Businesses around the world are beginning to clearly recognize the fact that in order to survive in the future; it is important to make use of emerging green technologies. There are many reasons the preceding reason is true. Some reasons are relative to global climate change, other reasons involve health of the community at the local level and the prosperity of future generations. Modern business can no longer ignore the fact that green technology is necessary in order to function, successfully, in today’s global market.
Some of the green methods and technologies available to business include: a green infrastructure; geothermal energy, hybrid electric vehicle systems, solar energy, hydro-power and wind energy.
Business Sustainability Defined in Way of a Green Initiative
Before beginning any true discussion, though, with regard to business sustainability; and green technologies, defining sustainability is key. What is business sustainability? Certainly, most of us have recognized the term over and over again when speaking of sound eco-features as part of an enterprise that endures over time. When we speak of sustainability from a financial perspective: it is viewed as effectively managing a bottom line three ways. That is to say, companies, in order to maintain sustainability, effectively manage financial, social and environmental risks. Naturally in managing the preceding aspects, the impacts are recognized in way of prosperity, globalization, and human resources.
However, all that aside, the definition of sustainability as applied to emerging green technological trends and business’s own accountability as to those trends is much more robust. The definition then as it applies to contemporary sustainability is: the resiliency of a company, over time, to withstand any catastrophes that it is presented. This is to say a company has a greater shot at its own survival, over the long haul, if it embraces healthy economic, social and environmental systems. These systems must meet the needs of the current infrastructure; and at the same time not compromise the future of the organization. In order to keep matters simple: eco-efficiency with respect to green initiatives comes down to a company that engages in innovation; productivity with the objective in mind, of course, of long-term prosperity.
The new green business adheres readily to its social obligations. The company reviews the community’s needs with respect to charitable causes as well as global considerations with regard to impoverishment. It considers the health of the local and global community as a whole and the human rights of other individuals.
Global accountability is not over-looked when a company makes use of green styled methods and technologies
World issues such as climate change, land use and bio-diversity are certainly not overlooked when companies make use of green-styled methods and technologies. The company, then, uses methods of reporting in order to assure green-style techniques and technologies are used in order to assure the wellness of the community and organization for years to come.
Green Technologies are Key for Environmentally Efficiency
The shift to green technologies makes the IT infrastructure more efficient. It has been reported that five hundred million computer systems were put out of commission in 2007. Energy consumption, at the time, with respect to data centers was massive. It is important then to make use of energy efficient desktops, reduce the number of servers inside the data center, if possible, as well as reduce any energy waste consumption whatsoever. Since a data center is central to nearly all business operations; the following content provides a profile of what is necessary to make the data center more green-friendly.
The green friendly data center is required to review all of its components in order to realize a greater savings as to cost
There are several components of the green-styled data center that need attention on the part of the CIO in order for the company to flourish. The components are listed below:
- Mechanicals;
- Lighting of the area;
- All electrical items;
- Computer systems
As it relates to the latter item: computer systems are best designed for maximum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact. Since computer manufacturers of today are, for the most part, participating in designing systems which meet standards as to energy savings; it is not a difficult process for the CIO to implement new-styled systems that provide for a savings with regard to energy.
Many IT managers are starting to recognize in order to cut costs and create a more sustainable environment that one of the goals necessary to meet the objective is to decrease current power waste to approximately half. The preceding objective is not unrealistic, again, because new systems are being built recognizing the global need for greater efficiency in the way of energy. However, that said, the true solution in decreasing energy waste is by putting into practice the following fundamentals:
- Optimize energy use;
- Reduce emissions in a strategic manner; relative to the organization, and
- Reduce fossil fuel usage tied to electric use.
Green data centers make use of well-designed servers
It stands to reason in order to meet the preceding objectives the CIO will wish to implement server systems which are energy efficient: if he or she can so manage. It is right to say, the initial investment of such items may seem cost-prohibitive at first: however, over the long-term, such systems provide the company with many benefits and actually cause a reduction in company expenditures. In example, streamlined server systems can save a company a great deal in electrical wattage yearly; at the same time reducing co2 emissions.
Methods used in order to achieve greater sustainability as it applies to green-styled initiatives are straight-forward
It is a simple fact: nearly anything that basically saves a business money can be tied to green-styled initiatives. With precision in mind though: methods in order to attain greater sustainability include the following:
- Cost reduction techniques;
- Improved performance at the management level; and,
- Prudent planning
All of the above established methods can aid a company in becoming truly eco-friendly.
The best way to reduce waste is by rapid replacement of outdated items which no longer provide energy savings for the organization
Companies wishing to derive the greatest benefit in way of establishing an eco-friendly environment are wise to replace older legacy systems at a rapid pace; exhaustively embracing energy saving technologies. Additionally, analyses can be performed on systems to gauge the cooling necessary required for various components. Tools such as just mentioned can add to energy savings and reduce waste even more.
Emerging Green Businesses
It is right to say emerging trends are currently happening right before our very eyes. Many of these trends simply cannot be ignored if a company is to maintain its long-term sustainability. Some of these emerging trends are stated below:
- Enterprise Application Stores;
- Cloud Technology;
- Integrated Ecosystems;
- Rivalry with regard to Mobile Devices
It is reasonable to state: business and consumer preferences are highly integrated and mobile in nature. This is to say that the days of isolated technologies are truly over. In order for the company to employ the best in energy savings innovations: the entity is required to review consumer preferences with regard to electronic devices. Add to that the number of start-ups which are making it a point to produce new technologies with the objective in mind of increased energy savings—and it is clear sustainability with respect to new green technologies is here to stay. Some of these industries involved in emerging green innovations include: companies manufacturing solar-powered items, products produced which meet certain energy savings standards and so on and so forth.
In conclusion, new green technologies are witnessed all over the globe. Businesses are wise to make evaluations; and consider what it is they can learn from leaders in their field; and for that matter, other industries, too, in order to make green-styled sustainable initiatives a reality.
About the Author: Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he describes how to build a sustainable business and aims to encourage further study with an online sustainability masters degree.
