Out of many ways to calculate a carbon footprint, Canada’s Advanced Internet Development Organization, offers one of the best approaches for calculating CO2 produced annually, including all energy and cooling costs. This way signifies the total amount of GHG such as carbon dioxide that are produced as a result of burning fossil fuels.
- Each server produces 8 tons of CO2 per year;
- PCs and laptops, 4 tons each;
- Printers and photocopiers, 10 tons;
- Routers, 20 tons;
- Ethernet switches, 5 tons.
By driving to work, using electricity and otherwise going about their daily lives, people also generate emissions-up to 20 tons a year.
According to the most recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency statistics, data centers accounted for 1.5% of all electricity consumed in the United States in 2006. The IT load represented 61 billion kilowatt-hours, worth more than $4.5 billion.
INFORMATION WEEK, November 17, 2008
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