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Home | Environment | City Energy Conservation | IT Energy Reduction
The city’s computer server room consumes electricity 24 hours per day. Using the latest server virtualization software allows the city to run more virtual computer systems while reducing the number of physical servers from 108 down to just 43. Even making small adjustments to the temperature in the server room can save energy. In 2012, the temperature in the server room was set four degrees higher to reduce cooling costs.
Information technology is powered by electricity – a lot of it. The IT Department has decreased power consumption on many levels. New energy-efficient LCD monitors have replaced almost all of the old, powerhungry CRT monitors. New desktop PCs use smaller internal power supplies to reduce the energy demand of each PC. With approximately 1,000 computers in use by the city employees, even small savings add up quickly.
17-inch CRT
19-inch LCD
Savings
100
45
55
8
0
900
192
708
$84.93
$38.22
$46.71
$2,547.94
$1,146.57
$1,401.37
$30,999.89
$13,949.95
$17,049.94
Not all green initiatives involve electricity. Printers are set by default to print on both sides of the paper. Advances in IT enable telecommuting, allowing many employees to occasionally work from home without having to travel to the office. And after five years of use, the city’s old computers are donated to a non-profit organization to live a second life.