Energy Saving Practices in the IT Area as a Factor of Sustainable Development of the Organization: A Case Study of Poland
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. The Idea of Green IT as a Tool for Implementing Sustainable Development
1.2. Added Value and Constraints of the Article
2. Materials and Methods
- Is basis of Green IT an element of business strategy? What actions are practiced within this strategy?
- Is there a sustainable development policy in Polish companies?
- To what extent do the surveyed companies take actions aimed at the optimization of paper consumption?
- To what extent are the surveyed companies taking actions aimed at the optimization of electricity consumption?
- In case of which IT devices, is it possible to achieve the highest energy savings, and is the energy efficiency factor taken into account while purchasing IT equipment?
- Do investments in Green IT give the company a marketing advantage?
3. Results
- successive replacement of IT equipment with new ones;
- implementation of innovations in the field of IT equipment;
- care for the natural environment through the use of energy-efficient IT equipment;
- treating Green IT as an important factor in selecting a particular supplier;
- taking care of low energy consumption;
- implementing elements of Green IT solutions as part of a business strategy.
4. Discussion
- observe variables: X1—IT equipment is gradually replaced with new equipment, X2—Innovations in the area of IT equipment are implemented, X3—by using energy-efficient IT equipment, we care for the environment, X4—Green IT is an important factor in the selection of a specific supplier, X5—low energy consumption is taken care of in general, X6—implementation of sustainable and Green IT solutions is an element of business strategy, X7—paper consumption is reduced, X8—default setting of double-sided printing, X9—automatic shutdown of devices after working hours, X10—remote management of installed printers, X11—limitation of the number of printed documents sent to customers, X12—online statements, X13—electronic document circulation, X14—replacement of lighting with energy-efficient LED, X15—automatic system of switching off lights, X16—current control of utilities consumption, X17—rational management of energy consumption, X18—mobile devices, X19—personal computers, X20—network equipment, X21—storage systems, X22—multimedia equipment and X23—printers and scanners;
- unobservable endogenous variables included: Z1—in your company: (IT equipment is successively replaced with new equipment), Z2—there are actions taken in your company to optimize paper consumption (reduction of paper consumption), Z3—there are measures taken in your company to optimize electricity consumption: (replacement of lighting with energy-efficient LED) and Z4—in which IT devices are the greatest energy savings possible?
- model measurement errors: e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7, e8, e9, e10 e11, e12, e13, e14, e15, e16, e17, e18, e19, e20, e21, e22 and e23.
- variable Z1—is your company (IT equipment is successively replaced with new ones) most strongly influenced by the variables X2—innovations in IT equipment are implemented, X3—by using energy-efficient IT equipment, we take care of the environment, while the weakest influence is the variable X6—implementation of Green IT solutions is an element of business strategy;
- variable Z2—are actions taken in your company to optimize paper consumption (paper consumption reduction) is most strongly influenced by variables X13—electronic document circulation, X12—online statements, while the weakest influence is found in variable X11—limitation of the number of printed documents given to customers;
- variable Z3—Are actions taken in your company to optimize electricity consumption (replacement of lighting with energy-efficient LED) is most strongly influenced by the variables X14—replacement of lighting with energy-efficient LED, while the variable X16—ongoing control of utility consumption has the weakest impact;
- variable Z4—which IT devices are most likely to save energy? is most strongly influenced by X19—personal computers, X23—printers and scanners, while the weakest influence is found in X18—mobile devices.
5. Conclusions
Further Research
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variables | N | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 300 | 43.48 |
Female | 390 | 56.52 | |
Total | 690 | 100 | |
Age | 21–30 | 159 | 23.04 |
31–40 | 351 | 50.87 | |
41–50 | 96 | 13.91 | |
51–60 | 69 | 10.00 | |
61 and above | 15 | 2.17 | |
Total | 690 | 100 | |
Place of residence | Rural area | 93 | 13.48 |
Town up to 20 thousand inhabitants | 70 | 10.14 | |
City of 21–50 thousand inhabitants | 67 | 9.71 | |
City of 51–200 thousand inhabitants | 46 | 6.67 | |
City over 200 thousand inhabitants | 414 | 60.00 | |
Total | 690 | 100 | |
Place of employment | Microenterprise up to 10 employees | 131 | 18.99 |
Small company 10–50 employees | 106 | 15.36 | |
Medium company 51–250 employees | 145 | 21.01 | |
Big company over 250 employees | 196 | 28.41 | |
Unemployed | 112 | 16.23 | |
Total | 690 | 100 | |
Scope of the company’s operations | Local | 109 | 18.86 |
Regional | 56 | 9.69 | |
National | 174 | 30.10 | |
International | 239 | 41.35 | |
Total | 578 1 | 100 | |
Industry | Sector 1 | 19 | 3.29 |
Sector 2 | 38 | 6.57 | |
Sector 3 | 205 | 35.47 | |
Sector 4 | 163 | 28.20 | |
Sector 5 | 153 | 26.47 | |
Total | 578 1 | 100 | |
Company’s financial situation | Very good | 221 | 38.24 |
Good | 258 | 44.64 | |
Average | 74 | 12.80 | |
Bad | 25 | 4.33 | |
Total | 578 1 | 100 |
N | % | |
---|---|---|
Mobile devices | 188 | 12.14 |
Personal computers | 332 | 21.45 |
Network equipment | 277 | 17.89 |
Mass storage systems | 194 | 12.53 |
Multimedia equipment | 261 | 16.86 |
Printers and scanners | 296 | 19.12 |
Total | 1548 | 100.00 |
N | % | |
---|---|---|
Economic factor | 268 | 29.68 |
Ecological factor | 194 | 21.48 |
A specific dedicated solution | 176 | 19.49 |
Environmental friendliness | 109 | 12.07 |
Deal with the supplier | 51 | 5.65 |
Only the price matters | 105 | 11.63 |
Total | 903 | 100 |
N | % | |
---|---|---|
Rational materials management | 301 | 38.94 |
Monitoring of water, energy and fuel consumption | 216 | 27.94 |
Introducing pro-ecological solutions in the area of administration and infrastructure | 131 | 16.95 |
Carrying out educational campaigns | 125 | 16.17 |
Total | 773 | 100 |
Variables | Estimated Parameter Value | Error of Esteem | Critical Value | p Value | Standardized Model Coefficients |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
X1 | 1.588 | 0.085 | 18.587 | *** | 0.875 |
X2 | 1.231 | 0.084 | 14.326 | *** | 0.945 |
X3 | 1.428 | 0.057 | 15.587 | *** | 0.921 |
X4 | 1.586 | 0.068 | 15.987 | *** | 0.725 |
X5 | 1.637 | 0.085 | 18.861 | *** | 0.821 |
X6 | 1.655 | 0.086 | 18.874 | *** | 0.698 |
X7 | 1.467 | 0.075 | 16.874 | *** | 0.865 |
X8 | 1.285 | 0.098 | 16.587 | *** | 0.735 |
X9 | 1.321 | 0.087 | 15.985 | *** | 0.887 |
X10 | 1.468 | 0.082 | 16.521 | *** | 0.712 |
X11 | 1.627 | 0.541 | 15.388 | *** | 0.689 |
X12 | 1.654 | 0.548 | 15.457 | *** | 0.907 |
X13 | 1.427 | 0.598 | 15.872 | *** | 0.954 |
X14 | 1.271 | 0.084 | 13.524 | *** | 0.954 |
X15 | 1.275 | 0.305 | 12.894 | *** | 0.754 |
X16 | 1.548 | 0.088 | 14.784 | *** | 0.685 |
X17 | 1.478 | 0.064 | 14.856 | *** | 0.826 |
X18 | 1.624 | 0.071 | 14.876 | *** | 0.688 |
X19 | 1.448 | 0.088 | 14.784 | *** | 0.965 |
X20 | 1.578 | 0.078 | 14.796 | *** | 0.854 |
X21 | 1.624 | 0.068 | 14.854 | *** | 0.784 |
X22 | 1.546 | 0.098 | 14.784 | *** | 0.801 |
X23 | 1.678 | 0.087 | 14.856 | *** | 0.925 |
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Kwasek, A.; Maciaszczyk, M.; Kocot, M.; Rzepka, A.; Kocot, D.; Gąsiński, H.; Prokopowicz, D. Energy Saving Practices in the IT Area as a Factor of Sustainable Development of the Organization: A Case Study of Poland. Energies 2023, 16, 1942. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041942
Kwasek A, Maciaszczyk M, Kocot M, Rzepka A, Kocot D, Gąsiński H, Prokopowicz D. Energy Saving Practices in the IT Area as a Factor of Sustainable Development of the Organization: A Case Study of Poland. Energies. 2023; 16(4):1942. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041942
Chicago/Turabian StyleKwasek, Artur, Magdalena Maciaszczyk, Maria Kocot, Agnieszka Rzepka, Damian Kocot, Hubert Gąsiński, and Dariusz Prokopowicz. 2023. "Energy Saving Practices in the IT Area as a Factor of Sustainable Development of the Organization: A Case Study of Poland" Energies 16, no. 4: 1942. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041942
APA StyleKwasek, A., Maciaszczyk, M., Kocot, M., Rzepka, A., Kocot, D., Gąsiński, H., & Prokopowicz, D. (2023). Energy Saving Practices in the IT Area as a Factor of Sustainable Development of the Organization: A Case Study of Poland. Energies, 16(4), 1942. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041942