Exclusive: Microsoft opens up about Windows 7 energy savings

Microsoft has revealed that it is working on a major project with Reading University designed to highlight the energy savings that companies can realise by switching to its latest Windows 7 operating system.

According to the company, Windows 7 operates using about 30 per cent less energy that its previous operating system Windows XP – savings that when multiplied globally are likely to lead to significant cuts in carbon emissions.

"IT accounts for somewhere between three and five per cent of global carbon emissions and when you consider that there are a billion Windows PCs around the world, we have the ability to deliver substantial carbon savings," said Darren Strange, head of environmental sustainability at the company. "We are currently working on modelling the savings that Windows 7 can deliver with a team at Reading University."

Strange said the research would not only allow the company to calculate potential cuts in global carbon emissions, but would also provide the foundations for a new online tool that will provide companies with the ability to work out how much energy they can save by upgrading to Windows 7.

"An organisation will be able to say how many PCs or laptops they have in their estate and then work out how much energy and carbon they could save," he explained.

Strange predicted that the new service would help highlight the extent to which effective use of technology can help firms cut their energy use. "When you say to people that technology can help them save energy, they tend to agree but will then often fail to take action," he observed. "But when you go in and can say 'this can save you £200,000 a year and save you this much carbon', then people tend to react."

In addition to the modelling tool, Microsoft has just completed a pilot project with two mid-sized firms where the company undertook a carbon and energy efficiency audit of their IT estates and provided recommendations on how to cut their energy bills.

Strange said that once the modelling tool is in place, the company is likely to work with consultancy partners to also offer onsite energy and carbon audits for customers.

The work to highlight the energy savings offered by Windows 7 is part of a wider energy efficiency push from Microsoft that has also seen the company use the prospect of reduced carbon emissions and energy bills to promote its cloud services, whereby Microsoft hosts applications for businesses in its own datacentres.

"The cloud has huge potential to improve energy efficiency," said Strange. " Businesses can move applications into our state-of-the-art datacentres, the latest of which are 50 per cent more efficient than facilities built just three years ago."