Environmentally friendly and sustainable IT tools, guides and blogs

Environment & Sustainability: tools & resources for an earth-friendly IT community

Microsoft’s Environment &  Sustainability Message

Are you an IT professional or a software developer looking to enhance your eco-friendly resources?

Discover how Microsoft and its partners use innovative technologies and responsible business practices to address environmental challenges worldwide

Creating technology solutions. Microsoft believes that technology is foundational to solving today’s environmental challenges and enabling long term sustainability.  We are working with partners, customers, governments and organisations to find new ways to:

Reduce IT energy consumption and carbon emissions

  • Windows Vista has built-in power management features that can reduce a company's energy use by as much as 30%. With Windows 7, organisations can take advantage of additional efficiencies that reduce power consumption and can help lower energy costs.
  • Microsoft Virtualisation enables multiple operating systems to run on a single server, potentially reducing energy use by up to 90%.

Manage energy efficiency and your environmental footprint

  • Microsoft Dynamics AX can help you reduce risk and liability associated with corporate governance by delivering capabilities that reduce manufacturing waste and promote environmental sustainability.
  • Microsoft partner DSC IT has developed an energy management system for Jones Lang LaSalle, see the video here.

Rethink business practices to positively impact the environment

  • Microsoft Unified Communications includes products like Exchange Server and Office Communications Server that enable collaboration and limit the need for expensive travel.
  • Microsoft partner Fujitsu has used the power of Microsoft Unified Communications to reshape their business practices, boosting productivity and reducing their impact on the planet. See the video here.

Research New Solutions

Microsoft Research is committed to advancing environmental sustainability by driving energy efficiency in computing; redefining the role of geo-spatial technology in environmental research; leading, enabling, and accelerating fundamental advances in science; and realising the potential of software to reduce the environmental impact of individuals.

Discover: Microsoft Research's Top Environmental Projects

Read:  Microsoft Research Extends Reach through Partnerships

 

Blog feed

 

Top 10 ways to reduce computer energy use today!

  1. Use computer and monitor power management. Doing so can save nearly half a ton of CO2 and more than $60 per year in energy costs.
  2. Don’t use a screen saver. Screen savers are not necessary on modern monitors and studies show they actually consume more energy than allowing the monitor to dim when it’s not in use.
  3. Buying a new computer? Make energy efficiency a priority while shopping for your PC and monitor. Look for the ENERGY STAR label or browse the Climate Savers Computing product catalogue.
  4. Turn down the brightness setting on your monitor. The brightest setting on a monitor consumes twice the power used by the dimmest setting.
  5. Turn off peripherals such as printers, scanners and speakers when not in use.
  6. Fight phantom power: plug all your electronics into one power strip and turn the strip off when you are finished using your computer.
  7. Use a laptop instead of a desktop. Laptops typically consume less power than desktops.
  8. Close unused applications and turn off your monitor when you’re not using it.
  9. Use a power meter to find out how much energy your computer actually consumes and to calculate your actual savings.
  10. Establish multiple power schemes to address different usage models. For example, you can create a power scheme for playing music CDs that shuts off your hard drive and monitor immediately, but never puts your system into standby mode.
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                <img alt="Prima" height="50" src="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-au/dd239185.PrimaNewLogo-44(en-au,MSDN.10).gif" style="margin-right: 5px" width="72" />
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                <a runat="server" target="_blank" href="http://www.prc.com.au/sustainability.aspx">Prima’s sustainability SCO2recard</a>
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              <td>DSC IT with an advanced buildings management solution for Jones Lang LaSalle</td>
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                <a runat="server" target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/showcase/en/us/details/5aaa19cf-ead3-4abf-91ec-aa2cfec5046e">See how Jones Lang Lasalle and DSC IT created an Environmental Sustainability Platform on Microsoft technology.</a>
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                <a runat="server" target="_blank" href="http://www.fujitsu.com/au/casestudies/dse.html">Fujitsu’s Victorian Water Register Dynamics AX Solution</a>
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                  <a runat="server" target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/showcase/en/us/details/3388ed46-7566-4828-b8c9-44287eb3f4b8">See Fujitsu reducing it’s carbon footprint with Microsoft technology.</a>
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              <li>Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Technical Guidance<br /></li>
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                <a runat="server" href="https://blogs.msdn.com/see/">The Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Blog</a>
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                <a runat="server" href="https://technet.microsoft.com/magazine/cc510332.aspx">The 10 keys to becoming an environmental leader</a>
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              <li>The Microsoft Assessment Configuration Pack for ENERGY STAR Power Management<br /></li>
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                <a runat="server" href="https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&amp;familyid=7d582f8d-a9f5-4bb0-b53c-f1094210e3fa">Power Management in Windows 7 White Paper</a>
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              <li>Microsoft’s Top 10 Business Practices for Environmentally Sustainable Data Centers<br /></li>
              <li>Sustainable Computing: <a runat="server" href="https://technet.microsoft.com/magazine/cc462804.aspx">How to conserve energy with group policy</a><br /></li>
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