Green Computing and Communications

- Overview

Computer networks, communication systems, and other IT infrastructures have a growing environmental footprint due to the significant amounts of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission. To address such problems and create a sustainable environment, new energy models, algorithms, methodologies, platforms, tools and systems are required to support next-generation computing and communication infrastructures. Thus, green computing and communications solutions should be designed to better integrate renewable energy sources, to improve energy efficiency, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful materials.

- The Goals

Green computing, green ICT as per International Federation of Global & Green ICT "IFGICT", green IT, or ICT sustainability, is the study and practice of environmentally sustainable computing or IT. 

Green communication aims to address environmental conditions, energy efficiency and sustainable exploration for communication purposes mainly on mobile devices. Green communication is to strengthen the responsibility of enterprises to the environment and stimulate the responsibility of the generation of network equipment and system ecology.

The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry: reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste. Green computing is important for all classes of systems, ranging from handheld systems to large-scale data centers.  

Many corporate IT departments have green computing initiatives to reduce the environmental effect of their IT operations.