July 1, 2009
Raytheon Meets Green Goals with IT Help
Raytheon called upon its IT department to help the company meet its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent per dollar of revenue between 2002 and 2009 as a charter member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program, according to a ComputerWorld article written by Rick Swanborg, president of ICEX and a professor at Boston University.
With approximately 90 percent of Raytheon’s greenhouse gas emissions coming from energy consumption, the company’s green IT strategy focused initially on the company’s data centers, where space and power constraints offered opportunities, according to the article.
As part of the project, Raytheon virtualized or decommissioned 1,300 servers and established common database services to reduce system acquisition, power and cooling costs, which enabled Raytheon to avoid building a major data center despite a 25 percent growth in capacity demand, according to the article. Swanborg said the green IT projects saved more than $11 million in 2008 and Raytheon exceeded its goal by realizing a 38 percent cut by 2008.
According to a recent Gartner study, the IT industry can expect virtualization to dramatically reduce energy use and hardware outlays. A key finding of an Aberdeen study indicates that virtualization continues to lead the list of top strategies employed by best-in-class companies to jumpstart their green IT initiatives.
Swanborg said Raytheon now has a new IT project management process that includes power reviews to ensure that project teams estimate the power consumption of new systems and work in advance to achieve reductions. IT also helps other Raytheon functions consider how technology can help them operate more efficiently through automated energy management, reduced travel and commuting, or progress toward a paperless office.
“By enveloping initiatives like data center virtualization within a broader sustainability strategy, Raytheon’s green IT program represents more than a short-term means of saving money,” said Swanborg. “Raytheon’s overarching commitment to reducing its environmental impact provides a more compelling case for stakeholders than a technology-focused program.”
As another example of the company’s drive toward sustainability, Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) business announced earlier this year that it is participating in the Cool Planet Project and will begin reporting GHG emissions. The company has saved 7.9 million kilowatt hours of energy by participating in Southern California Edison’s energy management programs.
Advertisers
Pew Center Conference: Corporate Energy Efficiency
Reduce energy consumption, lower emissions and save money. >>
Join the Discussion
Recent Daily News [ see all ]
- 02/09/2010
- 02/08/2010
- 02/05/2010
- Caterpillar Puts Weight Behind $1.5B FutureGen CCS Project
- WR Grace Targets 20% Energy Intensity Cuts
- As UK Cap and Trade Falters, Government May Prop Up Carbon Prices
- Federal Government Proposes Climate Change Office
- University of Florida Football Complex Uses 25% Less Energy Than Similar Buildings
- 34% of Execs Cite Economy As Impediment to Adopting Sustainability
- Energy Storage Project Aims to Extend Utility of Solar Power
- Ford to Debut Electric Commercial Van
- SF OKs $150M in Property Tax Financing for Energy Efficiency, Renewables
- BNSF Signs Deal for Measuring Energy Efficiency
- Roundup: GE, IBM, Audi ‘Green Police,’ EU Carbon
- Accidental to Purposeful Sustainability: Using What You Already Have to Grow Sustainability
- Holiday Inn Express, Bardessono Boast Energy Efficiency, Renewables
- Massachusetts Adds $20M in Solar to 12 Wastewater Plants
- Novo Nordisk Cuts CO2 Emissions by 32%, Water Use by 20%
- Roundup: Dr. Suess Cease-and-Desist, Philips, EPA, Melting Drywall
- Canadian Environment Minister Denounces Quebec Vehicle Emissions Regs
- Energy-Efficient Lighting Saves Canadian Tire $6M in 2009
- Pixar Data Center Saves Money Via Cold Aisle Containment
- HVAC Software Helps University of Texas Save $500K a Year
- Data Centers Can Apply for Energy Star Rating in June
- Rytec’s Fast Cold Storage Door Helps Save Energy
- Burt’s Bees Decreases Waste to Landfill by 51.5% in 2009
- National RES Would Benefit Southeastern, Manufacturing States
- TBR Evaluates Sustainability Strategies at Dell, CSC, Cisco
- CEO Report Envisions $6 Trillion in Sustainable New Business Opportunities
- IBM ‘Cloud Computing’ Data Center Saves 15% in Energy Costs
- Bipartisan Senatorial Effort Seeks Cap and Trade for non-CO2 Emissions
- Collapsible Ocean Shipping Container May Help Reduce Emissions
- To Ensure Future Compliance, Utility Asks for CO2 Limits
- Analyzing Energy-Efficiency Metrics Can Reduce Energy Use in Data Centers
- Goose Island Touts Low-Carbon Brew
Charts [ see all ]
Popular Topics
Energy Efficiency
Data Center
Emissions
Facilities
Electricity
Sustainability
Water
Supply Chain
Efficiency
Green Marketing
Strategy & Leadership
Research
Fleets & Transportation
Carbon Finance
Conventional Energy
Clean Energy
Waste & Recycling
Paper & Packaging
Policy & Law
Utilities
Construction
Comments and Discussions
John Bergdoll on Accidental to Purposeful Sustainability: Using What You Already Have to Grow Sustainability
"I was following the logic your article..."
Liz Amason on Clorox Comes Clean With Chemical Content on Web Site
"But look at their ingredients listings. For example, their regular liquid bleach..."
Rigidflexibility on Companies Going Green Should Ignore Green Consumer
"I was about to market a metal working fluid that is 98>% Soybean oil and..."
Stuart on Canadian Environment Minister Denounces Quebec Vehicle Emissions Regs
"Canadians have been waiting for the feds to act on climate change for..."
Steve Wolford on Sports Teams Embrace Sustainability
"Hello Environmental Leader, We just returned from the National Sport Forum in Baltimore. Team and..."
Mauibrad on Bipartisan Senatorial Effort Seeks Cap and Trade for non-CO2 Emissions
"Finally some enlightened ideas out of Congress!"
Cameron Green on Data Centers Can Apply for Energy Star Rating in June
"I did a blog post about this. Essentially PUE doesn’t give you very much..."





Reader Comments
Raytheon is doing some great things to make a green data center and reduce carbon footprint. There are even more options they could consider such as a blu-ray based system which would greatly reduce the power requirement and increase long term data integrity!
Aaron Price | July 2nd, 2009