Energy efficient and environmentally manufactured computer products are on the rise, as evidenced by the rapid growth of the EPEAT certification for computer systems, the growth of the U.S. EPA's Energy Star rating for office products, and programs created by governments and organizations of all kinds requiring green IT products for all new purchases.

Now Softchoice, an online retailer covering all kinds of hardware and software products, has launched a new section of its site aimed at making easier to buyers of all stripes to find green IT that fits their needs.

In its EcoTech Solutions section, online at softchoice.com, Softchoice provides links not only to EPEAT-certified hardware, but also other types of environmentally friendly techology solutions, including ways to reduce business travel, manage an office's computer energy use, and reduce paper waste.

The company expects that over 1,500 of the more than 300,000 products in its database will fall under the EcoTech rubric, and can be searchable based on level of type of product, level of EPEAT certification, and the site points to resources like energy-use calculators that companies can use to estimate savings on energy use.

According to some estimates, the global use of technology contributes roughly the same carbon emissions as the entire aviation industry. Without decisive action, the negative impact of IT on the environment will continue to increase dramatically in the coming years.

"If the 70 million PCs expected to be sold in the U.S. in 2008 were to meet the standards of EPEAT Silver, we could save enough energy to power over a million homes," said Melissa Quinn, Sustainability Programs Manager for Softchoice. "Clearly the effect of deploying more environmentally responsible technologies is significant."

Softchoice's EPEAT shopping hub is online at softchoice.com.