Sustainable IT 2025: green IT and energy efficiency

IT durable : green IT & efficacité énergétique — your 2025 playbook for cutting digital carbon, slashing energy costs, and future‑proofing your infrastructure.

From data centers to laptops and IoT, sustainable IT aligns energy performance with digital transformation. This guide explains what to measure, where to act first, and how to turn low-carbon IT into a competitive advantage—without sacrificing security, resilience, or innovation.

In brief

• Prioritize impact: tackle workloads, data centers, and devices that drive most energy and carbon.

• Measure and govern: track kWh, PUE, utilization, and lifecycle emissions; embed GreenOps/FinOps.

• Optimize the stack: right-size compute, modernize cooling, and automate power management.

• Decarbonize energy: shift to low‑carbon regions, add onsite renewables, and use credible certificates.

• Build a roadmap: quick wins in 90 days, structural upgrades over 12–24 months—governed by KPIs.

Why sustainable IT is a 2025 imperative

Energy markets remain volatile, and digital demand is surging. The IEA projects global data center electricity use could rise from 460 TWh (2022) to 620–1,050 TWh by 2026, driven by AI, cloud, and crypto workloads. Source: IEA Electricity 2024.

Regulation is tightening. The EU’s updated Energy Efficiency Directive introduces new transparency obligations for data centers and promotes efficient energy use across sectors. Source: European Commission – EED.

Sustainability also reduces risk. Energy-efficient designs improve thermal headroom and uptime, while circular hardware strategies mitigate supply chain and e‑waste exposure. The 2024 Global E‑waste Monitor reports 62 million tonnes of e‑waste generated in 2022, with only 22.3% formally documented as collected and recycled. Source: Global E‑waste Monitor 2024.

Efficient IT is resilient IT: lower watts per workload means less heat, less stress, and more runway during power events.

Measure what matters: KPIs, baselines, and governance

• Energy and efficiency

• kWh per service or per transaction; kWh per user for workplace.

• PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) for facilities; WUE (water) and CUE (carbon) where relevant.

• Server utilization (avg/peak), idle percentage, and consolidation ratios.

• Carbon accounting

• Scope 2 (location- vs. market-based) and Scope 3 for device manufacturing and cloud. See GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.

• Tooling

• DCIM/telemetry for data centers; cloud carbon dashboards; endpoint power analytics; software instrumentation (RUM/APM) for energy-per-transaction estimation.

• Governance

• GreenOps integrated with FinOps; clear ownership (IT Ops + Energy + Sustainability); executive KPIs in quarterly reviews.

Data centers: optimize the facility and the IT load

Facility levers (cooling, power, and airflow)

• Containment and airflow management (hot/cold aisle, blanking panels, cable hygiene).

• Higher supply temperatures where safe; exploit free cooling and economization.

• Modernize chillers and adopt variable-speed drives; consider high‑efficiency UPS topologies.

• Assess liquid or rear‑door heat exchangers for dense AI racks to reduce fan energy and cooling overhead.

Industry benchmark: Average PUE has plateaued near ~1.58 according to Uptime Institute’s 2023–2024 surveys—making IT load efficiency just as critical as facility work. Source: Uptime Institute – Annual Survey.

IT load levers (do more work with fewer watts)

• Rightsize and consolidate: increase server utilization through virtualization/containers; decommission comatose assets.

• Tune platforms: enable CPU power states, balance performance per watt, and adopt energy‑aware schedulers.

• Storage efficiency: tiering, deduplication, and cold data archiving reduce spinning media load.

• Application optimization: cache wisely, reduce chatty services, and compile for efficient runtimes.

• Plan for efficient hardware refreshes: target performance-per-watt gains where workloads justify it.

Cloud and hybrid: make sustainability an architectural decision

• Choose regions with lower grid carbon intensity and modern facilities; use provider carbon reports.

• Right-size instances, autoscale aggressively, and stop idle resources; eliminate orphaned storage and IPs.

• Prefer managed services with better utilization; evaluate ARM-based instances for suitable workloads.

• Embed GreenOps in FinOps: track cost, kWh, and kgCO2e together; create “budget per gram CO2e” guardrails.

• For latency-tolerant data, move to cooler/greener regions; for AI, test mixed precision and model distillation.

Digital workplace: endpoints, printing, and usage policies

• Extend device lifecycles (repair, upgrade, redeploy) to cut embodied emissions; certify suppliers for circularity.

• Enforce power management baselines (sleep, screen-off, hibernation) via MDM; default to energy‑saving profiles.

• Thin clients or VDI for specific use cases; rationalize peripherals and printers; default to duplex and black‑and‑white.

• Clean software stacks: remove bloat, reduce auto-start apps, and schedule updates to off-peak windows.

• Educate users with nudges: energy tips in onboarding, reminders in collaboration tools, and monthly insights.

Networks, edge, and IoT: smart connectivity with lower overhead

• Right-size Wi‑Fi and LAN power budgets; enable Energy Efficient Ethernet and AP sleep features where feasible.

• For 5G/IoT, batch transmissions and use event-driven wake-ups to reduce radio time.

• Process at the edge when it reduces backhaul and central compute; schedule non-urgent telemetry.

• Secure by design: efficient systems still need zero trust and robust monitoring to avoid energy-wasting attacks.

Decarbonize the energy mix: onsite renewables and smart buildings

• Onsite solar with storage can shave peaks and supply critical loads; integrate with BMS/GTB for predictive control.

• Demand response: align flexible compute windows (batch/AI training) with low‑carbon or low‑price periods.

• Use credible certificates (GOs/RECs) and long-term PPAs to complement on‑prem generation.

• Orchestrate IT with building systems: temperature setpoints, free‑cooling windows, and EV charging schedules.

Security and resilience, aligned with efficiency

• Robust PRA/PCA (disaster recovery/continuity) benefits from efficient design—less capacity required for failover.

• High-efficiency UPS and right‑sized gensets reduce fuel use during outages.

• Test scenarios routinely; integrate cyber playbooks to avoid prolonged high-load states after incidents.

A practical 12–24 month roadmap

First 90 days: baselines and quick wins

1. Inventory workloads and energy hotspots; tag shadow IT and idle assets.

2. Enable power management on endpoints; clean up waste in cloud (idle VMs, snapshots).

3. Fix airflow basics; raise supply temps within vendor envelopes; plug easy leaks.

4. Set governance: cross‑functional GreenOps with monthly reporting.

3–12 months: structural improvements

1. Consolidate and right-size server estate; modernize storage tiers.

2. Migrate suitable workloads to greener regions/providers; adopt ARM where compatible.

3. Retrofit cooling (containment, VFDs); pilot liquid cooling for dense racks.

4. Launch circular procurement and lifecycle extension; roll out user nudges at scale.

12–24 months: decarbonize and automate

1. Integrate onsite PV/storage and demand response with the BMS and DCIM.

2. Implement continuous optimization (AIOps for cooling/IT load scheduling).

3. Sign PPAs or structured renewable procurement; sharpen Scope 2 accounting.

4. Embed sustainability SLAs with vendors; publish annual progress.

How NOOR accelerates your sustainable IT journey

NOOR bridges energy engineering, digital infrastructure, and new technologies to deliver measurable efficiency and resilience—“where efficiency meets innovation.” From energy management and smart building control to data centers, cloud, cybersecurity, and AI‑driven automation, our team integrates the right levers into one coherent architecture and operating model. Explore how we can tailor a roadmap to your context on NOOR’s homepage.

One partner, three pillars (Energy, Digital, New Tech): a single accountability for performance, sustainability, and business outcomes.

FAQ

What is the difference between “green IT” and “sustainable IT”?

Green IT typically focuses on reducing the environmental footprint of technology—energy use, carbon, and e‑waste. Sustainable IT is broader. It adds governance, resilience, circular procurement, human factors (accessibility, digital sobriety), and alignment with corporate ESG targets. Practically, sustainable IT balances efficiency (kWh), effectiveness (service quality), and equity (responsible sourcing). In 2025, that means hard metrics—PUE, utilization, lifecycle emissions—plus policies (repairability, supplier standards) and transparent reporting to stakeholders and regulators.

How do I measure the energy and carbon of my cloud workloads?

Start with provider tools (carbon dashboards, region-level intensity) and FinOps data (instance hours, storage). Convert consumption into kWh where possible; apply grid carbon intensity for chosen regions. Track three dimensions: resource hours (compute, storage, network), utilization (right-sizing), and location (carbon intensity). Use market-based Scope 2 for renewable purchases and location-based for grid reality, per the GHG Protocol. Build a GreenOps view: cost, kWh, and kgCO2e per service or per transaction, reviewed monthly.

What PUE target should I set for an on‑premises data center?

Targets depend on size, climate, and density. Many enterprises operate around 1.5–1.7 PUE; leading facilities can achieve near 1.2–1.3 with strong containment, efficient chillers, and optimized airflow, while hyperscalers with ideal climates and custom designs go lower. Use today’s PUE as your baseline; plan a stepped trajectory (e.g., -0.05 to -0.1 per retrofit cycle). Complement PUE with IT metrics (utilization, kWh per workload) and with water/carbon indicators to avoid optimizing one dimension at the expense of others. See Uptime’s benchmarks for context.

Are cloud providers inherently more energy efficient than on‑prem?

Often, but not always. Hyperscalers benefit from high utilization, modern hardware, and advanced cooling, which generally lower kWh per workload. However, choices matter: region carbon intensity, instance right‑sizing, and architecture (stateless vs. chatty services) can make a big difference. For steady, high‑density workloads, a well‑run on‑prem site with excellent PUE and renewable supply can be competitive. Evaluate total efficiency: utilization, facility performance, and energy mix—then place each workload where it runs cleanest and most cost‑effectively.

How can I reduce e‑waste without compromising performance?

Adopt a “lifecycle first” strategy: extend device life with upgrades (RAM/SSD), repair, and redeploy to lighter user profiles. Standardize on repairable models and require vendor take‑back. For servers, optimize utilization so you refresh fewer nodes; when you do, target performance-per-watt gains, not just raw speed. Wipe and resell viable equipment through certified channels; recycle responsibly for end-of-life. Combine with software hygiene and power policies so older devices remain responsive and energy-thrifty. This reduces Scope 3 emissions and costs while maintaining service levels.

Key takeaways

• Start with data: baseline kWh, PUE, utilization, and lifecycle emissions; govern with GreenOps.

• Optimize both facility and IT load; consolidation and cooling retrofits deliver fast, compounding gains.

• Use cloud and hybrid strategically: greener regions, right‑sizing, and managed services.

• Decarbonize supply: onsite renewables, demand response, and credible certificates/PPAs.

• Extend device lifecycles and embed circularity to cut Scope 3 and e‑waste.

• Ready to move from intent to impact? Meet the team and start your roadmap at score-grp.com.