Did you know…

• the US is the single largest consumer of energy?
• transportation is the second-largest reason for energy consumption in the US, the first being industrial?
• most household appliances consume about 20% power if they are plugged in but not in use?
• enabling power management features on computers saves up to 70% power?
• turning on screen savers on your PC does not reduce energy use?
• laptops are much more power-efficient than desktops?
• Implementing a few initiatives in your Data Center can reduce your power usage by as much as 60%?

At i³, we are committed to saving the environment and encouraging others to do so as well. Read on for some energy-saving tips that will help you save money and the environment, at the same time!

At work

• Energy-saving tactics to follow in office
• Encourage employees to switch off lights that are not necessary. Even better, use motion-detecting light switches so that lights will turn on only where people are present.
• Turn down lighting levels wherever possible.
• Set computers, monitors, printers, copiers and other business equipment to their power-saving feature and turn them off at the end of the day.
• Turn on ''sleep mode'' on your computer instead of using screen savers.
• Reduce paper use: use email rather than paper memos, print on both sides of a sheet and re-use paper.
• Encourage your purchasing manager to purchase recycled products.
• Ask your energy provider about their source of power and examine options of renewable sources such as wind or solar power.

In your Data Center

• Cool only those parts of the Data Center that need cooling.
• Increase utilization levels for your servers.
• Consolidate servers and implement server virtualization technologies.
• Incorporate tiered storage along with storage virtualization and consolidation techniques

Want to make a move to greener business? Click here to leran more!

On the move

Reduce fuel consumption on the road with these simple tips:

• Avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
• Drive at the optimal speed for your car to increase mileage.
• Remove any extra weight from your car.
• Car pool whenever possible.
• Use public transport, if possible.
• Try to switch off the air conditioner at low driving speeds. However, when driving over 40 mph, use the air conditioner: having the windows open will significantly reduce fuel efficiency.
• Park in the shade or open the windows slightly to prevent your car from heating up.
• Keep tires fully-inflated for better fuel economy.

At home

Conserve power at home, and encourage your family to do the same:

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones. They use about 75% less energy, and last about 10 times longer.
• Turn on lights only when you need them. However, fluorescent lights work most efficiently when not turned off repeatedly, so only turn them off if you don’t need them for at least half an hour.
• Focus light where you need it instead of lighting up entire rooms.
• Use light colors on your walls, ceilings and floors. Lighter colors reflect more light, so you need less artificial lighting.
• Use power-efficient appliances. Look for the "EnergyStar" logo when buying an appliance.
• Unplug appliances that are not in use.
• Clean appliances frequently to keep them running efficiently. For instance, clean the refrigerator coils every six months.
• Consider replacing your electric or gas-powered lawn mower with a manual push mower. Bonus: it’s great exercise!
• Keep air conditioners on at slightly higher temperatures (while not high enough to be uncomfortable). Similarly, in winter, try to set heating systems to slightly lower temperatures than you are used to.
• Check to make sure that air vents and radiators aren’t blocked with furniture, curtains or rugs.
• When it’s hot, keep curtains and blinds drawn tight during the day to keep out the heat, and open them at night. When it’s cold, open curtains during the day to let in the sun, and close them at night to keep the cold out.
• In winter, use rugs to keep your feet warm and insulate the floor. Place heavy furniture such as cupboards, bookshelves and sofas along the external walls or use tapestries and quilts to insulate your walls.
• Before cold or rainy weather, repair leaky roofs and basements and seal any cracks that let cold air in. Remove window air conditioners and seal the windows.
• Shade your air-conditioning unit, as that will save 10% of the electricity it uses in the sun.
• To reduce energy use in water heating, which is the third largest source of power consumption in most homes, take showers rather than baths.
• Don’t leave the refrigerator door open.
• Close your refrigerator door on a dollar bill and try pulling on the bill. If it slips out easily, the gasket needs to be replaced.
• Use smaller kitchen appliances where you can; they consume up to 75% less energy.
• Use the microwave and pressure cookers when possible, instead of slower-cooking methods. Use lids on your pots and pans to cook faster.
• Don’t use a small pan on a big burner.
• Run the dishwasher only with full loads.
• But use the dishwasher: it uses less water than washing by hand.
• Try to dry dishes naturally; drying dishes in the dishwasher consumes more power than used in washing them.
• Use full loads on your washing machine, and set the water level appropriately. Use hot water only when necessary.
• Use the clothes-line instead of the dryer, whenever possible. This will also reduce wrinkles and shrinkage in the clothes.