Charleston County News Release

Release Number: 3410

Date: March 8, 2012

EPA Acknowledges County’s Efforts for Low Carbon IT Campaign

County’s cost saving measures are recognized for commitment to a better environment

Charleston County’s Technology Services Department has received a certificate of recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the County’s commitment to a better environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by joining the Low Carbon IT Campaign.

According to the EPA online, “The ENERGY STAR Low Carbon IT Campaign is a nationwide effort to assist and recognize organizations for reducing the energy consumed by their information technology equipment. Saving energy reduces air pollution associated with the burning of fossil fuels, and ultimately lowers the risk of global warming. This campaign brings together the best resources that ENERGY STAR has to offer in the information technology space.”

Charleston County’s Technology Services Department has been making energy savings measures for several years and has been officially enrolled in the Low Carbon IT Campaign since 2011 with the following initiatives:

a)     PC Power Settings: More than 70% of PCs on the Charleston County network are configured to go into “sleep mode” after a brief period of inactivity. This results in an estimated saving of $75 per computer per year.

b)    Server Virtualization:  Hosting multiple virtual servers on a single physical server results in direct savings on power heating and air costs.

c)     Purchasing ENERGY STAR compliant IT equipment:  All PCs and servers used by Charleston County are ENERGY STAR compliant, meaning they meet EPA guidelines on consuming less energy.

“We are very proud to be recognized by the EPA for our green initiatives,” said the County’s Assistant Director for Information Technology, Vasant Chandorkar. “In addition to being environmentally friendly, our efforts have resulted in reduced energy costs and valuable savings in these challenging economic times.” 

The County is now listed on the EPA’s Energy Star website as a participating organization in the Low Carbon IT Campaign:  http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_low_carbon_participants

The Technology Services Department is dedicated to providing quality and efficient service to County departments and agencies so they may be better equipped to assist the citizens of Charleston County. The department is made up of four divisions: Information Technology (IT), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Radio and Telecommunications, and the Record Center.

Visit the Charleston County website at www.charlestoncounty.org for all news, services and up-to-date information relating to Charleston County Government.