While many companies are starting to implement simple measures to save energy -- think dimming the lights -- IBM has taken a geekier approach to going green. "We've done the easy things," says Wayne Balta, IBM's vice president of Corporate Environmental Affairs. "We're doing things now that are at the cutting edge of innovation."
One example is how the company trims unnecessary energy usage at its data centers. Using technology developed at IBM, employees can produce three-dimensional thermal maps of these centers. The maps highlight energy hot spots -- areas that require a relatively high amount of energy. Then IBM can examine those hot spots to find ways to reduce overall consumption.
This is part of IBM's larger plan, launched in 2008, to knock a total of 1.1 million megawatt hours of energy consumption from its global operations by the end of 2012. So far, the company has already reduced its global energy expenditure by 520,000 megawatt hours, which has saved IBM $50 million. Judging by IBM's history of energy savings, that number should grow. Between 1990 and 2005, the company had cut 4.3 billion kilowatt hours of energy, saving itself $273 million.
IBM wants to start pushing its higher tech energy solutions outwards to the enterprise, says Balta, so long as clients are serious about putting in the work: "We're ready to help anybody that wants to execute versus talk about it."
NEXT: Verizon Communications
