Issues related to clean technology can include sourcing for the energy needed to maintain a hardware environment, including servers, workstations and other integral parts of a business or organization’s tech infrastructure. For example, switching an energy source from coal or other fossil fuels to something like solar or hydropower could be described as a clean technology initiative. In fact, in many cases, the term refers to solar and other alternatives that some see as renewable energy projects with high future potential in global markets. Some experts add that the use of the term "clean technology" or "clean tech" can also imply a market-driven program with a financial incentive.

Other aspects of clean technology involve lowering the overall carbon footprint of an operation by reducing the power that is needed to sustain it. Power-saving hardware features can help, as can top-level decisions about what aspects of an operation are vital to serving an organization's primary interests. Clean technology will continue to be an important issue within the IT community as governments and businesses consider the costs of high energy consumption.