A coalition of technology companies and environmental groups led by Google and Intel launched an initiative on Tuesday to help conserve electricity and curb global warming emissions by making the world’s computers and servers more energy efficient.
The Climate Savers Computing Initiative, organised by internet search leader Google and computer chip maker Intel, sets ambitious industry targets to increase the energy efficiency of computing gear over the next four years.
The plan aims to cut the amount of electricity computers consume in half by 2010 using existing power-saving technologies. Currently, the average PC wastes about half of the power it consumes, while the average server wastes about one-third, officials said.
“Let’s create a more efficient IT industry by driving up the efficiency of computers,” said Pat Gelsinger, senior vice-president for Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group. “We think we can have huge savings in terms of carbon footprint and energy costs.”
The initiative is expected to save more than $5,5-billion in electricity costs by 2010 and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions that contribute to climate change by 54-million tonnes yearly — an amount equal to eliminating 11-million cars or 20 large coal-fired power plants each year, company officials said.
Gelsinger estimated that energy-efficiency technology initially would make computers about $20 (R140) more expensive and servers about $30 (R210) costlier, but consumers are expected to recoup the costs through lower electricity bills and rebates from utilities.
“It will also make computers better,” Google co-founder Larry Page said. “By taking out some of the inefficiencies of computers, it will make them quieter and more reliable.”
Manufacturers that take part in the initiative agree to design, produce and sell equipment that meet its energy-efficiency standards. The initiative requires computing gear initially to meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star standard of 80% efficiency, with the target rising to 90% by 2010.
Participating companies also agree to buy corporate computers and servers that meet those targets and follow guidelines to maximise their equipment’s energy efficiency. Electric utilities will be encouraged to offer rebates to consumers who buy the energy-efficient gear.
Organisers also plan to launch a campaign to educate consumers, corporations and governments on how to use their computers more efficiently, mainly by using power-saving settings that put PCs into “sleep” or “hibernate” mode when they are not being used.
The initiative’s initial backers include Dell, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo!. It is also supported by the Natural Resources Defence Council, Pacific Gas & Electric, the EPA and the WWF.
The initiative is an extension of the WWF’s Climate Savers programme, which helps corporations to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions. “The opportunity represented by energy use from computing is tremendous,” said WWF senior vice-president John Donoghue. — Sapa-AP
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Climate Savers Computing Initiative