Corporate giant Sears Canada has joined the green movement big leagues with its recent decision to utilize CloudApps technology to monitor energy usage. Going green is a savvy corporate business move, having the potential to save millions of dollars by slashing wasteful spending at every step of the supply chain. With growing energy prices and increasing production costs around the globe, Sears and other corporations are looking for new ways to save money and improve sustainability.
Keeping Energy Use in Check With Cloud Computing
Technological advances in cloud computing make it possible to monitor large-scale energy use. CloudApps utilizes cloud computing to track energy usage across retail stores, corporate offices, production sites and other facilities. This software suite allows Sears to closely monitor its energy expenditures, carbon footprint and waste generation. It calculates energy usage in real time, creating detailed metrics to track performance and sustainability milestones, and to tailor energy reduction programs.
CloudApps estimates that within 12 months, Sears Canada will see a reduction in its energy use and costs. By gathering real-time information on energy use, Sears will be able to rapidly gather and disclose data to the Carbon Disclosure Project regarding its environmental footprint.
National Green Initiatives
Adopting CloudApps is just one of Sears’ recent initiatives in its ongoing commitment to sustainability. The retail giant has earned the Energy Star certification for over 180 of its buildings, putting Sears in the top 25 percent of energy efficiency among Energy Star-rated buildings. Sears continually updates its facilities with energy efficient lighting, improved temperature regulation technology and efficient building materials. Since the company launched a sustainability initiative in 2006, its energy reduction programs have saved over 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.
Sears’ information technology energy saving initiatives have implemented a cutting-edge software application from IBM that powers down computers left on at night or inactive during the day. The software conserves energy while allowing computers to receive important updates as needed. This move will save an estimated 10 million kilowatt-hours each year. The IT department has improved data computing efficiency as well, allowing Sears to eliminate over 2,000 physical servers in its data center without compromising functionality.
Accolades
Sears’ recent efforts to go green using CloudApps technology put it in eco-conscious company. The popular health club chain LA Fitness adopted CloudApps in 2010 and projects that it will reduce energy consumption by 10 to 15 percent over the next three years. CloudApps won the 2012 BusinessGreen Leaders Award for its innovative cloud computing technology and commitment to sustainability.
In 2011, Sears held a position as one of the top 100 most eco-friendly companies in Newsweek’s annual Green Rankings. After deploying an array of energy-saving policies and adopting CloudApps technology to closely monitor energy consumption, expect Sears to rise in the rankings in the years to come. Follow Sears’ sustainability Twitter feed, @EnviroSears, to stay up-to-date about its efforts to go green.
Joseph Baker, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys finding new ways to organize his emails, photos and videos through cloud computing technology. Read his work at professionalintern.co.uk