Tom Burns explains how a small peice of hardware, like an Intel chip can impact the world for the better.Tom Burns is Director for Content/Services for the World Ahead Group explains how the IT industry can impact energy saving, waste reduction and environmental leadership.
1. How is it that a processor can improve the efficiency of a computer?
A processor is the portion of a computer that carries out a computer’s functions – it essentially is the “brain” of a computer. The performance of a processor is critical in how a person conducts tasks quickly and efficiently, including multi-tasking and handling applications such as video and audio editing that typically require a lot of processing power.
From an environmental perspective, in the computing industry today, energy consumption is receiving more attention, both because of CO2 footprints and the increasing cost for that energy. Methods we have used to increase energy efficiency and reduce waste include:
- Removing lead from processors to incorporate energy efficiency at the design level.
- Designing chips that reduce electrical current leakage, which increases processor efficiency and is a vital step in reducing the heat produced by chipset products.
- Halogen-free packaging technology.
2. Upgrading of computers creates waste – do you work with any manufacturers that take back commercial or consumer electronic waste?
Intel’s products are sold primarily to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and others who produce finished products. While our components are not typically subject to recycling or electronic waste (e-waste) laws, we work with OEMs, retailers, governments and recyclers to identify shared solutions for used electronics and support public policies related to end-of-life management of electronics equipment.
The US Environmental Protection Authority’s Plug-In To eCycling campaign is designed to gather public and private support for proper recycling of used electronics. Supporting this and working in conjunction with industry, retailers, and government, we hosted or sponsored nine community electronics recycling events in 2008 collecting over 1.5 million pounds of used electronics—computers, printers, monitors, VCRs, TVs, and more.
Our PC Services department manages the recycling or reuse of electronics equipment used at Intel. Products that can no longer be used within the company are sold, donated, or processed by qualified recyclers.
3. How do you work with the manufacturers of other components to create energy efficient products?
We take a proactive approach while preserving our ability to operate and innovate. For example Intel:
- Together with Google co-founded the Climate Savers Computing Initiative in mid-2007, with goals to reduce computer CO2 emissions by 54 million tons per year by 2010, equivalent to the exhaust produced annually by 11 million cars. This Initiative has also been launched in several countries in Asia Pacific - Australia, China and India. In India, the CSCI aims to reduce global CO2 emissions by 4 million tons per year by 2011.
- Cofounded The Green Grid, a global consortium dedicated to advancing the energy efficiency in datacentres.
- Works closely with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to develop smart grid standards and hosted the first meeting of the organization’s 2030 project to initiate conversations amongst IT, utility and communications organizations.
4. How do you think the changes that you have made at desk top level will be adopted by the real energy guzzlers such as datacentres?
Since 2005, we have consolidated roughly 150 datacentres to 95. We estimate our strategy will save up to USD 650 million by 2014; we’ve already achieved 35 percent savings to date through proactive server refresh, datacentre virtualisation, server virtualisation, and storage optimisation.
Similarly, other organisations can adopt their own framework in order to become more energy efficient. For example, by virtualising applications and replacing four-year-old servers with new high-performing multi-core systems, organisations can reduce capital investment in datacentre facilities while increasing performance.
6. Do you think that as CO2 production becomes a global imperative that we will have more communication between different industry groups?
We are already seeing the promotion of IT sustainability across the IT industry and government agencies in a number of ways. Besides the work with Google and the IEEE (see question 3), there are a number of other programs showing the existence of this trend that we have also been involved with:
- The European Code of Conduct, an emerging standard of excellence with guidance on best practices in datacentre efficiency.
- The ENERGY STAR* program to proactively address our industry’s impact on climate change.
- The Green Grid, a global consortium of IT companies and professionals seeking to improve energy efficiency in datacentres and business computing ecosystems.
- The Digital Energy Solutions Campaign (DESC) promotes the role of ICT as part of the solution to our energy and climate challenges via a social media-inspired Web site, Behind the Green. http://www.behindthegreen.org
- Through Intel Capital, our venture capital arm, we are investing in a variety of green industries to accelerate innovation in startup companies developing alternative power sources. These include a US$20 million investment in Trony Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese thin-film solar energy and solution provider and an agreement to invest in NP Holdings Limited (NPH), a technology company focused on massive electricity storage systems for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
7. Do you think that will require more experts, or for more people to become more tech-savvy so as to keep up with developments?
Not necessarily. We believe it’s a collaborative effort as no company alone can save the climate without actively participating in joint environmental projects.
Individuals/organizations can have a positive impact on the environment based on conservation practices that we use in our daily lives. Look for the low hanging fruit and focus on continuous improvement rather than trying to find the perfect one-off solution. There are a number of relatively easy things, such as increasing the amount of waste that is recycled, that will help a company/individual minimize their environmental footprint. Once started, it is easier to increase the number of programs and identify additional opportunities. For instance, since 2001, Intel has put over $20 million toward conservation efforts and saved $42 million.
8. Might it require realignment of the way that we work together in the supply chain with more communication up and down before products are ready for the corporate/consumer market?
The supply chain is a system that must work together to better the future and our reputations and performance will only be as strong as the weakest link. We communicate our expectations around sustainability and products to our supply chain community and work with suppliers on emerging trends in quality, EHS performance, cost, and most recently, CSR and sustainability.
9. What are your thoughts on open standards as a way to produce innovation in greening IT?
Through Intel’s involvement with The Green Grid, we are currently working to unite global industry efforts to standardise on a common set of etrics, processes, methods and new technologies to further its common goals.
10. And….
One of the most important pieces of advice for organisations wanting to start their own environmentally-sound sustainability program is to understand the strengths of your own organization. It is easier and more effective to leverage existing systems than to set up new parallel processes. For example, Intel develops a new sophisticated manufacturing process every two years in the continuous pursuit of Moore’s Law. We have developed a system of working closely with the new process developers to identify and design around potential environmental issues during evelopment. This approach allows the technologists to apply the same kills and knowledge to pushing the bounds of physics as to solving environmental problems.
Finally, senior management support is essential to a well-running sustainability program in order to help drive sustainability into business processes across the entire organization. Intel’s senior executives are carrying on the environmental ethic that began with Gordon Moore, and we continue to foster a culture of identifying potential challenges and working to find solutions that minimize our environmental footprint.
