| Several recent studies have shown that adopting | | | | lot less energy than desktops and eliminate the |
| green technologies in your business can cut | | | | need for using add-on monitors. |
| energy by as much as 80%. These 10 tips will | | | | 6. Use Software Tools with Uninterrupted Power |
| definitely save your company money, help | | | | Supplies-UPS tools can be used to effectively |
| preserve the environment, and shift your business | | | | monitor energy use and supply. |
| focus to a more sustainable level of operations. | | | | 7. Upgrade Equipment-Surprisingly, replacing your |
| 1. Collect Data on Current Usage-In order to | | | | old energy wasting equipment with newer |
| accurately measure whether your green efforts | | | | technologies requiring less power to run is one of |
| are working, you must first establish a baseline. | | | | the biggest ways to lower your energy costs. |
| Once you have measured your current energy | | | | 8. Virtualize-Server and storage virtualization will |
| use, you can develop improvement goals, then | | | | both lower the amount of hardware needed and |
| continue to monitor them. | | | | energy consumed by consolidating for efficiency. |
| 2. Get a Free Energy Audit for Your | | | | Virtualization has helped some companies reduce |
| Company-After establishing your current baseline, | | | | their energy costs by up to 90 percent. |
| take advantage of a free energy audit. Energy | | | | Example: |
| audits are a great way to allow the experts to | | | | 20 servers X $500/year = $10,000/year |
| research your business and find those areas | | | | Consolidation of servers down to 4 using |
| where consumption can be reduced and | | | | virtualization |
| efficiencies enhanced. Many energy companies and | | | | 4 servers X $500/year = 2,000/year |
| some IT companies will perform these audits for | | | | 9. Use Teleconferencing or LiveMeeting Whenever |
| free with no obligation. An assessment usually | | | | Possible-These online meetings eliminate |
| takes about an hour and you will be given a | | | | unnecessary travel, which can cost your company |
| written report of your findings, and suggestions | | | | extra money and put added strain on the |
| for improvement. | | | | environment with extra flights, car rentals and |
| 3. Encourage Telecommuting-Each week, give | | | | hotel energy consumption. |
| your employees at least one day to telecommute. | | | | 10. Power Strips-Use them, and have your |
| This reduces office energy consumption, as well | | | | employees turn them off each night before they |
| as carbon emissions from cars, and fuel | | | | go home. Believe it or not, each turned off power |
| consumption. | | | | strip can save over $150 per year in energy |
| 4. Share and Edit Documents Online-Move your | | | | costs. |
| document sharing, editing and collaboration efforts | | | | Recent changes to technology have made it |
| to a rich online environment like SharePoint, which | | | | easier than ever for small businesses to save |
| will limit high paper consumption, lower ink use, | | | | money by adopting energy cutting solutions. Not |
| reduce printer energy and help keep all of your | | | | only will you be helping to preserve energy and |
| documents easily manageable and accessible. | | | | the environment; but you will also be reducing |
| 5. Use Laptops Whenever Possible-Laptops use a | | | | your overall operating expenses. |