Switch it off!
Trustco makes sure that desktop PCs, monitors, printers and lights are turned off at night. Unused servers are switched off and we regularly review equipment that may be powered down.

Use multi-core processors
New dual and quad-core processors are faster than traditional chips and yet use less energy, and the latest generation of dual-core processors promise to consume about one third less power than their predecessors while offering up to 80% better performance. Moving from dual core to quad core offers additional performance gains of 40-70%, and the move from single core to quad core is even more compelling.

As we refresh our servers we look at where multi-core processors can be used.

Read more about HP's quad core processors here.
Learn about blade systems from HP here.

Go thin client
Companies may benefit from moving away from distributed computing based on individual desktop PCs to a small, thin client server architecture. By almost every measure, the PC is more wasteful than any thin-client alternative, according to research from the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. Even the most conservative estimate makes thin clients twice as energy efficient as PCs - including the power to run the central servers. It has been suggested that a 10-user system could save about 3,200kWh per year in direct electricity costs.

At Trustco our desktop systems will be replaced with thin client alternatives as their lifetime expires. Old IT equipment is sent for recycling.

Trustco provides servers and complete thin client solutions.

Virtualise & consolidate
Virtualisation and server consolidation can allow users to ‘do more with less’, allowing one large server to replace several smaller machines. This can reduce the power required and the overall heat produced. By reducing the number of servers in use, users can simplify their IT infrastructure, and reduce the power and cooling requirements.

Trustco is actively moving towards storage and server virtualisation.

Read about VMware's approach to energy saving with virtualisation here.
Trustco also offers DataCore storage virtualisation.

Cut down on travel
At Trustco we use video conferencing and web based collaboration wherever possible to avoid travel. We find that many of our client and manufacturer meetings can successfully be managed in this way, cutting down on travel and also on time wasted.

Use Britain's cool air
We have windows! During the summer our offices are cooled by sea breezes rather than air conditioning.

See our Environmental Policy Statement.