Best Green IT Project : State Bank of India : Green IT@SBI

We all know about the power situation in India. But inside of an ATM is ironically completely different. It is often over- lit with conventional lights plus have high-capacity ACs running 24X7, making it extremely uncomfortable to bear. In places where power supply is not constant these ATMs are run on generators adding to pollution. It has been proven that ATMs, just like any IT equipment, need a dust free environment running at optimal room temperature. So, there is an immediate need to redesign ATM infrastructure in India given the bad power situation in country.

However, this is easier said than done, as in this competitive age, customer convenience can't be ignored. To cover both aspects, this project has been taken up by the Bank as part of its policy to promote green policy initiatives. Apart from savings of recurring costs to the bank, the project helps in reducing the carbon footprints impacting the quality of life of the cardholders and society at large. Further it supports the cause of the central bank's objective of spreading retail electronic payment culture and reduced dependence on paper based transactions in the country, through rapid expansion of ATMs and debit cards. State Bank of India undertook a massive rollout of ATMs during the financial year 2009-10. With more than 10,000 ATMs installed, SBI was conscious about the carbon footprint due to such a huge rollout. In all of these ATMs, LCD monitors were deployed in lieu of CRTs. LEDs were used instead of tube lights or CFL (even in signages), 5 star EER 3.1 rated ACs were installed instead of conventional high energy consuming ACs. Aluminum composite panels were put to use instead of wood based materials in the preparation of sites. Apart from these modifications, specially designed ATMs were developed and installed that consumed low energy and require no air conditioning environment. Even solar powered ATMs were developed for rural areas. A few of the modifications made to the ATMs include usage of single thermal printers instead of two and the manner in which the cash tray was placed.

Best Green IT Project
Company Scenario
Before Deployment
Wastage of energy due to usage of CRTs, conventional lighting, and air conditioning in ATMs.	�
After Deployment	�
48508500 KWH of electricity savings, translating to Rs. 24 Cr+ savings in energy bills.	�
What was deployed	�
Usage of LCD, LEDs inside ATM and even for signage, and usage of energy efficient ACs Aluminum composite panels were put to use instead of wood based materials in the preparation of sites 10,000 eco-friendly ATMs across India.	�

The key challenges faced in deployment of these energy efficient ATMs include ensuring compliance with regard to the agreed contractual terms not only with the main vendors but also the outsourced agencies. The large number of deployment of ATMs spread over a wide area in a tight schedule necessitates fine vendor management skills. In fact the SBI IT team had to work closely with vendors who till that point of time were involved in setting up conventional ATMs. Appropriate measures were required to safeguard against fire hazards in extensive use of composite aluminum materials.