Australian CIOs are been urged to measure ICT energy usage and look at ways to reduce the IT power bill following the results of a sustainability survey. Fujitsu’s ICT Sustainability: Australian Benchmark 2014 report surveyed 200 Australian CIOs between March and August 2014. This was the first time the report had been conducted since 2012. It found that Australia had an IT Sustainability Index score of 51.7. This was a slight improvement on the 2012 global report, which found that Australia had the second lowest IT Sustainability Index score of 50.1 compared to Canada (55.7), China (49.7), India (51.2), Japan (53.0), New Zealand (50.8), the United Kingdom (53.1) and the United States (57.3). In comparison, New Zealand’s IT Sustainability Index slipped from 50.8 to 39.3 in 2014. Fujitsu only conducted reports in Australia and NZ this year. The Australian survey results show 39 per cent of respondents said ICT power consumption is not measured separately and they have no idea how much energy they are consuming. Meanwhile, 37 per cent of the CIOs surveyed said they are told how much power ICT consumes and they get a separate power bill. The remaining 24 per cent of respondents said that they are responsible for ICT power consumption. To help CIOs get to grips with their ICT power bill, the report set out some tips. Use a power meter to test actual power consumption versus claimed consumption Have a separate ICT sustainability or Green IT budget Measure data centre power usage effectiveness (PUE) Work out ICT energy use per employee. The report also contained some ‘quick wins’ to reduce energy consumption in the data centre. Install light sensors in data halls- don’t pay for lighting 24/7 when staff are not there Install rack blanking panels and side brushes to improve rack airflow Use heat reflective paint on roofs to help cool the building down Use adjustable floor vents to improve cooling and air flows Repair any leaks in data halls – up to 30 per cent more energy is wasted through leaks. Commenting on the report, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand head of sustainability Lee Stewart said that failure to see ICT sustainability improvements as key to reducing capital expenditure (CAPEX) and energy costs is missing the requirements for every area of business to produce savings. “If you take only one thing from this resource, it is to isolate and understand your ICT energy usage. Treat it like cash in your business – measure, monitor and control it,” he said in a statement. Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia Related content brandpost Zero-trust: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Your Print Environment By Canon Business Solutions Jun 07, 2023 5 mins Zero Trust news Salesforce CEO Benioff shakes up executive team with new hires Six months after the company lost its co-CEO and announced it was laying off 10% of its global workforce, Salesforce’s top team is undergoing a major personnel change. By Charlotte Trueman Jun 07, 2023 3 mins Technology Industry Enterprise Applications opinion Cisco debuts bold portfolio of network, security, and observability solutions and previews generative AI capabilities for Webex and Security Cloud Cisco’s innovative technologies help connect the dots of its network- and cloud-based ecosystem. By Pete Bartolik Jun 07, 2023 4 mins Cloud Security brandpost Help wanted: IT tools and talent for building a multicloud estate Like all trade workers, IT leaders need the right tools and skills to succeed in a multicloud world characterized by application and data sprawl. By Chad Dunn, Vice President, Product Management, Dell APEX Jun 07, 2023 6 mins Multi Cloud Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe