Migrate from server to cloud
There are many reasons why you might want to consider ditching your in-house server and migrating all your data onto a cloud-based storage system. Among them are cost savings, space savings, and more convenient access to your data around the world.
What most people don’t consider is whether it’s also better off for the environment.
It’s true that data centres are consuming more energy every year, placing a huge burden on our resources and risk to carbon emissions.
However, we are more concerned than ever about sourcing that energy sustainably, with the likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, Intel and Amazon, all having promised to use renewable energy to power data centres.
Take for example, this Google data centre which is 100% renewable and increasingly energy efficient with advances of technology.
Whilst we still have a long way to go, this commitment to reducing energy consumption and moving to renewables is more likely to be achieved in a collectivised data centre than by the individual actions of corporations running their own servers.
Replace outdated PCs with Laptops
This one is almost a slam dunk case.
According to research, Laptop computers consume up to 80 percent less electricity than desktop computers and get by on between one-fifth and one-third as much energy.
Of course, the story is not so black and white and actual savings depend on the particular laptop/desktop in question.
Yet, in an age where flexible working is becoming more and more demanded by employees, laptops are deserving of consideration for multiple benefits.
Keep them in mind as an alternative to desktops next time you need to upgrade some workstations.
Bring IoT to your energy usage
If you haven’t heard about the “Internet of things” over the past couple of years, you’ve been missing out on the party.
The ability to turn objects that ordinarily would not be connected to the internet into “smart devices” is bringing a new level of convenience to our lives.
One of the multitude of purposes for such technology should be to allow us to reduce our energy consumption. Here are some of our favourite pieces of tech:
- Smart thermostats like Nest or Hive give you greater control around when you need to use A/C or heating.
- Monitor energy consumption directly using Sense and identify sources of energy waste you didn’t know about.
Written by Emma Evans
