Green IT Tips
Here's something for you to think about: take care of the earth, one day you will be part of it. I didn't make that line up (it's a popular meme), but it sure does make a lot of sense, doesn't it? Being green doesn't have to coincide with holding hands, guitar circles, and kumbaya. Green is something that everyone can do – even cheap hosting companies.
It's a popular misconception that doing things the green way means spending lots of money to keep everything copacetic. But, that's not true at all. Actually, being green is so much simpler and cheaper than you think. I'll prove it! Check out these five cheap, and green, hosting and IT tips!
Green IT Tips:
1. Let the air flow! That's not an expensive or complicated tip, right? But, air flow is a really great way to cut back on energy costs. Try to let hot and cold air flow separately by installing things like aisle barriers, blanking cabinets, and by keeping hot and cold air items separate. It's not a hard thing to do, but not allowing hot and cold air to mix has a certain impact that will be reflected on your energy bill!
2. Go with Energy Star : Here's another easy thing you can do: buy Energy Star servers, computers, and other equipment. Energy Star equipment is so widely available these days that finding it is a cinch. You may even be able to get a government refund or tax break if you go with Energy Star stuff.
3. Keep your HVAC up to date : Another easy one! All you have to do here is maintain your cooling system regularly. A routine checkup should do the trick, and you'll see a major money difference.
4. Solar is power : Installing solar panels is expensive, I'll admit, so that might not be within your budget right now. But, you can check out the many different solar powered mobile device chargers on the market. Does every member of your team have a mobile device that charges daily in your office? Solar chargers are green, relatively inexpensive, and, hey, they're kind of neat too.
5. Print double-time : This one is a no-brainer, really. Just arrange all of your printers to print on both sides of a sheet of paper. If you are still printing stuff (when it is absolutely necessary!), a double-sided job is always the green way to go.
Got more green tips? Want to add to this list? Thanks for commenting!
