Green IT skills are now certifiable through new CompTIA exam

The CompTIA technology trade organization has come out with what it is characterizing as the first ever specialized exam for green IT skills. The exam is part of the CompTIA Strata certificate program.

The subject matter includes green technologies, standards, policies and design/support techniques. Topics include proper disposal, power preservation best practices, how to address carbon footprint management, virtualization skills, and how to measure the return on investment from green IT activities. CompTIA recommends that you have at least a year and a half of experience with its CompTIA A+ or CompTIA Server+ certification before you try to take the Green IT exam.

The organization stepped up to the plate after a 2009 survey showed that support personnel, IT managers and IT solution providers were having to provide more and more green-related services. For example, the survey showed that 40 percent of IT service providers provide energy audits to their clients, 26 percent are  handling carbon footprint measuring and monitoring services, and another 23 percent are planning to get into this services by the end of 2011.

Close to 80 percent of all organizations consider energy consumption audits part of a standard facilities and IT management regime, and almost the same number believe that power consumption is a major deciding factor when buying new PCs.