Some of the biggest energy savings for small business operations are right in front of you, but you can’t actually see them.

Reason: They’re in the latest computer chips inside cash registers. Or if you’re past accepting cash, then the lingo is point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

Companies looking to rack up savings and credits for reducing their carbon footprint can achieve both when they’re ready to upgrade. Just make sure you compare the energy efficiencies of the products you’re considering.

These new POS systems are a whopping 40% more energy efficient than previous models, thanks to huge efficiency leaps made by semiconductor maker Intel, Inc. That translates into 40% cuts in your electricity demand.

For example, Fujitsu America is promoting its upgraded line of POS terminals, the TeamPoS 3000 XL2, which features the latest Intel chips. Fujitsu won a contract to supply shoe and hat retailer, Genesco, Inc., based in Nashville, TN, with its cost-cutting (electricity-wise that is) POS terminals in 1,000 stores.

Since the highly efficient Intel chips produce much less heat than earlier versions, new POS terminals don’t produce nearly as much heat as before, so they don’t need side ventilation. This also lets retailers set up their cash registers in tight spaces.

Genesco says it will not only save money by reducing its electric bill, but it also expects to spend less on maintenance and replacement costs.

Increasingly businesses can expect to see significant gains in energy efficiencies from various computer-based products, especially those that rely on Intel’s chips.

Reason: Intel and all manufacturers with global markets are under tremendous pressure from the European Union (EU) to reduce their direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To the EU, that means not just GHG emissions from Intel’s manufacturing facilities, but from Intel’s entire supply chain as well, from parts suppliers to those using its products.

So, due to the pressures on Intel to green its supply chain, products with Intel chips will increasingly be more and more energy efficient, and businesses that purchase those products will reap the energy savings benefits.

Editor’s note: Website hosting is another example of an industry that’s profiting from going green. Many in the industry are taking green web hosting to a new level – and reaping the benefits of a growing customer base along the way. Not only are their data centers running on wind and solar direcly, they are also focusing on efficient data center operations with the latest in high-efficiency hardware and cooling systems.

Tags: energy efficiency, Fujitsu America, Genesco Inc., Intel