Twice-yearly TOP500 puts out a list of the world's fastest supercomputers. This is a closely watched event in the world of high performance computing, with inclusion in the list having become a highly sought after prize.

For decades now, the notion of ‘performance’ has been synonymous with ‘speed’ (as measured in FLOPS, short for floating-point operations per second). What this has led to is the emergence of supercomputers that consume egregious amounts of electrical power and produce so much heat that extravagant cooling facilities must be constructed to ensure proper operation. As a consequence, there has been an extraordinary increase in the total cost of ownership of a supercomputer, with costs running as high as US$1m to US$4m per year to operate a mega system.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a short article on the new Green gPC desktop computer from Everex. Sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in the US, and priced at under $200, the new PC was designed to cater to the demands of a new generation of computer users and includes popular applications from Google, Mozilla, Skype and OpenOffice.org. In terms of operating system, it’s running gOS, which is based on the Ubuntu Linux distribution and features a simple and intuitive graphical user interface.

Well, it turns out Everex was right about consumers wanting an inexpensive, reliable, open-source alternative to traditional desktops. The gPC quickly sold out of all Wal-Mart stores. Good news is, new stock is in and it’s once again available.

This isn’t a picture of Fujitsu’s innovation, but it’s basically the same concept. If you’re familiar with electrical engineering, or have ever messed around with electronics, then you’ll know about capacitors and relays. This is the technology that Fujitsu Siemens have based their new range of monitors on.

It’s claimed that the new Fujitsu Siemens monitors are the first to consume no mains power in standby mode. A relay cuts off the mains power whenever the video stream stops and capacitors store enough charge to flick the relay back when the signal returns. What’s more, solar panels provide enough power to maintain zero consumption mode for up to five days, after which you have to press a regular power button to bring the machine out of standby.

A year ago, VIA launched its C7-D desktop processor. Apart from being the most energy efficient desktop CPU on the market, the C7-D was also billed as the world’s first carbon free computing component. So, what does that mean?

First, a bit of background. All computing components require electricity to operate. This electricity if produced largely through the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal. This, in turn, creates carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere and contributes to the warming climate our planet’s now experiencing.

So, VIA got together with environmental experts to calculate the electricity used by the C7-D processor, and from that determined how much carbon dioxide will be produced as a result of electricity provided by fossil fuel burning power plants. Finally, they worked with regional organizations to offset that carbon dioxide through various regional projects, such as tree planting and both solar and wind power developments, thereby effectively neutralizing the carbon footprint of the C7-D.

For a closer look at the offsetting projects VIA has been involved in, check out the Carbon Free page on the VIA website. There’s also this video, which explains in a bit more detail what I’ve just been talking about.

Here’s something a bit different. Green Computing’s about more than just power efficiency and the reduction of hazardous substances in our electronic equipment. It also includes everything from recycling the paper we use in our printers to responsible disposal of end-of-life gear, and even extends to informed selection of the peripherals we use. And what could be more peripheral then the chair you sit in? Chances are you’re sitting in one now reading this. So why not make it a green chair?