The Top Ten Predictions for Green IT in 2009

Expect 2009 to be a breakout year for Green IT, with it taking a central role not just in IT departments, but in the enterprise as a whole. The economic meltdown, a big new stimulus package, and advances in technology will all combine to put Green IT directly at the center of how corporations operate. What big news and events can you expect for Green IT in 2009? Check out my blog for my top ten predictions for Green IT in the coming year.

The Economic Meltdown Sparks Green IT
The deepening recession in 2009 won't slow Green IT --- in fact, it will spur it on. So concludes a report by Forrester, which found that

of responding companies that are changing the pace of their green IT activities in response to the economic outlook, those going faster outnumber those slowing down by two to one.

There's good reason for this: Green IT is a money-saver, and in tough economic times, anything that can be done to reduce costs gets a high priority. The report concludes: "Cost savings remains the No. 1 motivator for green IT initiatives. The most-cited motivation for greening IT, the report found, is to reduce energy-related operating expenses, with 67% of respondents saying that was a primary motivation. So expect a big green IT push next year as a cost-saving measure.

Obama Gives Green IT a Big Boost
President-elect Obama has pledged to spend $150 billion over five years in green technology. Expect a good-sized portion of that to make its way to Green IT. The green grid will be a big priority, and there's only one way to build it --- by using Green IT. Obama is calling for new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030, and for improving new building efficiency by 50% and existing building efficiency by 25% over the next decade. Data centers are big carbon emitters, so expect help for green data centers as well.

Green IT Pro Write their Own Tickets
Got Green IT expertise? If so, you most likely won't need to worry about being laid off. In the coming year, the federal stimulus package is expected to create hundreds of thousands of IT jobs.

Companies won't just be looking for IT pros, they'll also be looking to cut costs overall. Also, "greenness" has become a big factor in companies burnishing their public images. IT pros with green experience can cut power costs and reduce companies' carbon footprints, often in dramatic ways. So they'll be in demand.

Power Shortages Force Virtualization and Data Center Consolidation
In 2009 Green IT will become a necessity not just to save corporations money, but to ensure they can even operate their data centers. In a survey this year, Emerson Network Power, found that 64% of respondents said their data centers were faced with running out of power capacity by 2011. With no new power available, they'll have to find ways to make do with existing electricity. The fastest and quickest way is via virtualization and data center consolidation. So expect to see even bigger virtualization and consolidation projects in the coming year.

CIOs Become CGOs (Chief Green Officers)
One way or another, carbon-cap legislation will eventually pass. And that means that greening a corporation will take on more importance than ever. Expect to see the first Chief Green Officers (CGOs) appointed in 2009 and given some real clout.

No one is better positioned to become CGOs than CIOs. In order to green an enterprise, you need to first measure its carbon footprint, then meter it, devise a plan to reduces it, put the plan into effect. Who will do the measuring and metering? The IT department, of course. And no one is better placed to not only gauge the progress, but to ensure that it happens as well.

The Green Cloud Replaces Data Centers
For many purposes, cloud computing is inherently less expensive and more efficient than owning your own data center --- particularly in a utility-computing model, in which you only pay for the server power and storage you use.

Google and Microsoft are pushing their cloud computing services in a very big way, and 2009 will see that expanded. Because of that, cloud computing will become one of IT's biggest stories in 2009.

Where does green come in? Both Google and Microsoft are touting the greenness of their big data centers and cloud services. They'll compete not just on price, but on how green they are as well. And plenty of companies --- large, medium, and small --- will buy.

Companies Look Beyond the Data Center for Green IT
Most of the work done to green IT today is in the data center. But there are plenty of ways to green IT beyond the data center, including in printers and paper, saving power on individual PCs, making sure that suppliers use green practices, and more.

Expect companies to also extend the life of existing equipment, re-use assets through redeployment of existing hardware, and taking a zero-impact approach to recycling equipment. For more details, check out this GreenerComputing.com article, Green IT: Looking Beyond the Data Center.

Servers, Networking Gear, and other IT Equipment Get Green Ratings
There are plenty of green ratings systems for desktop and laptop PCs, such as Energy Star and EPEAT. But so far there haven't been similar ratings for servers, routers, hubs, storage hardware, and other IT hardware.

That will change in 2009. The EPA, for example, is expected to issue final Energy Star ratings for servers in early 2009. Expect there to be significant work on ratings for other IT equipment as well during the year.

Best Green Data Center Practices Become Standardized
When it comes to greening a data center, you're generally on your own. You get your information through word of mouth, research, and from consultants and vendors. In 2009 that will start to change, with the development of commonly accepted best practices for green data centers.

In fact, it's already begun in Europe. In November, The European Commission released a set of benchmarks to help IT pros with the most energy-efficient practices when they build new data centers or upgrade existing ones.

The code involves using energy-efficient servers and virtualizing servers; minimizing the need for external cooling; and more. It also calls for the use of real metrics that can be monitored over time. Some version of the code will make its way to the U.S. in 2009.

Green Data Centers Go Modular
Every new data center today is essentially custom built, which is not only expensive, but hard on the environment as well. Next year, you'll start to see modular, scalable, green data centers that can be shipped as components, and then assembled on-site. The components and overall construction will be energy efficient and easy on the environment.

Microsoft already has a design for these modular green data centers, in what it calls the Generation 4 data center. Expect to see other companies follow suit.

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