Energy efficiency is not just a one-time event; it needs to be incorporated into your daily operations. One way to do this is by creating an IT Policy that outlines the company’s commitment to energy management. An effective IT Policy will help ensure that your company is doing its part to reduce energy consumption and costs. It will also send a strong message to employees, customers, and other stakeholders that energy efficiency is essential to your company. Creating an IT Policy is just one step you can take to reduce your company’s energy consumption. Large enterprises across industries have the potential to save significant amounts of energy, but doing so will take a genuine team effort. The IT department can assist by enacting the appropriate policies.
What Should an IT Policy Address?
An IT policy is a document that outlines a company’s commitment to energy management. The policy should address the following:
- Energy efficiency objectives and targets
- The company’s approach to energy management
- Roles and responsibilities for energy management
- Monitoring and reporting requirements
- Training and awareness requirements
How to Create an IT Policy for Saving Energy?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to create an IT policy for saving energy will vary depending on your company’s specific needs. However, some tips on how to create an effective IT policy include:
- Defining clear energy efficiency objectives and targets
- Outlining the company’s approach to energy management
- Assigning roles and responsibilities for energy management
- Implementing monitoring and reporting requirements
- Providing training and awareness requirements
How Do IT Policies Help Save Energy?
- Workplace flexibility should be encouraged: Working from a distance is impossible without the help of IT. Better collaboration tools, such as instant messaging apps, video conferencing, or platforms that allow teams to work on the same documents simultaneously, can significantly reduce the amount of time people spend in the office and on their computers, saving time and energy. Many organizations are already working to make this a standard practice. In a global survey conducted by IWG last year, 50% of Canadians stated that they work from home at least 2.5 days per week.
Furthermore, both businesses and employees in Canada recognize the advantages, which range from increased business growth and profits to cheaper real estate costs and enhanced talent retention. To help accommodate this trend, some companies are adopting the “hoteling” approach, in which desks, cubicles, and other workspaces aren’t assigned to specific individuals. As a result, these businesses can reduce their office footprint and energy use.
Consider all the technology that isn’t used when employees work from home, from laptops to smartphones. Even if working from home isn’t an option for your company, implementing a change like mandating that all employees use mobile phones rather than landlines can help you save money. However, keep in mind that their energy footprint does not vanish totally; it simply moves outside of your company. The IT department may help develop a flexible work policy that can improve their firm by collaborating with human resources and other management.
- Organize everything: To keep employee computers functioning more effectively, uninstall any unwanted applications. Not every employee will need the same programs, and the fewer they have running, the more productive their computers will be. Furthermore, cloud-based apps can assist people in working more successfully and efficiently while using less energy.
While you’re about it, double-check that you’re using energy-saving power settings on all your machines. If you prefer to let the staff handle their personalized settings, send reminders about power settings and other charging time-saving recommendations, such as dimming their screen displays. Set automated reminders for staff to unplug technology or turn off power bars before leaving the office, too, in collaboration with your operations team. Additionally, correct settings may extend the life of your batteries. Set projectors to lower brightness and ensure all other AV equipment is power-saving-ready in boardrooms (for example, use timers to ensure they shut off even when people forget). Finally, if you decide to get rid of any old gadgets or batteries, research ecologically friendly recycling and disposal options.
- Consider printing and purchase options: Retire individual or departmental printers in favour of office-wide shared network printers to reduce printing. Employees must use an ID card or code to print documents at a shared printer with secure printing. Forcing folks to take a breather can help them print less. You’ll also save money on paper and toner, which is a plus for the environment.
When purchasing new image equipment, seek printers that can also serve as scanners, copiers, and fax machines to reduce the number of devices you need for the plugin. Work with your purchasing departments as well. Look at how you may better simplify what you’re buying while ensuring every component is energy efficient if your hardware purchases aren’t centralized through IT. For example, if employees can order and expense their own technology (including the equipment they use at home), make sure your policy encourages them to purchase ENERGY STAR-certified items.
Work with your purchasing departments as well. Look at how you may better simplify what you’re buying while ensuring every component is energy efficient if your hardware purchases aren’t centralized through IT. For example, if employees can order and expense their own technology (including the equipment they use at home), make sure your policy encourages them to purchase ENERGY STAR-certified items.
- Rethink your backup procedures: Every sort of company needs data (and access to it), which necessitates server rooms and data centers to store all of that data. Not all data, however, are created equal. Data that must be restored quickly and simply in a disaster is not the same as archiving resources. According to some research, servers are frequently idle or underutilized; therefore, you may be able to employ less equipment. Consult a professional to determine how many servers you genuinely need, and review your organization’s data backup and storage procedures to see if you can improve them. Remind your staff of how they can save energy when working at home to take your company’s energy-saving strategy a step further. That, paired with some of the tips above, means any organization may impact Ontario’s energy savings.
Leave a Reply