Energy Efficiency for Free

This is a small thing that’s kind of neat.

Like a lot of people, it seems that I’ve been using so-called cloud computing with increasing frequency lately. Most recently, some colleagues and I subscribed to a cloud-based document management system while working on a training project, because it was quick, easy and inexpensive.

Source: entechcomputers.com

That’s not very exciting, except that according to a recent study, cloud computing is also good for the planet.

As reported by Yale Environment 360 and others last year, cloud computing—in which data is stored, managed and processed on the Internet—could reduce companies’ carbon emissions by as much as 50 percent and significantly increase energy efficiency.

The study, conducted by the Carbon Disclosure Project, found that by 2020, large U.S. companies that use cloud computing could achieve annual energy savings of $12.3 billion and annual carbon reductions equivalent to 200 million barrels of oil—enough to power 5.7 million cars for one year.

Cloud computing reduces CO2 emissions through more efficient use of hardware and more efficient data centers, according to the report.

Like many, I seem to take energy savings into consideration with everything I do these days—by riding my bike instead of driving, washing clothes in cold water, taking shorter showers, turning down the heat, having my home scheduled for an energy audit, adding insulation to my attic and so on.

It’s nice to read about some energy efficiency that happens when I'm not even thinking about it.