Earth-Friendly Business: A Guide to Green Computing
Is creating an earth-friendly business important to you? It not only helps the planet — it also helps your finances. And the more eco-conscious you are as you begin a new business, the more of an impact you can have. Green computing and other similar strategies can put your company on the road to being in the black.
Take a look at these essentials that any new business or solopreneur should evaluate to save some cash while reducing energy needs.
Comparison Shopping
Choosing a primary business computer is a central part of any small business’s green-computing strategy. Many experts say laptops are kinder to the environment because they use less power, especially if you don’t plan to attach an external monitor. However, quite a few desktops have earned high marks for energy efficiency.
To start searching for your green computer, check out the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). Developed by the Green Electronics Council, this free, easy-to-use online tool helps you compare desktops, laptops and monitors based on environmental factors. EPEAT ranks items like displays, desktop computers and tablets by giving them a score of bronze, silver or gold. Think of it as the Olympics of green computing.
Features to Consider
The EPEAT employs a point system based on a number of positive criteria. Even if you skip using EPEAT and go shopping on your own, consider these factors when comparing computers:
Project Longevity/Lifecycle: This is a big one when outfitting your office. The longer a computer is designed to live, the more environmentally friendly it’s considered to be (you’ll put less in the tech landfill, in other words). But a longer life cycle is a big boost for your bottom line, too. If you don’t have to replace your laptop every couple of years, you save money over time.
When determining how long a computer might last, consider the availability of replacement parts, how easily the machine can be upgraded with common tools and whether there’s an extended warranty or service agreement. Also, factor some regular upkeep into your budget — much like your car, a computer benefits from a bit of maintenance to keep it running strong.
Energy Conservation: Nearly every computer maker boasts energy-usage stats, but be sure to inspect the numbers carefully and do some comparison-shopping. A great resource for these types of figures is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Energy Star program. The Energy Star seal makes it easy to determine which desktops and laptops are the most energy-efficient. The Energy Star site also offers a download for an Excel document that helps you calculate office-equipment energy costs.
Other Technology Needs
In addition to your workhorse computer, your office will most likely be stocked with numerous peripherals that can impact your green-computing profile. Here are some tips on making eco-friendly choices for equipment like printers, copiers, monitors and servers:
- Look for an Energy Star rating for each piece of equipment. To gain top marks from Energy Star, a manufacturer has to prove a product will contribute to significant energy savings and deliver high performance. This makes it easy to identify equipment that will offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing productivity.
- Make sure equipment has practical power-management functions, such as sleep mode or low-power settings.
- Create a spreadsheet to track energy-usage costs to help you tweak future management or purchasing strategies. Having a plan for green computing is crucial to keeping you on the path of energy efficiency.
Green Settings
Once you’ve done all the evaluating and purchasing for your green-computing components, make sure your company uses them as efficiently as possible by employing some strong power-management policies:
- Use power strips with surge protectors. This will keep your equipment safer during electrical storms and allow you to turn off multiple pieces of equipment quickly.
- Disable screen savers. In general, screen savers don’t save energy, even though it seems like the computer might be in sleep mode. In fact, some graphics-intensive screen savers can cause the computer to use as much as twice the amount of energy it uses during normal operation and prevents it from flipping into sleep mode.
- Evaluate your power-management settings. The EPA recommends setting computers to enter system standby (or “hibernate”) after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity. But some people choose to save more energy by setting these thresholds even lower.
Starting a business or outfitting a one-person shop can be an exciting opportunity to make some fresh technology decisions. When evaluating what to purchase, keep a little more green in your pocket by taking the time to compare your green-computing options.