Going Green: How the Latest Tech Is Helping Businesses Become More Environmentally Friendly

By Nathan Sykes, founder of Finding an Outlet, where he writes about the latest in technology and business news and advice.

As a society, we’re at this strange intersection where technology — once the epitome of excess — is now being used to improve efficiencies to the point where operations are greener and more environmentally friendly. Technology is still being used to push the limits of innovation, as it always has, only in better, more effective ways.
Cloud computing technologies, for example, help businesses and organizations offset their network and data loads to a remote location. This action allows companies to reduce their footprint in many ways, particularly when it comes to power consumption and resource usage.
Going green also provides several benefits to the businesses that honor it, including:
• Tax benefits and credits
• Lower energy and resource bills
• Less waste and associated costs
• Lower office and operating expenses
• A boost in workplace productivity
• Increased positive brand reputation
• Much more

So what other, similar technologies are enabling an environmentally friendly setup?

Digital Documentation and Content

By now, it’s safe to assume that everyone knows paper — and the frequent use of it — is not environmentally sound. In fact, many organizations use paper way too much, ballooning supply costs as well as their overall footprint and damage to the greater environment.
The EPA estimates that a paperless office — with all digital content — will save about $80 per employee, per year. That’s a monumental change that offers benefits to both the resulting business and the environment. Going paperless also reduces waste, which has the added effect of lowering associated costs.
Going entirely paperless is only possible with the help of modern technologies, of course. Documents and files can be stored digitally and accessed via desktop or mobile. Digital files, spreadsheets and data entry all work to digitize the average business documents.

Energy Star or Energy-Saving Hardware

Newer technologies are often designed with power management in mind, allowing for more efficient operations and less dependency on resources. Energy Star products are specifically meant to cut down on total power consumption and actually include features and functionality to conserve energy.
Even just updating old computers, copy machines, appliances and lighting can improve a company’s resource footprint. LED light bulbs, for example, use way less energy and last for much longer than conventional ones.

Renewable Energy Tech

You can’t talk about green technology without also discussing renewable energy. A plethora of new advancements in the field has developed a variety of renewable energy technologies that can generate clean energy from the sun, the wind and even the Earth’s surface.
Solar panels and solar-charging devices are incredibly common with many power packs and portable travel systems, including both a panel and a battery for storage. But solar isn’t just for travel and convenience — many homeowners and businesses are outfitting their properties with solar generation systems.
Wind and geothermal solutions aren’t quite on par with solar just yet, but they’re getting there. The technology is becoming more efficient and more capable as well, which makes it more likely to replace conventional fossil fuels and coal-based power.

What Does This Change Mean for Business?

Many of these technologies — solar included — are being used to reduce the emissions and energy consumption footprint of organizations. You see, customers care these days about the companies they’re doing business with. It’s essential for organizations to consider going green as a means to improve brand reputation and help protect the surrounding environment.
This world is one we all have to live in, from the average consumer to the high-level executive. It’s about time we all start doing our part to take care of it.

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