Even if their original goal was simply to reduce their own energy bills, many organizations have moved on to embrace the more global objective of becoming “green” companies. When they set out to purchase IT and office technology products, these organizations look beyond traditional criteria such as list price, speed, and reliability. Also on their evaluation checklists are items such as energy efficiency, sustainability, and carbon footprint. 

Fortunately, making green decisions about server, laptop, printer, and other technology purchases has never been easier. A number of benchmarks and metrics exist to rate the energy characteristics of IT equipment, including Energy Star, EPEAT, Blue Angel, and TPC-Energy. Some technology vendors – such as HP with its HP Carbon Footprint Calculator for printing –offer online calculators to help buyers compare the emissions profiles of different products. And industry consortia such as The Green Grid are working to ensure that future generations of IT products are increasingly energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

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