| copyright | lastupdated | keywords | subcollection | ||
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2024-10-17 |
carbon calculator, cloud carbon calculator, emission calculator, carbon footprint, sustainability, FAQs |
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{: #carbon-calc-terms}
The following are the terms that are used within the {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}}'s carbon calculator documentation.
Energy : Electricity, fuels, and Purchased Energy Commodities used to operate facilities. It does not include energy used for transportation or similar activities.
Energy Conservation : Actions that avoid or reduce consumption of energy or improve operational energy efficiency. The results need to be supported by measurements and/or calculations based upon actual operating conditions. Examples of Energy Conservation actions include: using building monitoring and/or management and control software to optimize Energy Consumption; installing efficient lighting and cooling for buildings; using night setbacks on equipment; using variable frequency drives, replacing boilers or chillers and other infrastructure upgrades; optimizing efficiency through maintenance or operational actions; consolidating and virtualizing IT systems; reducing data center cooling delivery; raising IT equipment inlet temperatures.
Another example of Energy Conservation involves more efficient use of existing space and assets while maintaining the same general business mission and production output. In order to report Energy Conservation savings, specific actions must be taken by the local energy management team when moving or consolidating activities into more energy efficient space (e.g., office space, data centers), provided that there is no associated reduction in business mission and Energy Conservation can be demonstrated when normalized against applicable operational parameters. Energy reduction due to downsizing or restructuring activities such as building shutdown, ramping down or outsourcing of operations do not qualify as energy conservation.
Savings from Energy Conservation are only applied to a maximum duration of one continuous 12-month period, which may span across two calendar years. Energy savings may be prorated for each calendar year if month-to-month savings are consistent (e.g., a lighting project) or reported monthly where savings differ or are absent in some months based on the time of year (e.g., a free cooling or chiller optimization project).
Energy Consumption : Quantity of energy applied per unit of time to perform work.
Energy Efficiency : Ratio or other quantitative relationship between an output of performance, service, goods, commodities, or energy, and an input of energy. This can be used to demonstrate how effectively energy is used.
Energy Management : Activities associated with managing the Energy Consumption, Energy Use and efficiency, Energy Conservation, cost and procurement of Energy across IBM's business.
Energy Use : Manner or kind of application of energy to generate work. Examples include lighting, heating and cooling of buildings, manufacturing, and data center operations.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) : Gaseous substance that, when released to the atmosphere, has a warming effect on Earth.
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) : Ratio of the data center total energy consumption to information technology equipment energy consumption, calculated, measured or assessed across the same period.
Purchased Energy Commodities : Steam, chilled water and hot water generated by a third-party and supplied to an IBM Location.
Renewable Energy : Energy sources that are naturally replenishing but which may be flow-limited, including biomass, biogas, bioethanol, hydro-power, solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, wind power, geothermal, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action.