Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign

Energy Star as a Low Carbon IT Campaign. The campaign is a set of group polices and settings to place computers to sleep if they are not is use. This allows PC's to remain on so they can be patched and remote admin tasks preformed on them. You can use this link to find more about the Energy Star Program http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_implementation_res#tech_assistance

Below is some information from the website

These solutions utilize free software tools, and/or tools that you may already have at your disposal. There are essentially two steps involved:
Activate sleep settings. You can accomplish this one of several different ways:
Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system provides a way to centrally manage monitor and computer power management features. See the Microsoft Environment Website and TechNet's Conserving Energy with Group Policy and Sleep or Hibernate? for more information.

EZ GPO allows a network administrator to centrally control computer power management and monitor power management settings using Group Policy Objects.

If you replicate hard drives from a template image when you upgrade operating systems and/or roll out new hardware, enabling sleep settings in the template image will ensure that all computers receive these settings.

Powerconfig.exe can be used in a logon script to configure power management settings in Windows XP and Vista. This method requires enhancing registry rights, which can be configured through Group Policy.

Windows Task Scheduler can be used to put PCs into standby or hibernate mode.

EZ Wizard is a simple software tool that automatically activates sleep settings on individual PCs. Because it can be launched from a website, EZ Wizard is an ideal solution for diverse computing environments like colleges and universities.

Microsoft promotes a free power management tool, Edison, developed by Verdiem. It allows individual users to power manage their PCs and estimate their savings.

Ensure that sleep settings do not interfere with the distribution of administrative software updates (such as Windows security patches and antivirus definitions). This may be accomplished in several ways:

Configure client computers to apply software patches and updates as soon as computers become available on the network.

Windows Task Scheduler can wake up sleeping computers for updates. Scripts distributed via Active Directory allow one to centrally manage these “scheduled tasks.”

With Wake-on-LAN activated, a network administrator can wake up sleeping computers at any time in order to perform on-demand software patches or updates.
Commercial software solutions

Virtualization and Green Computing

With the tight economy and tight budgets virtualization is a nice way to cut energy costs and save money in your budget. Vmware allows you to operate 8-10 servers on one. If you don't put those 8-10 servers.

According to the department of energy, one IIS server with 20 active clients costs about $429 dollars a year to operate and uses 3,657 kilograms of CO2. If you run 10 IIS servers on Microsoft's Windows 2008, it costs about $410 dollars a year and 3491 CO2. As you can see, you help the environment and save power. You also do not have to purchase 10 servers and provide the space, UPS power to them. VMWare has a green calculator located at Http://www.vmware.com/solutions/green/calculator.html.

In my State of Wisconsin, some utilities are offering Incentives to go green. Wisconsin Electric makes it part of the overall energy efficiency program. (You need to apply early). You can check this link out to find out about the program http://www.vmware.com/pdf/green_datasheet.pdf.

Using Vmware and providing a virtual desktop environment is another option for some. You can get rid of expense and engery sucking desktops and use thin clients.

I do beleive in Green Computing, I just think a lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon. Make sure what someone is telling you is legit.

Lifebook

This is going to be a little of topic, but I think important and relvant.

I went to a life building seminar called Lifebook. To build my knowledge and to provide value to my clients, I am always on the lookout for idea's. Lifebook was started by Jon Butcher who was the CEO of Precious Moments, who his father started out of his garage. Jon is an impressive man. He wrote down his goals and it grew into what he calls his life book. He started offering this to other people to help others bring focus to the life the way he has

Anyway, lifebook has 12 area's of your life to focus on, such as emotional, intellectual, finical,career, family and various others. You write down what you want to achieve and how you will achieve them. After thinking about what you want and how you are going to achieve it, you come back with a big to do list and some good goals to focus on. It also makes you think about leading a balanced life.

What I did realize is I really enjoy my career and working with my clients.