Gentle and sustainable for the environment
The term "green IT" refers to environmentally friendly products and services in the field of information and communication technology (ICT). The energy, resources, and materials required are used in a sustainable and careful manner so that the impact on the earth is as low as possible.
ICT accounts for around two percent of total electricity consumption in Germany. By transferring many IT processes to our data center, we can save a considerable amount of energy. Data centers have high capacities that need to be utilized to full capacity. The electricity required by our service provider is generated entirely from renewable energy sources.
The beginnings of resource-saving information technology date back to 1988. That year, the Japanese company Fujitsu launched a program to develop sustainable products. In 1993, the company launched a PC that was produced in an environmentally friendly manner and had low energy consumption.
In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invented the "Energy Star" environmental label for energy-saving appliances, buildings, and building materials.
Social relevance
The use of renewable energies and the sustainable use of resources can significantly improve the poor environmental balance of information technology and greatly reduce the burden on our planet. Slowing down climate change, reducing the consumption of resources, and sustainable management are urgent requirements of our time in order to keep the earth habitable for humans and animals. Information technology has become an integral part of modern society and will continue to grow in importance and application. This also increases the energy requirements of this industry. Experts expect the electricity consumption of data centers to increase by about 60 percent by 2025. IT accounts for approximately two to three percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Based on current measurements, forecasts even predict an increase to around eight percent by 2025.
In order to reduce or, in the best case, even eliminate these negative side effects, a consistent rethinking on the part of industry and consumers is imperative. Products, infrastructure, and applications must be manufactured and operated in a resource- and environmentally-friendly manner using renewable energies.
Our goals with Green IT
Green information technologies should be developed, used, and disposed of in an environmentally conscious and sustainable manner. This requires action on the part of both manufacturers and consumers. Energy consumption must be reduced and, where possible, sourced from renewable energies. Products should be designed and manufactured to be durable and resource-efficient. At the end of their service life, they should be able to be disposed of in an energy-efficient manner or, better still, be recyclable.
Our measures to improve our environmental footprint
We have a strong interest in sustainable IT technology. Rising energy and raw material prices are also prompting us to rethink our approach and act in a more environmentally friendly manner.
There are also areas within our company where the environmental balance can be greatly improved. We identify these areas and translate them into concrete measures.
We subject all new hardware purchases to a thorough review to ensure that they are manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner and are durable. We transfer many processes and the storage of large amounts of data to our data center. We carry out certain work processes from home or via video conference. Replacing these on-site appointments indirectly improves our ecological balance.
Our data center offers an excellent opportunity to save resources when it comes to air conditioning the workspaces. In rooms with many servers, the machines produce a lot of heat. Special heat pumps heat the offices in winter. Double floor sealing in the rooms prevents hot spots and distributes the heat more evenly.
Our lighting is directed specifically at relevant areas and is switched on and off automatically by motion sensors. Energy-efficient LED lights significantly reduce power consumption.
All our measures to increase sustainability and environmentally friendly practices require consistent application and ongoing review of their effectiveness, as well as adjustments where necessary.
This puts us well on the way to achieving sustainable and resource-efficient information technology.