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CIOs encouraged to reduce ICT energy usage: report

CIOs encouraged to reduce ICT energy usage: report

Thirty-nine per cent out of 200 Australian CIOs say they have no idea how much ICT energy the organisation uses

Australian CIOs are been urged to measure ICT energy usage and look at ways to reduce the IT power bill following the results of a sustainability survey.

Fujitsu’s ICT Sustainability: Australian Benchmark 2014 report surveyed 200 Australian CIOs between March and August 2014. This was the first time the report had been conducted since 2012.

It found that Australia had an IT Sustainability Index score of 51.7. This was a slight improvement on the 2012 global report, which found that Australia had the second lowest IT Sustainability Index score of 50.1 compared to Canada (55.7), China (49.7), India (51.2), Japan (53.0), New Zealand (50.8), the United Kingdom (53.1) and the United States (57.3).

In comparison, New Zealand's IT Sustainability Index slipped from 50.8 to 39.3 in 2014. Fujitsu only conducted reports in Australia and NZ this year.

The Australian survey results show 39 per cent of respondents said ICT power consumption is not measured separately and they have no idea how much energy they are consuming.

Meanwhile, 37 per cent of the CIOs surveyed said they are told how much power ICT consumes and they get a separate power bill.

The remaining 24 per cent of respondents said that they are responsible for ICT power consumption.

To help CIOs get to grips with their ICT power bill, the report set out some tips.

  • Use a power meter to test actual power consumption versus claimed consumption
  • Have a separate ICT sustainability or Green IT budget
  • Measure data centre power usage effectiveness (PUE)
  • Work out ICT energy use per employee.
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The report also contained some 'quick wins' to reduce energy consumption in the data centre.

Read more: NSW government adds to ICT advisory panel

  • Install light sensors in data halls- don’t pay for lighting 24/7 when staff are not there
  • Install rack blanking panels and side brushes to improve rack airflow
  • Use heat reflective paint on roofs to help cool the building down
  • Use adjustable floor vents to improve cooling and air flows
  • Repair any leaks in data halls – up to 30 per cent more energy is wasted through leaks.
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Commenting on the report, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand head of sustainability Lee Stewart said that failure to see ICT sustainability improvements as key to reducing capital expenditure (CAPEX) and energy costs is missing the requirements for every area of business to produce savings.

“If you take only one thing from this resource, it is to isolate and understand your ICT energy usage. Treat it like cash in your business – measure, monitor and control it,” he said in a statement.

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