Even something as abstract as software has real-world consequences. Data centers consume an estimated 1% of global energy and these power-hungry servers represent a mere fraction of IT’s total energy use. It’s time for IT developers to get serious about reducing their carbon footprint.

Going green can take many forms, including writing better code, making physical hardware changes, and changing workplace culture. IT professionals can use the following techniques to minimize environmental impact.

Improve Server Room Infrastructure

Data centers run hot, and are often in areas experiencing drought and climate-change-caused heat waves. In the U.S. alone, server centers consume an estimated 400 million gallons of water daily to keep cool.

Developers usually build data centers with customer proximity in mind. It is impractical to house all of the world’s servers in Antarctica or Greenland just to keep them cool. The alternative is to alter data center infrastructure to reduce water usage.

Data centers can implement smart metering systems to monitor water usage and hold companies accountable for it. Identifying the highest possible temperature at which servers function is crucial to avoid overcooling. The higher the set point, the better.

Waterless cooling systems — such as closed-loop cooling systems — reuse the same water for years. Adiabatic cooling systems cool server rooms by changing the air pressure. Outdoor air can also aid in keeping data centers cool. By combining several methods, data centers can significantly lower their water and energy consumption.

Recycle Old Electronics

IT companies must properly dispose of computers, printers, and power strips when upgrading to newer models. Recycling electronics allows for the extraction of valuable resources like copper and lithium. Reusing these resources decreases the demand for new materials, thereby decreasing the need to mine for them. It also saves space in landfills and prevents environmental pollution.

Migrate to the Cloud

Cloud energy is more efficient because it’s more cost-effective and easier to scale. It optimizes hardware resources by allowing companies to share data centers and spend less money on cooling.

Create a Culture of Sustainability

Business leaders must emphasize the importance of green IT. They should incorporate it into employee training, lead by example, and enforce environmental policies in the workplace.

Simple changes around the office can lead to a shift in mindset. For example, placing recycling bins in high-traffic areas, providing a water bottle filling station, installing low-flow water fixtures, and replacing incandescent light bulbs with LEDs can minimize the building’s carbon footprint and make it effortless to go green. Allowing remote work also helps promote green IT, because not having to commute reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption.

Use Energy-Efficient Devices

A change in hardware can promote better energy usage. IT companies should replace outdated, energy-hungry computers with modern systems to maximize efficiency. They can also use smart power strips that automatically shut off devices not in use. Doing so can lower energy costs in addition to helping the environment.

Reduce Data Usage

The more data a program uses, the more energy it consumes. Bitcoin, for example, consumes around 143 terawatt-hours of power annually, more than the world’s largest tech companies — and more than many countries.

Developers can minimize data exchange, adopt an efficient cache policy and better manage their data storage life cycle. Compressing and aggregating data go a long way toward reducing energy consumption. So does refactoring or removing unused features.

Media compression software can downsize image, text, and video files. By trimming the size of these files, developers can lower their energy usage, create a better user experience and allow for faster navigation.

Choose an Appropriate AI Model

All AI software uses energy, but software developers can opt for more energy-efficient machine learning models. They can develop and use hardware optimized for an AI workload. Additionally, IT professionals can create and share reproducible code to reduce duplicated efforts.

Detect and Remove Loops

One way to make IT greener is to remove loops that endlessly consume energy without achieving their desired purpose. Polling unreachable servers wastes electricity.

Write Green Code

Green coding helps ensure quality via less memory consumption and fewer server executions. Green software is also usually more efficient, optimized, resilient, and less expensive than traditional software. Well-designed, readable code that’s easy to understand is usually more reusable as well, leading to less duplication and lower carbon emissions during development.

Transitioning to Green Information Technology

Green IT isn’t just possible — it’s necessary. With the world increasingly relying on the internet for everything from social media to banking, energy use will only grow. IT developers must find ways to reduce their energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions.

There are numerous ways to achieve this goal, including making physical, cultural, and digital changes. Ultimately, IT companies must implement multiple strategies to reduce their environmental impact.