There’s a new report out from CDW-G that highlights what IT professionals are doing to create more energy efficient work environments. It includes a lot of useful information, much of which is applicable to the K-12 environment as well.
In a survey of about 750 IT professionals, for instance, 59 percent of respondents said they are training their employees to shut down their computers before going home for the day, up from 43 percent in 2008. Also, 46 percent of IT professionals surveyed said they had implemented or are in the process of implementing server virtualization, up from 35 percent in 2008. Virtualization is when one piece of technology is split or cloned to be used for a range of purposes. Read more about it, and how it can affect schools, in Michelle Davis’ story here.
Over half of those professionals who are actively working to reduce energy consumption say that they’ve been able to reduce their energy costs by 1 percent or more. Energy efficiency, however, still isn’t the top priority when purchasing new equipment. The survey found that cost, reliability, and compatibility with existing equipment outweigh energy efficiency in terms of importance when deciding which equipment to buy.
While the survey outlines some of the untapped opportunities schools and work places could explore for more energy savings, it’s clear that more and more IT professionals are thinking about how to reduce energy use. Check out the full report, which is available free for download with registration, here.