What means Green IT?

Actually I’m writing my bachelor thesis about Green IT and I thought it would be a good idea to share my acquired knowledge about this interesting and upcoming topic. But what means Green IT? It refers to environmentally sustainable computing or IT. Moreover it’s about the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using and recycling of information technology efficiently and effectively with minimal impact on the environment. The main goal of Green IT is maximizing energy efficiency during an IT product’s lifetime. I guess Adrian T. Sobotta’s definition can also help to understand the meaning of Green IT:

“The concept of Green IT consists of two main building blocks - ‘green’ and ‘information technology’. The ‘green’ in Green IT refers to the environmentally sustainable application of Information Technologies. In our context ‘green’ is to be understood in relation to the environmental problem of climate change and emission of greenhouse gases. Green IT describes a situation where Information Technologies support reductions of greenhouse gas emissions - directly, indirectly or in a systemic way.“

Since the information technology started with its triumphal procession in the last decades, many things changed. Beside of the private live IT conquered also most of the production- and service sectors. Concerning to the booming internet usage and the increasing penetration of IT more and more computing power was needed. Consequently it leaded to strongly increasing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Now it’s our turn to be aware of sustainable energy usage. There are many already known Green IT arrangements with which we are able to reduce IT-related energy consumption and energy costs.

Leaving a copier switched on overnight uses as much power as it takes to make 1,500 compies ...