Green Information Technology Strategic Plan - Departmental ...

8.4 Green Buildings
Faxing documentation will be simplified. E-faxing
technology currently exists to minimize the use of paper
products 12 . As technology further develops, the need for
paper faxes will diminish. Email and digital documents
have become the hub and backbone for the business place;
papers get lost in the shuffle as documents are used, saved,
and retrieved from electronic platforms.
Computers that every employee uses are also crucial parts of
ensuring we maximize our green facilities and minimize our
foot print. Turning off screen savers, making backgrounds
black and ensuring sleep mode is turned on at a shorter
interval than the manufacturers default will ensure lower
energy usage for the computer and the monitors. We want
to instill in our people the idea of always available not always
on 13 . Utilizing flat panel displays will also cut the use of
energy. Flat panel displays utilize, on average 33% less
energy than traditional monitors 14 .
—Water
In the future, USDA will incorporate complete recycling programs for all IT products.
When the average consumer thinks about water savings,
immediately their attention focuses on the ideas of auto
shut-off water faucets and conserving consumption by
installing newer and more updated toilet facilities that use
low flow technology. But that technology has been mastered.
It is time to move on and focus on the next task of water
conservation. How can we utilize the technology we have
today and that of future developments to further our water
savings? Many people lose sight of water efficiency when
thinking green 15 , but it could quite possibly be classified as
our most precious resource. While all current technological
advances are in place for water efficiency, there is still more
to be seen with the advent of future technology and the idea
of the self-sustaining building.
Grey water processing will be one of the biggest contributing
factors as the world develops into a more green and efficient
community. Processing of grey water that makes up sinks,
tubs and drainage will eventually be the norm in each
building. This water can be collected and processed into
a cleaner form that, while unable to be used for human
consumption, will definitely decrease water usage while
conducting landscaping and gardening of facilities. This plan
has with it a two-fold benefit; not only are we able to lower
the strain we are putting on our water resources, in turn, the
Supporting Environmentally Responsible Technology at USDA
processing facilities and septic tanks also have less to process.
This planning and forethought will lead to construction and
design to focus on efficiency while maintaining pleasing
aesthetics.
In order to achieve this goal, we must account for the
technology necessary to achieve these requirements. The
development of sensor technology to gauge water needs
and use will become critical to the structure of this plan.
Maximizing the water utilized will revolve around sensing
rain water, drying soil and need for each plant within its
environment. Currently, USDA uses water to cool its large
facilities and data centers, which has become an efficient way
to regulate temperatures in buildings.
—Waste
Recycling is one of the simplest and well known forms of
energy efficiency and reducing waste, but this form goes
outside the idea of newspapers and printing paper. In the
information technology field, there are forms of recycling
that span the gamut of new ideas and resource management,
starting simply with one of the quickest and most quickly
utilized products of possible recycling, the print cartridge.
Recycling these products will inevitably reduce the number
of items and toxins in land fills. In the future, USDA
will incorporate complete recycling programs for all IT
products.
—Indoor Air Quality
Indirect costs can be significant in the area of indoor
environmental quality, which focuses on thermal comfort,
acoustical quality, visual comfort and indoor air quality
(IAQ). Occupant health and comfort is directly associated
with operational costs in terms of increased productivity,
decreased absenteeism, reduced health care claims and
minimized remediation. While these benefits may be more
difficult to quantify than water conservation or energy
efficiency in terms of cost savings, IAQ does have significant
and measurable financial benefits 16 .
In order to maximize the priorities of high quality of
air while maintaining low energy costs, Agencies must
incorporate the technology behind the buildings that
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