IT adopts the cloud, carbon emissions start to drop

Posted By Kate Beckham|07-18-2012

Could the cloud help make you and your computing much more green?

Energy saving computer? Check. Good PC power management habits? Of course! Could you still make your computing habits greener? Probably. A recent story from TechTarget described what cloud computing can bring to the table as far as saving energy is concerned. And with market research firm Verdantix predicting that carbon emissions from information communication technology equipment will double from 2 percent to 4 percent of total emissions by 2020, strategies for reducing emissions are more important than ever.

“A large percentage of global GDP is reliant on ICT – this is a critical issue as we strive to decouple economic growth from emissions growth,” Paul Dickinson, executive chairman of the Carbon Disclosure Project, said of the numbers from Verdantix. “The carbon emissions reducing potential of cloud computing is a thrilling breakthrough, allowing companies to maximize performance, drive down costs, reduce inefficiency and minimize energy use – and therefore carbon emissions – all at the same time.”

TechTarget said a cloud solution is far more efficient and environmentally sound that most other types of premises-based systems, which typically include storage infrastructure, servers and other equipment that could end up creating significant emissions. The website said things like multi-tenancy in the cloud, which means sharing infrastructures, and using a cloud to improve server utilization are great ways to control power usage and limit emissions.

Another study by Verdantix said the cloud has some other great perks, including the ability to save companies a lot of money. A study by the group, “Cloud Computing: The IT Solution for the 21st Century,” forecasts that by 2020, firms in the United States may be able to achieve $12.3 billion in energy savings because of the cloud.

Do you use the cloud at home or at work? Do you feel like it could help you with PC power management? Let us know your thoughts on this rising technological platform!