitor off, turn your computer off and turn the lights out when you go
home.
Desktop
“idle mode” uses 45 watts of power, while
“sleep
mode” uses 5 watts. “Which is more
efficient?” asks
Ken Salaets, Director of Technology and Trade Policy at the Information
Technology Industry Council (ITI) rhetorically? 
According
to EPA CIO Molly O’Neill, government buyers need to embrace
the
“Green IT lifecycle” when planning, buying and
implementing
programs where IT is essential. And face it; what program in
today’s government doesn’t rely on IT. The cycle:
Earlier
this year two policies went into effect formalizing requirements that
agencies must buy environmentally friendly technology products and look
for opportunities internally to expand their environmental and
energy-saving efforts. 
“Education,”
said GSA’s Johnson, “I think that internal staff
training
and employee awareness programs are very important.” 
We
can make a variety of good Green choices. So think about virtualizing
servers and desktops; consolidating servers and software; using Web 2.0
collaboration tools; using thin clients; trying videoconferencing;
printing double-sided; recycling print cartridges and batteries;
cooling racks,
not space; encouraging a mobile workforce that telecommutes; using
solar energy; enabling the sleep mode. And by the way, turn your
monitor off, turn your computer off and turn the lights out when you go
home. 
