DOI 10.4010/2016.

1085
ISSN 2321 3361 © 2016 IJESC

Research Article Volume 6 Issue No. 4

Environment Friendly Green Computing In India

Dr. Pawan Ramesh Naik
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
cpspawannaik1977@gmail.com

Abstract:
Green computing refers to the practice and procedures of using computing resources in an environment friendly way while
maintaining overall computing performance. Green computing, also called green technology, is the environmentally sustainable to
use of computers and related resources like -monitors, printer, storage devices, networking and communication systems -efficiently
and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment. The term Green Computing refers to the practice of using energy
wisely and efficiently, causing negligible degradation to environmental resources and parameters also maintaining feasibility on
the other hand. It is basically a balanced and sustainable approach towards the achievement of a healthy and clean environment
without compromising the needs and necessities of technology for the present generation. As the number of computers is
increasing day by day, so is the amount of electricity consumed by them which in turn is increasing the carbon content in
atmosphere. This problem has been realized by people and measures are being taken which help in minimizing the power usage of
computers. Therefore, this can be called as Green Computing. Green computing is a well balanced and sustainable approach
towards the achievement of a greener, healthier and safer environment without compromising technological needs of the current
and future generations. This paper is a survey of several important literature related to the field of green computing that highlights
the importance of green computing for sustainable development.

Keywords: Green computing, environment, global warming

INTRODUCTION:
What is green Computing?
Green computing, the study and practice of efficient and eco-
friendly computing resources, is now under the attention of
not only environmental organizations, but also businesses
from other industries. In recent years, companies in the
computer industry have come to realize that going green is in
their best interest, both in terms of public relations and
reduced costs. In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency launched Energy Star, a voluntary labelling program
that is designed to promote and recognize energy-efficiency
in monitors, climate control equipment, and other
technologies. This resulted in the widespread adoption of
sleep mode among consumer electronics. Green Computing is
also defined as the study of designing,
manufacturing/engineering, using and disposing of computing
devices in a way that reduces their environmental impact.
Many IT manufacturers and vendors are continuously
investing in designing energy efficient computing devices,
reducing the use of dangerous materials and encouraging the
recyclability of digital devices and paper. Green computing
practices came into being in 1992, when the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Energy Star program.
Why Green Computing
Today almost all streams weather its IT, medicine,
transportation, agriculture uses machines which indirectly
requires large amount of power and money for its effective
functioning. We have great machines and equipments to
accomplish our tasks, great gadgets with royal looks and
features make our lives more impressive and smooth. Green
computing whose goals are to reduce the use of hazardous
materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's
lifetime, and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of
defunct products and factory waste. Therefore we use Green
Computing for following benefits-
1) Using ENERGY STAR qualified products help in energy
conservation.
2) The Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) catalog
can be used for choosing green products.
3) Organic light-emitting diodes should be used instead of the
regular monitors.
4) Surge protectors offer the benefit of green computing by
cutting off the power supply to peripheral devices when the
computer is turned off.
5) Donating your old computers and other peripherals can
reduce the rate of e-waste creation.
6) Moreover, those who cannot afford to buy a computer can
benefit from such donations. Through proper disposal of
computers and its accessories, it is possible to reduce
environmental pollution.
7) It was expected that computers would help reduce paper
wastage. However, even today wastage of paper is a serious

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issue in industries. The easy availability of photocopiers and
printers is also one of the culprits behind unchecked paper
wastage. Think twice before using printers.
8) Use the device only if it is necessary.
9) The manufacturing of disks and boxes needed for video
games takes up a lot of resources. Video game manufacturers
can offer their games online for download, leading to
reduction in e-waste. This move can cut down on the
transportation/shipping cost.
10) Use of 'Local Cooling' software can help in monitoring
and thereby, bringing down the energy consumed by your
computer. This 'Windows' program makes adjustments to the
power options of your computer and helps minimize energy
consumption.
DEFINITION:
Green computing is an umbrella term, referring to an eco-
conscious way of developing, using and recycling technology,
as well as utilizing resources in a more planet-friendly
manner. Here are some key elements of green computing:
 Using energy-efficient hardware like notebook
computers, displays, servers, printers and desktop
computers.
 Better use of resources, such as reduced paper
consumption and lower energy utilization.
 Greater awareness so that technology components
don’t end up in the waste stream.
 Stronger environmental controls for technology
production, leading to fewer toxic chemicals in the
finished products.
In general, green computing works at all levels -
development, manufacturing, usage and disposal - to
minimize technology’s impact on the global environment.
Green computing or green IT, refers to environmentally
sustainable computing or IT. In the article Harnessing Green
IT: Principles and Practices, San Murugesan defines the field
of green computing as "the study and practice of designing,
manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers,
and associated subsystems—such as monitors, printers,
storage devices, and networking and communications systems
— efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on
the environment." The goals of green computing are similar
to green chemistry; reduce the use of hazardous materials,
maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and
promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct
products and factory waste. Research continues into key areas
such as making the use of computers as energy-efficient as
possible, and designing algorithms and systems for
efficiency-related computer technologies.
HISTORY OF GREEN COMPUTING:
One of the first manifestations of the green computing
movement was the launch of the Energy Star program way
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back in 1992. Energy Star served as a kind of voluntary label
awarded to computing products that succeeded in minimizing
use of energy while maximizing efficiency. Energy Star
applied to products like computer monitors, television sets
and temperature control devices like refrigerators, air
conditioners, and similar items. One of the first results of
green computing was the Sleep mode function of computer
monitors which places a consumer's electronic equipment on
standby mode when a pre-set period of time passes when user
activity is not detected. As the concept developed, green
computing began to encompass thin client solutions, energy
cost accounting, virtualization practices, e-Waste, etc.
Currently, one of the popular green computing groups is
tactical instrumentalists. This group applies and uses green
computing philosophies mainly to save up on costs rather
than save the environment. This green computing concept
emerged naturally as businesses find themselves under
pressure to maximize resources in order to compete
effectively in the market. This movement arose mainly from
economic sentiments rather than political pressure.
Strategic Leaders take into account the social and
environmental impacts of new and emerging technologies.
Aside from minimizing costs, this particular movement also
takes into account other factors such as marketing and
branding. Unlike the position held by tactical instrumentalists,
strategic leaders recognize the need to overhaul some existing
policies or structural makeup of the organization. This can be
seen in recent efforts to make IT personnel directly
responsible for managing, minimizing and ensuring efficient
energy expenditures.
The idea of green computing has been around a good time,
the government themselves play a role in it. For example the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the
'energy star' program in the 90s, to promote energy efficient
methods. The EPA today still plays an active role by
providing not only energy effective methods, but also cost
effective methods for the consumers. In 2006 the EPA
established a way to save U.S. households and businesses
money; "With an eye to saving U.S. households and
businesses more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the
next 5 years, today EPA announced new Energy Star
specifications for computers and related equipment. These
new modifications are also expected to prevent greenhouse
gas emissions equal to the annual emissions of 2.7 million
cars."(Jones, 2006) Though the EPA is a recognizable agency,
they are not the only ones who promoting new ways of going
green in the technological aspect. Organizations such as
European Union and TCO Certification are one of the leading
groups in green computing.
LEADERS OF THE GREEN COMPUTING:
Some of the major corporations leading the green
computing initiative are the same major players in other
computing venues: IBM, HP, and Dell. Other major
corporations who are going green as a way to save money on
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power consumption include most Wall Street firms (since
they use a tremendous amount of power in their data centers),
banks like Wells Fargo, and Amazon.com.
“IT management isn't the first place you would start
looking for environmental activists. But in 2006, the people in
charge of buying and deploying computer technology found
the concept of green computing extra compelling. Analysts
say the main reason is cost, energy and space savings; if it's
also good for the environment, that's icing on the cake. "Even
if a customer is not looking at IT purchasing from an
environmental-impact perspective, things like power
management and energy efficiency are now a TCO [total cost
of ownership] and infrastructure issue," John Frey, manager
of corporate environmental strategies at HP, told
internetnews.com.
The way things are going, Gartner predicts that by 2008,
50 percent of current datacenters will have insufficient power
and cooling capacity to meet the demands of high-density
equipment. "With the advent of high-density computer
equipment such as blade servers, many datacenters have
maxed out their power and cooling capacity," said Michael A.
Bell, research vice president for Gartner. "It's now possible to
pack racks with equipment requiring 30,000 watts per rack or
more in a connected load. This compares to only 2,000 to
3,000 watts per rack a few years ago." And energy costs are
rising. HP engineering research estimates that for every dollar
spent on information technology, a company can expect to
spend the same or more to power and cool it. As companies
add more performance, they can expect those costs to
continue rising. (Internetnews.com, Greener Systems an
Unstoppable Trend, David Needle, December 27, 2006)
BENEFITS OF GREEN COMPUTING:
For a small-business owner, it can feel satisfying to be
employing more earth-friendly tactics, and there are even
more advantages. Being more environmentally responsible
can lead to that other green: cash in your pocket.
Green computing can help your wallet, since it creates a
system of energy efficiency and lower utility costs.
For example, you can use notebook computers that are
proven to be energy-efficient when compared to desktop
computers. By putting an automatic power-down system in
place for reducing energy consumption during periods of
inactivity, you can save even more in energy costs. Then, if
you also power-down peripherals like laser printers (which
are notorious energy users), your energy usage drops even
more.
With every green computing strategy, cost savings follow.
And using fewer resources like this will extend the life of
your systems, giving you better ROI and lowering your
carbon footprint.
The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that
most small businesses can cut their energy costs by 30
percent, simply by employing more green-computing and
energy-efficient strategies.
International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, April 2016
When you add the amount of savings that comes from
extending the usage time frame of technology components,
you’re talking about some significant greenbacks. What can
you do with that unexpected windfall?
For many companies, finding that level of cost savings
leads to more growth, either through hiring or through
strategic initiatives that might otherwise have been impossible
to fund.
Green computing promises strong ROI, but it goes beyond
a better bottom line: The strategy is a growth driver that can
benefit your business and your planet.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Advantages
 Reduced energy usage from green computing
techniques translates into lower carbon dioxide emissions,
stemming from a reduction in the fossil fuel used in power
plants and transportation.
 Conserving resources means less energy is required
to produce, use, and dispose of products.
 Saving energy and resources saves money.
 Green computing even includes changing
government policy to encourage recycling and lowering
energy use by individuals and businesses.
 Reduce the risk existing in the laptops such as
chemical known to cause cancer, nerve damage and immune
reactions in humans.
Disadvantages
Green computing could actually be quite costly. Given that
there has been a green process that the computer will have
gone through in order to make the computer in the first place;
there will usually be some kind of added cost when the
computer has been finished. Green computing takes a lot of
new technology, and hence, you may find that you will have
to pay a premium price for your new green computer.
A perfect example is that the greenest modern computers
today are Mac books and Mac book Pros. These computers
are hardly inexpensive - they're actually some of the most
expensive computers in the market.
Some computers that are green may be considerably
underpowered.
Some people may need incredibly power-consuming and
powerful computers to deal with the tasks that they need them
to do. This is another disadvantage that many people who
have high-powered computers believe to have with green
computers.
Another issue would be that powerful and green
computers are more expensive. For instance, Apple's
powerful range of computers, including their iMacs, is
incredibly green but is also incredibly expensive.
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 Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and with
planned obsolescence has resulted in a fast-growing surplus
of unused hardware around the globe. Dave Kruch, CEO of
Cash for Laptops, regards electronic waste as a "rapidly
expanding" issue.
Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a legal
framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services
need to be implemented before a technical solution can be
applied.
REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY PCS
We can significantly reduce energy consumption by
making small changes to the ways we use computers. Most
personal desktop computers run even when they aren’t being
used, because users needlessly leave them on, wasting
electricity. Furthermore, computers generate heat and require
additional cooling, which adds to the total power
consumption and cost for the enterprise. While the savings in
energy costs per PC may not seem like much, the combined
savings for hundreds of computers in an enterprise is
considerable. We can reduce PC energy consumption by
adopting several measures
ENABLING POWER MANAGEMENT FEATURES
Without sacrificing performance, we can program
computers to automatically power down to an energy-saving
state when we aren’t using them.
TURNING OFF THE SYSTEM WHEN NOT IN USE
This is the most basic energy conservation strategy for
most systems. Many people believe the misconception that a
computer’s life is shortened by turning it on and off, so they
leave their computers on all the time. The electronic
equipment’s life span depends on its cumulative operational
time and its temperature. Turning it off reduces both of these
factors, increasing the life of the equipment.
GREEN COMPUTING SOLUTIONS:
Develop sustainable green-computing plans
This involves active participation of all the people
associated with the industries from the topmost levels to the
lowermost rungs. Organizational policies and checklists needs
to be prepared, containing mandatory guidelines, government
policies, - green-recommendations‖, list of recyclable and
non-recyclable items. The best practices and strategies should
aim at reduction of usage of non-conventional resources, by
reducing usage of paper and recycling of old machineries and
systems in order to nullify e-wastes from organizations.
Recycle and Reuse
Discard used or unwanted electronic equipment in a
convenient and environmentally responsible manner.
Computers have toxin metals and pollutants that can emit
harmful emissions into the environment. Never discard
computers in a landfill. Recycle them instead through
manufacturer programs such as recycling facilities in your
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community. Or donate still-working computers to a non-profit
agency.
Purchase products which are environmentally green and
sound
Purchase products which are labeled to be green and safe
for you as well as the environment. These products help to
reduce the degradation caused by the energy-consumption to
the environment. For these consumers should be encouraged
to buy environmentally sound products. Clear and flawless
criteria must be set for the design of green-products.
Manufacturers too must be involved and given proper credits
for the process of manufacturing products which are healthier
for the environment. Purchase Electronic Product
Environmental Assessment Tool registered products. EPEAT
is a procurement tool promoted by the non profit Green
Electronics Council.
Minimizing consumption of paper
There are many ways of nullifying the consumption of
paper. With computers being more popular than any other
thing today all jobs can be done on the accumulator.
Sophisticated modes of communications like e-mail, free-
messaging, other social networking sites have brought
communication to your doorstep. Moreover paper is also
being saved by the industries, as more and more industries are
trying to convert themselves to ―paper-less-mode‖ with each
passing day.
Conservation of energy
All electronic gadgets demonstrate the consumption of
energy which has been extracted from non-renewable energy
resources. So adopt the proper tactics and techniques so as to
conserve energy so that it can be used in times of actual need.
GREEN COMPUTING STRATEGY:
Businesses don’t have to wait until then to initiate more
environmentally-friendly computing practices. Here are five
first steps you can take toward a green computing strategy.
1. Develop a sustainable green computing plan. Discuss with
your business leaders the elements that should be factored
into such a plan, including organizational policies and
checklists. Such a plan should include recycling policies,
recommendations for disposal of used equipment,
government guidelines and recommendations for purchasing
green computer equipment. Green computing best practices
and policies should cover power usage, reduction of paper
consumption, as well as recommendations for new equipment
and recycling old machines. Organizational policies should
include communication and implementation.
2. Recycle. Discard used or unwanted electronic equipment in
a convenient and environmentally responsible manner.
Computers have toxin metals and pollutants that can emit
harmful emissions into the environment. Never discard
computers in a landfill. Recycle them instead through
manufacturer programs such as HP's Planet Partners recycling
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service or recycling facilities in your community. Or donate
still-working computers to a non-profit agency.
3. Make environmentally sound purchase decisions. Purchase
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
registered products.
EPEAT is a procurement tool promoted by the nonprofit
Green Electronics Council to:
 Help institutional purchasers evaluate, compare and
select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based
on environmental attributes
 Provide a clear, consistent set of performance criteria for
the design of products
 Recognize manufacturer efforts to reduce the
environmental impact of products by reducing or
eliminating environmentally sensitive materials,
designing for longevity and reducing packaging materials
All EPEAT-registered products must meet minimum
requirements in eight areas of environmental impact and be
energy efficient to reduce emissions of climate-changing
greenhouse gases. To demonstrate corporate social and
environmental performance, manufacturers must offer safe
end-of-life management and recycling options when products
become unusable.
"Developing environmentally sound products has long
been a priority for HP's design and engineering teams," says
Jeri Callaway, vice president and general manager, Americas
Commercial Solutions, Personal Systems Group, HP. "We're
particularly proud that our business-class products already
meet, and in some cases exceed, the basic EPEAT standards
without any alteration to their existing design.”
4. Reduce Paper Consumption. There are many easy, obvious
ways to reduce paper consumption: e-mail, electronic
archiving, use the “track changes” feature in electronic
documents, rather than redline corrections on paper. When
you do print out documents, make sure to use both sides of
the paper, recycle regularly, use smaller fonts and margins,
and selectively print required pages.
5. Conserve energy. Turn off your computer when you know
you won’t use it for an extended period of time. Turn on
power management features during shorter periods of
inactivity. Power management allows monitors and
computers to enter low-power states when sitting idle. By
simply hitting the keyboard or moving the mouse, the
computer or monitors awakens from its low power sleep
mode in seconds. Power management tactics can save energy
and help protect the environment.
SUSTAINING THE FUTURE:
“The greatest challenges for businesses trying to be eco-
responsible are really understanding what that really means,
then making changes that are sustainable over time, while
International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, April 2016
adding business value,” explains Frey. “Another challenge is
balancing the needs of various stakeholders who each have
different ideas of what changes should be made.”
Some environmental non-governmental organizations would
like certain flame retardants removed from electronic
products, while the fire safety community is concerned about
removing or changing flame retardants in electronics. One
problem is that the substitute replacement must be assessed to
ensure that environmental and health impacts are lower than
the original material; however, since most replacements are
fairly new, they have not been necessarily assessed with the
same rigor applied to the original materials.
Green computing represents a responsible way to address
the issue of global warming. By adopting green computing
practices, business leaders can contribute positively to
environmental stewardship— and protect the environment
while also reducing energy and paper costs.
CONCLUSION
Overall the effects of green computing with its benefits,
practicality, and uses are all positives. All which are great for
not only the individual, but also all around the globe. By
going "green" in technology we help promote an eco friendly
and cleaner environment, along with our own benefits by
reducing costs, conserving energy, cutting down on waste.
Green computing has definitely come a long way, but with so
many new innovations coming along in regards of preserving
the environment, it is safe to say that green computing is a
great development. It can be observed that green computing is
the need of the hour to protect the environment. As more and
more time passes the need of computers as a dependable
machine increases and so does its use. So computer
penetration is increasing globally at an amazing rate. This
makes it all the more necessary to maintain green computing
procedures throughout the life cycle of a computer from
manufacturing through day-to-day operation till the end of its
operating stage.
Whilst the performance and the breadth of application of
computers is increasing, so too is our awareness of the cost
and scarcity of the energy required to power them, as well as
the materials needed to make them in the first place.
However, because computing developments can enable
individuals and businesses to adopt greener lifestyles and
work styles, in terms of the environmental debate computing
is definitely both part of the problem and part of the solution.
The computing industry is more prepared and far more
competent than almost any other industry when it comes to
facing and responding to rapid change. Environmentally it is
not a good thing that most PCs -- especially in companies --
have typically entered a landfill after only a few years in
service. However, this reality does at least mean that a
widespread mindset already exists for both adapting to and
paying money for new computer hardware on a regular basis.
Hence, whereas it took decades to get more energy efficient
cars on the roads, it will hopefully only take a matter of years
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to reach a state of affairs where most computers are using far
less power than they needlessly waste today. Every step
consumes energy and buying a new, more efficient computer
may not always be the right answer” Thus, it can be safely
concluded that in order to have a healthy and clean
environment all stake holders must work collaboratively for a
healthier and greener environment for our future generations.

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