Case Study 1
PC PowerDown at the University of Liverpool
Summary
The University’s self-developed software is powering down computers that are idle, typically for over 10
hours daily, saving over 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and £64,000 of electricity, annually.
The Innovation
In 2005, Lisa Nelson, Senior Systems Analyst of the Computing Services Department (CSD) at the
University of Liverpool, observed that many networked computers were left on all the time, regardless of
whether they were in use, which was wasting large amounts of electricity. Because most of these were
CSD-managed walk-up computers, there was nobody in charge of shutting them down when they were not
in use; consequently Lisa investigated automatic methods of power-saving. She found that the built-in
power-saving options in Windows had problems that rendered them unusable in a networked
environment, and commercial power-saving utilities were costly and essentially repackaged the existing
Windows capabilities. A third option, centrally managed power-saving systems, depended on scheduling
shutdowns rather than reacting to the idle state of each individual computer, and would potentially mean
more hours wasted on idle time.
Lisa therefore developed her own system, PowerDown, based on simple batch files and freeware utilities.
After so many minutes of idle time, the batch files check whether the computer has opted out of power
saving, whether anybody is logged in, and if not, shuts down the computer. After a successful rollout on
the CSD-managed walk-up computers, the scheme was extended to staff computers. There were no costs
involved in developing the system other than Lisa’s own time. The system also records the number of times
PowerDown is initiated on a computer and the mean number of hours that each PowerDown event lasts.
Benefits
The system prevents computers being left on all night and will also be invoked during idle periods during
the day. There is an opt-out mechanism for computers which legitimately must not be shut down (e.g.
computers running grid applications and workstations acting as servers). The system has been run on
thousands of computers since May 2006 without any problems and was estimated in one year to have
saved the University over £64,000 in electricity bills and prevented 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
The system has around 3,500 participating computers with around 4,500 shutdowns per day. Participating
computers were in PowerDown mode for an average of over 10 hours each event, adding up to over 1
million hours each month – indicating the enormous potential savings from idle computers. An additional
side-benefit is that the walk-up centres don't overheat as they previously did. Lisa has also developed a
system for recording power-saving data and printing reports.
Lessons
One of the freeware utilities, Psshutdown, can be flagged as a dangerous application by antivirus or antispyware applications.
Further Information
Contact Lisa.Nelson(at)Liverpool.ac.uk. Download software from http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/powerdown/. See
Lisa’s presentations on PowerDown and PowerMan (a new system Liverpool is trialling) at our Sheffield
Sustainable Desktop conference in the Events section of www.susteit.org.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
A Green IT Building at the University of Dundee
Summary
The University’s Queen Mother Building, purpose-built to house the School of Computing, is a simple, low
energy design which saves energy, reduces environmental impacts and enhances productivity.
The Innovation
The Queen Mother Building opened in 2006, at a total cost of £6 million, and consolidated the teaching and
research activities of the School of Computing from two separate locations. It was highly commended in
the sector’s Green Gown Awards. The computer and research labs, plus offices, are in clusters of circular
‘pods’, grouped around a central services spine. The teaching rooms and other public spaces are freestanding ‘pods’ within a triple height atrium. The building was also designed for easy expansion by adding an
additional storey. The users were involved in all aspects of design, ensuring that the building met their need
to be a very social space. The building materials were mainly locally manufactured, and the main contractor
was local to Dundee, as were most subcontractors.
The following features of the design all contributed to reduced energy usage and running costs:
 Orientation - smaller windows on the south side minimise solar gain and glare on computer
screens, whilst larger ones on the north side take advantage of good natural light and the views;
 High thermal mass and good insulation – which buffer internal and external heat gain and loss;
 Heating – use of low grade heat from the University’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system
(which would otherwise have been wasted to the atmosphere) for under floor and trench heating;
 Natural ventilation – in most areas of the building, and enabled by the shape of the pods, which
increase cross ventilation, and opening windows for most users.
Benefits







Low energy – fossil fuel use of 115 kWh/m2 is 60% lower than a typical computer laboratory, and
electricity consumption of 164 kWh/m2 is also less, despite 24 hour access/operation.
Low carbon – due to both energy efficiency, and high local sourcing and use of natural materials.
Reduced costs – the construction cost is fairly low for a building of its type in this sector, and
maintenance costs are low due to the simplicity of services design and interior finishes.
User satisfaction – the building’s airy feel and pleasant working spaces have helped to improve
morale and productivity, whilst varied and reconfigurable social spaces have enhanced networking,
and so ultimately improving research outcomes.
Flexibility - the pod design enables reconfiguration of work spaces, whilst the main public area (aka
“the street”) is used in a variety of ways for meetings, conferences and evening receptions.
Recruitment – the iconic design helps attract staff and students in a very competitive field.
Increased awareness of sustainability – the building has highlighted sustainability issues to users, and
inspired other staff and students to campaign for greater power saving elsewhere on the campus.
Lessons
Cooling requirements in server rooms can be reduced through experimentation – only mechanical
ventilation was initially installed. Although some cooling has subsequently been added, this is less than
would have been installed initially for a ‘standard’ design.
Gaining user involvement and buy in at an early stage can produce both more functional buildings, and
greater support for design objectives such as lower energy consumption.
Further Information
Contact Colin McNally at c.mcnally(at)dundee.ac.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Cooling Crays at the University of Edinburgh
Summary
Free cooling, avoidance of hot/cold air arrangements, and variable speed drives, are saving over £500,000
per annum in energy costs at the Hector site, compared to older, unoptimised, facilities.
The Innovation
The University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility was expanded in 2007 to house the £113m
Hector (High End Computing Terascale Resources) scheme, a national resource for solving complex
research problems. The first phase of Hector involved 60 Cray XT4 supercomputers, which generate
18kW of heat per rack. Two further phases are planned, and will probably involve machines creating at
least 38kW of heat per rack.
The heat is removed by chilled air passing over the computers. To avoid inefficiencies from mixing of
cooled supply air with warmer room or exhaust air, the primary supply air to the Crays is drawn in directly
to the base of the cabinets from the sub floor (at 13°C), and exhausted (at 42°C) through overhead vents.
There is no room conditioning: comfort is maintained through minor leakage via cable-ways.
The supply air is cooled via a chilled water circuit from a central plant room. ‘Free cooling’ (using cold
ambient air rather than chillers to create the chilled water supply) is used for around 72% of the year.
Chillers are not used at all when the return water from the cooling towers is below 8.5°C (typically
corresponding to ambient air temperatures of under 2.5°C), which is about 9% of the year. They are
partially used when it is between 8.5°C and 13°C. The free cooling is made more effective by careful
selection of a) chilled water flow/return temperatures (8°C and 14°C respectively), and b) condenser water
temperatures; and by provision of secondary loops through the cooling towers. Even greater use of free
cooling may be possible in future phases, as the University is working with Cray to enable slightly higher
supply air temperatures to the computers.
The facility also has variable speed drives as standard on most pumps and fan motors and operates its plant
room – which is 1.5 times larger than the computer room – as ‘lights out’ in normal operation.
Benefits
The free cooling has cut energy consumption, compared with 100% chiller operation, by 26% annually. This
created a cost saving of £235,303 (at early 2008 prices - likely to be at least 50% higher in 2009). The
payback was under a year. The other energy efficiency features of the facility have also saved £218,650 a
year, compared to an older computer room within the Advanced Computing Facility. The combined effect
is to reduce the cooling overhead to a range of 16-31% (with a further 5-8% overhead from losses in the
Uninterruptible Power Supply).
Lessons :Free cooling is available for a surprising number of days, especially in northern regions.
Careful optimisation of temperature settings is essential to realise full free cooling potential.
Further Information
Contact m.w.brown(at)ed.ac.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Systematic IT Environmental Improvement at the
University of Gloucestershire
Summary
Participation of the ICT Manager in the University’s environmental improvement initiative has stimulated
actions for greener procurement, print management, and virtualisation.
The Innovation
The University of Gloucestershire was the first English university to set up an environmental management
system (EMS) which was fully compliant with the international standard, ISO 14001. The system requires all
sections of the University to assess their environmental impacts, and to achieve continuous improvement in
environmental performance. The University’s ICT Manager, Clive Fenton, sat on the EMS Working Group,
and realised that “computer and printer procurement and usage made us a significant contributor to the
university’s impacts, and required us to take more action,”
The first outcome was purchasing lower power devices. Through detailed research on offerings, and
negotiation with suppliers, the PCs purchased in 2007-8 had a peak power consumption of 96W (compared
to a previous) 165W, and the 2008-9 purchases should be only 80W. This has reduced average energy
consumption from 389 kWh per annum to 244 kWh in 2007-8, and an anticipated 204 kWh in 2008-9. The
department also encouraged and supported its main supplier, Viglen, to introduce reusable packaging for
computer deliveries in the 2007-8 annual desktop replacement refresh programme.
A further action has been to replace all local printing and copying with a fully managed central service,
utilising larger multi functional devices (MFD). These are more energy and consumables efficient for large
printing volumes, and can also be powered down more easily when not in use. Equitrack software provides
more detailed information about usage, and enables job costs to be calculated and allocated more
effectively. The new management information provided will assist in future decision making in the
development and use of the system. Sharepoint software is also providing web-enabled information and
document management, which should avoid the need for multiple printed copies, and lead to an ethos of
one version one copy for electronic documents.
The department also realised that existing plans to virtualise around 50 application servers onto 6-8
physical platforms, and to introduce a thin client approach in some areas with less processing capacity than
PCs, but more than very low energy terminals, would help both to achieve environmental objectives, and to
continue to deliver expected services.
Benefits
Energy savings of £60,000 over a four year period from fewer, and lower powered, PCs and servers.
Initial estimates suggest that the document and print management measures will achieve first year savings of
£70,000 from reduced paper and consumables.
Lessons
Integrating IT into university wide improvement initiatives, and establishing an IT champion with
responsibility for environmental actions, can stimulate action.
Further Information
Contact Clive Fenton: cfenton(at)glos.ac.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Green Research at Sheffield University
Summary
The MESAS (Multiscale Engineering Simulations at Sheffield) group has reduced the environmental footprint,
and costs, of its (environmentally beneficial) research through more energy efficient servers.
The Innovation
Through MESAS, Sheffield University’s Engineering Materials Department has a core strength in multi-scale
modelling of materials. Much of this work has an environmental focus, including geological disposal of high
level nuclear waste; biomineralisation and biomimetic materials; magnetic modelling of read/write heads and
media within hard drives to help improve efficiency; developing low power biological sensors for use in
medical or scientific applications; and optimising magnetic components for next generation, high efficiency,
Toyota cars. This environmental awareness led the research team to investigate ways to reduce the
environmental impacts of their computational-intensive modelling, and other applications. The centre
currently has two computer clusters: one of 72 processors (18 nodes, dual processor, dual core with 16
Gb memory each), and another of 40 processors (10 various different PC’s running Linux). Both clusters
are housed in a cooled room with 2 cluster racks of 20 nodes, and are heavily used 24/7. In addition the
centre has 11 PCs for its staff and students.
The team discovered that an innovative local company, VeryPC, produces what it claims to be the
‘greenest’ PCs and servers on the market, using only half the power of a typical device. This is achieved
through low energy components, and use of smaller parts, which reduce resources and hence pollution
over the life cycle of the devices. Four of their Xeon L5420 models were purchased, with specifications of
4x2.5GHz; 8GB RAM; 2 x 160GB 7200RPM, and average power use of 142W.
Benefits
Lower costs – The Department estimates that one of their VeryPC servers saves £600 a year in energy
costs, with a less than 2 years payback of the higher purchase costs.
Reduced space needs – due to the reduced cooling required for lower energy PCs.
Improved university reputation – by greening research operations and applications, the university
improves its environmental profile which in turn can help attract more environmental researchers.
Job satisfaction – saving energy reduces the disconnect between research for environmental
improvement, and high carbon means of achieving it, and so makes the research team feel better about
their work.
Lessons
There is a big variation in the energy and environmental footprint of individual servers and PCs.
Determined researchers can reduce the environmental impacts of their computing. However, they are not
helped by current financial systems. Typically, research groups do not pay for the electricity costs, and
research grants only cover the purchase costs of equipment. This favours the purchase of the cheapest
equipment, even if it is energy inefficient.
Further Information
Contact Dr Julian Dean, Research Associate: j.dean(at)shef.ac.uk, or for more information on VeryPC visit
www.very-pc.co.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Beaumont College’s ICT Gives People With
Communication Difficulties a Voice
Summary
Beaumont College of Further Education’s Wheeltop Project is using ICT to support the learning and
development of physically disabled students.
The Innovation
In 2003 Natalie Sides began her studies at Lancaster’s Beaumont College, which is run by the disability
charity Scope. To help her overcome her complex physical and communication difficulties, staff attached a
tablet PC to her wheelchair, and used Sensory Software’s specialised application to enable Natalie to
operate it with her right knee. With the subsequent addition of a phone card and MP3 player, Natalie was
able to speak via voice output technology, and access a range of other applications including e-mail, SMS,
word and processing, media player software, and the internet.
Natalie commented that “Being able to communicate is a basic human right and having a communication aid
has changed my life.” Encouraged by this success, the College has secured funding from BT and is working
in partnership with the organisation (as part of its BT Better World Campaign which aims to give every
young people a voice) to develop the system further in the ‘Wheeltop Project’. This also uses the Sensory
Software application, together with the specialist Motion tablet PC produced by their sister company,
Smartbox. 3 Beaumont students have received specialised ‘wheelchair PCs’ to date, and a further 12-15 both in the College, and in specialist feeder schools - will over the next two years.
Participating students receive systems which are customized to provide the applications they want. They
also receive an appropriate interface according to their physical and cognitive abilities, and are taught how
to use these systems effectively and as independently as possible. For example a wheeltop device enables
students to control a mobile phone independently via Bluetooth, which for some was not previously
possible.
The project is also acting as a ‘test bed’ for products and applications aimed at people with communication
difficulties, and supports Scope’s No Voice No Choice campaign for greater support for people who have a
communication impairment.
Benefits
Inclusion and enhanced learning – students with additional support needs can now communicate more
easily, and access applications such as multi media and word processing which were previously unattainable.
Innovation – by demonstrating what can be achieved, and by providing a demonstration facility for
hardware and software providers, the project is assisting the development of better assistive technologies.
Increased profile - the project will help raise the profile of inclusive design and access to IT for disabled
people, and help to build skills and awareness more widely.
Lessons
ICT can transform the lives of those who are excluded by disability, especially when it is accompanied by
close contact with users.
Further Information
Contact Liz Howarth, College Technologist: Howarthl(at)beaumontcollege.org or Julie Burley, Press
Officer, Scope at Julie.burley(at)scope.org.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Estimating ICT Electricity Use at the University
of Sheffield
Summary
The University of Sheffield has undertaken a detailed estimate of the energy/carbon footprint of its ICT
estate. This has been used to develop a generic tool to help other institutions estimate their ICT footprint.
The Innovation
In 2006, Chris Cartledge, while an IT Manager at University of Sheffield, undertook an assessment of the
electricity use of various pieces of IT equipment including PCs, servers and phones. This was prompted by
a university initiative on saving energy, but also by the difficulties caused by limited machine room capacity.
As a direct result of this the university now specifies energy efficient PCs and servers, powers off PCs not
in use where practicable and did not replace the existing phone system with an all IP-based configuration.
Chris expanded this work in 2008 as part of this SusteIT project, by estimating the energy and carbon
footprint of the entire university non-residential ICT estate. Over a few months Chris collected
information on the numbers and types of ICT devices in use, their power rating and usage. For some
standardised equipment which runs 24/7, such as network hubs, switches and routers, energy consumption
was easy to extrapolate. For other equipment such as PCs and imaging (printers, copiers etc), the huge
range of equipment in use, and usage patterns made it more difficult to estimate with accuracy. The data
was therefore obtained in a wide variety of ways, involving discussions with colleagues across departments;
power measurements of sample equipment; measured electrical load; and some educated guesswork.
The final estimate showed that ICT equipment accounted for around 18% non-residential electricity and
15% of non-residential carbon emissions (from all energy sources). The energy and carbon footprint was
broken down by category: high performance computing, servers, PCs, networks, imaging, telephony and
audio-visual. PCs accounted for nearly half (48%) of the total. The final spreadsheet was used to produce a
generic tool and user guide to enable other institutions to estimate their energy and carbon footprint.
Benefits
Having a clear picture of how much energy is being consumed by ICT devices is the first step to effectively
reducing consumption. The final analysis estimated both the absolute and relative magnitude of energy
consumption associated with different categories of ICT devices. This enables energy and IT managers to
target particular IT devices, e.g. PCs, to get the greatest benefit.
Lessons
A buying policy which focuses on the full cost of ownership, including electricity, would make a significant
difference. A policy which specifies lower power “green” PCs, since PCs contribute most to energy
consumption, would be particularly worthwhile.
Ensuring PCs are switched off when not in use could make an immediate difference.
CRT monitors should be phased out.
Consolidating services and buying the most efficient equipment in its class can reduce energy consumption.
Suppliers published specifications are not always reflected in practice
Further Information
Contact Chris Cartledge: c.cartledge(at)Sheffield.ac.uk for more information or download Chris’s detailed
commentary from www.susteit.org.uk (under tools)
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
City & Islington College PCs are Reused in
Developing Countries
Summary
City & Islington College donates its old computers to developing countries via the charity Computer Aid,
aiding educational organisations in those countries and extending the useful life of the machines.
The Innovation
City and Islington College renews a large percentage of its PC and Macs every year. However rather than
simply disposing of these, the College recycles its equipment via Computer Aid, the world’s largest nonprofit provider of computers to developing countries. In 2008 it donated over 1000 computers with a value
of over £20,000. This followed a donation of 500 computers in 2007.
Computer Aid is registered with the Environment Agency as an official treatment company under the
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. Donated computers are checked and any
data is deleted using Ministry of Defence approved software. Any machines which cannot be reused are
sent to specialist recycling companies within the EU. The remainder – which is a majority of donations - are
then sent to organisations (over 5000 to date) in developing countries, with each computer monitored via
an asset tracking system. Around 65% of the computers are sent to education institutions, enabling a
further 60,000 students in the developing world to obtain an IT education. The remainder go to non-profit
organisations such as hospitals, local governments and NGOs. Many of the computers donated by City &
Islington College in 2007 went to the Community and Individual Development Association (CIDA), the first
University in South Africa to provide a virtually free practical four-year Bachelor of Business Administration
qualification to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students are only required to "pay" part of their
tuition through returning to their community to educate their peers.
Once Computer Aid's donated equipment reaches the end of its useful life, the charity tries to limit the
environmental damage caused by its disposal. In Kenya, for instance, it is helping to build a recycling facility
operating to WEEE standards, which will take not just its own kit but broken machines from across the
country.
Benefits
Access to valuable IT resources for people in need – the donated computers are reused in
education, health and not-for-profit organisations in developing countries where access to technology is
often limited but highly useful.
Recycling of computers and materials – 1,000 computers represents around 30 tonnes of WEEE that
would otherwise needed to be disposed of.
Engagement of students - the Student Union is highly enthusiastic about the project; many international
students have strong links with countries that computers are being sent to.
Lessons
Computers should only be donated to experienced charities which can ensure that they are genuinely
useful to recipient organisations, and that they are properly disposed of at the end of this ‘second life’.
Further Information
Contact Paul Upson, Marketing Communications Officer: Paul.Upson(at)candi.ac.uk. For information about
ComputerAid see www.computeraid.org
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Virtualisation at Sheffield Hallam University
Summary
Replacing 120 physical servers with 300 ‘virtual’ servers has enabled Sheffield Hallam University to expand
server capacity and utilisation considerably in a limited space, while reducing energy and maintenance costs.
The Innovation
In 2004 new projects at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) had caused the server count to double in two
years. The powerload of the server room was approaching that of the UPS, risking a shutdown, and
availability of space was also becoming an issue. As a result a major review of IT service delivery was
initiated to address what was becoming an unsustainable expansion of server estate as well as inefficient
server utilisation. Dave Thornley, Service Support Manager for Learning & IT Services, conducted a 12
month pilot of virtualisation software, VMware©. This software is designed to allow one “host” server to
run many virtual “guest” servers, reducing the number of physical servers needed.
The pilot consisted of 30 virtual machines running on two high specification HP DL580 servers, running
multiple operating systems in Windows, Netware and Linux. The pilot demonstrated the extremely good
stability and performance of the virtual machines, and the university has since invested in more “host”
servers. In October 2008, Sheffield Hallam has 13 VMware ESX hosts running 300 virtual machines,
equivalent to three quarters of their servers. The virtual servers have allowed 120 physical servers to be
retired. Although the upfront investment for virtual servers is more than a physical server, SHU have found
the much greater utilisation of capacity and space, as well as lower energy costs, has more than paid off
Benefits
•
More services provided for less cost. The virtual servers provide the equivalent capacity of 300
physical servers, which would have cost over two and half times as much to deploy. A £2500 saving is
made on hardware each time a new virtual machine is deployed.
•
Better server utilisation – an estimated 50-70% versus an average of 5% for physical servers.
•
Reduced power - the 13 hosts require around 20% of the electricity consumed by the physical
servers they replaced, or 7% of the electricity consumed by physical servers of the equivalent capacity. The
virtual servers save the equivalent of £39,000 (@12 p/kWh) in electricity costs, and over 167,000 kg
carbon dioxide a year compared to the replaced physical infrastructure.
•
Reduced space and resources – the virtual servers require much less space and weigh one third of
the replaced physical infrastructure, reducing the environmental impact across the product life cycle.
•
Faster provisioning – new servers and application can be commissioned and installed far faster than
with physical servers. It is also very quick to replace servers following failures in power supply.
•
Flexibility – to provide servers where unexpected requirements arise without funding attached.
Lessons
•
Maximising performance on an ESX server can be extremely complex. Both host and guest
performance need careful monitoring and tuning.
•
The VMware ESC server has relatively high hardware requirements – a Gigabit Ethernet and SCSI
discks, as well as 2 GB of RAM to install the Operating System.
•
Running guests with CD and floppy drives connected can lead to performance problems –
peripherals should be disconnected when not in use.
Further Information
Contact Dave Thornley: D.H.Thornley(at)shu.ac.uk for more information.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Less ICT Waste at Nottingham Trent University
Summary
Measures to limit production, and improve management of, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE) has led to greater reuse of ICT equipment, and reduced costs and environmental risks at
Nottingham Trent University.
The Innovation
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations stimulated Nottingham Trent
University (NTU) to both reduce the amount of waste generated, and to manage the residue more
effectively. Waste generation has been reduced by:




Increasing the refresh cycle for PCs, monitors and similar equipment from 3 to 5 years;
Standardising specifications to enable easier exchange/swop out
Wherever possible, replacing individual printers owned by the University with leased
multifunctional devices (MFDs) shared between multiple work stations.
Fixing AV equipment into room designs to increase life span.
WEEE which does arise is now managed by the NTU itself, working in collaboration with two core
suppliers. The measures include:



Centralised collection of any large WEEE equipment (fridges, TVs etc) via the Cleaning Services
team to a locked storage cage on each campus, from where it is collected by a supplier,
Wastecycle;
Providing wheelie bins throughout NTU for staff and students to deposit small items (calculators,
toasters etc), with regular transfer of the contents to the locked WEEE cages;
A centralised inventory management system for all ICT and AV equipment operated by a charity,
BR Environmental Services (BRES). Equipment in working order is refurbished by BRES, and either
sold at discounted rates or donated to local community projects and education schemes in
developing countries.
Benefits
Reduced waste – since autumn 2007 (when the changes were made) to September 2008, Wastecycle has
collected over 28 tonnes of ICT WEEE, none of which has gone to landfill, whilst BRES has refurbished 576
desktops and 687 monitors which will be sold or donated to users.
Reduced complexity and liability - dealing with only two suppliers simplifies administration , and
ensures thorough documentation and control, which in turn reduces potential risk to NTU.
Lessons
A ‘dense’ network of recycling facilities is needed if all WEEE is to be captured.
Centralised procurement and inventory management of IT/AV allows greater identification, control and
management of equipment leading to better usage and re-usage
Further Information
Contact Grant Anderson, Environmental Officer: grant.anderson(at)ntu.ac.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Welsh Institutions Work Together through Video
Summary
The Welsh Video Network supports videoconferencing studios in every university and college in Wales,
and facilitated over 4,800 conferences in 2006-07, creating tangible benefits of enhanced learning, reduced
administrative/management costs and associated travel savings.
The Innovation
The Welsh Video Network (WVN) was established in 2000 to distribute and support videoconferencing
(VC) studios and other video facilities to all universities and colleges in Wales. It is managed by JANET
(UK), the UK’s education and research network, and mainly funded by the Department of Children,
Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills of the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Higher Education
Funding Council for Wales. The WVN Support Centre has personnel based at Higher Education
institutions at key geographic locations and provides central support for studio commissioning,
maintenance, networking and fault management. Teaching and Learning advisors also play a vital role in
advising those new to the technology on the benefits of VC, best practice in using the equipment (including
practical sessions) and how to adopt VC successfully in a teaching and learning environment.
Since 2000, at least one WVN-supported studio has been funded in each further and higher institution, with
81 in total as the original rollout. Since then, there have been several additional self-funded studios. An
increasing number of schools also participate in the network through their own, self-funded, facilities. Many
of the original studios are now being upgraded to include the latest technology incorporating high definition
and typically will contain interactive whiteboards and projectors, radio microphones, a DVD/VCR
player/recorder, 40 inch flat panel main displays, high definition precision cameras, a bilingual custom
control system, PC and a document camera. The VC systems are standards based and interconnect using
computer networks (via the institutions network, the regional network and JANET) or by telephony
networks (ISDN). The WVN utilises centralised infrastructure equipment provided by the JANET
VideoConferencing Service (JVCS). Once a studio is commissioned little maintenance is necessary, and
studio preparation should simply be a matter of unlocking the room.
The number of conferences taking place has grown dramatically from around 1,400 in 2001-02 to over
4,800 in 2006-07. The facilities are used for regular meetings, teaching sessions (each around a third of the
total) and other purposes. Following a review of the network in 2007 the Welsh funding bodies have
agreed to support a refresh programme with studio equipment to be updated, and additional functionality
added to the studios.
Benefits
Enhanced learning – students can access external resources such as guest lecturers or content providers
(e.g. marine science students at the University of Wales, Bangor, received ten lectures in Coastal Zone Law
from an expert in South Africa; science students at Yale College in Wrexham had access to a specialist in
global warming at the National Museum in Cardiff during its Science Week).
Supporting the Welsh language - VC enables distance learning and greater contact between speakers.
Minimising travel time and costs – especially important in a country such as Wales, with a dispersed
population and slow links between different regions by rail or road.
Lessons
A ‘critical mass’ of institutions, and a central support facility, helps realise the full potential of VC, by
providing interoperability, expertise and reduced operating costs.
Further Information
Contact Philip Davison, Video Network Manager: p.davison(at)Swansea.ac.uk. For more information visit
www.wvn.ac.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
An Ethical Approach to Sustainable ICT at
Middlesex University
Summary
In collaboration with the British Computer Society, the University’s teaching and research on the ethical
and social impacts of ICT is having an international impact, and is now extending to environmental issues.
The Innovation
Middlesex University is working with the British Computer Society (BCS) to develop student and
professional knowledge of ethical, environmental and social issues in ICT. The collaboration began in 1999
when the School of Engineering and Information Sciences introduced a module on Ethical, Legal and
Professional Issues of Computing to help meet the BCS accreditation requirement of coverage of ethical
and professional issues. While Middlesex is not unique in this, it has reached an unusually large number of
students – over 2000 both at the University, and partner institutions in China, Dubai and Hong Kong. The
course leader, Penny Duquenoy, has also co-authored a book on Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in
Computing (Thomson 2007), and been prominent in external initiatives. She is Manager of the BCS’ Ethics
Forum and chair of the Social Accountability Working Group of the International Federation for
Information Processing (IFIP), a coordinating body for national ICT professional organisations such as the
BCS. During 2008 the Ethics Forum set up a Carbon Footprint Working Group, and worked with the
Higher Education Academy to run a workshop on Green IT for computing academics.
The University now plans to expand the module to cover environmental issues, and also to launch an
M.Sc. in “Environmental Management of Information Technology” to provide the skills and expertise
needed to address ‘green IT’ issues in organisations.
Benefits
Greater student awareness – the course is popular and highly rated by the many students who have
taken it, and by ICT employers. Both see the topics as very relevant to the sector’s future need for
employees who are familiar with sustainable ICT issues, and can help to design better products.
Outreach – In collaboration with colleagues at other institutions, the University has made a practical
contribution to developing professional awareness and expertise in the UK and internationally. The
collaboration has in turn helped students by bringing external knowledge and experience into courses.
Lessons
Universities can make a real difference to practice, especially when they work closely with professional
bodies.
There are valuable future ‘markets’ for sustainable ICT courses and research.
Further Information
Contact Penny Duquenoy, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering and Information Sciences:
P.Duquenoy(at)mdx.ac.uk For more information on the British Computer Society see www.bcs.org
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Power Management at the University of York
Summary
Powering down networked computers has reduced the University’s total energy consumption by 3%.
The Innovation
In 2006 the University of York had 867 PCs in computer laboratories and classrooms. Many of these were
available 24/7, but often used only infrequently at night or weekends. For both financial and environmental
reasons, the Computer Science and Computing Service Departments decided to change this through a ‘Cut
Carbon in Computing’ initiative. Initially, it was hoped to utilise the energy management facilities provided
in the PC operating systems, but this was more difficult than expected. As a result the Departments
developed their own software, which involved considerable effort to diagnose issues with the hardware and
liaise with manufacturers to correct problems.
In the initial project, undertaken in 2006-7, the software – which is installed on every PC – focused on night
use, with automatic switching off of all computers not in use at 2200, and of any others which were idle for
more than 60 minutes after this time. All the PCs are then switched on automatically at 0730 to allow
plenty of time for the installation of new software, updates and security patches before the start of classes.
To educate users, and to raise awareness more generally, the scheme was accompanied by posters and
hand outs, and highlighted in staff and student induction meetings. Information was also disseminated
through the 40+ Departmental Energy Coordinators, as well as the Student Union.
During 2007, the scheme was also extended to daytime use of PCs in the labs during holidays, and night use
of many staff computers.
Benefits
During the first full year of the scheme, computers in the classrooms were switched off for an average of
95 hours a week, with the annual savings from all facilities amounting to 677.000 KWh. This equated to
about 3% of the university’s electricity consumption. Additional, but undetermined, electricity and carbon
savings also resulted from reduced air-conditioning requirements.
Lessons and Implications
Energy manager Willy Hoedeman believes that a key feature of the initiative was “the integration of
technical measures with an educational component, which leads to further reductions in electricity and
carbon emissions from the use of computers at home and in study bedrooms”.
The measured consumption data for PCs is obtained by metering, as manufacturers data were found to be
unreliable.
The University Computing Service is making their software freely available to other HE institutions.
Further Information
Contact Willy Hoederman at wh6@York.ac.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Scottish Physicists Stretch Time by Conferencing
Summary
The use of videoconferencing (VC) has allowed physics postgraduate courses at 6 Scottish universities to
pool teaching resources, enhancing learning, and saving significant time and travel costs.
The Innovation
The Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), founded in 2005, involves Edinburgh, Glasgow, HeriotWatt, St Andrews, Strathclyde, and West of Scotland Universities undertaking joint teaching of
postgraduates, and research and other collaboration between staff. At the end of 2008, it involved over 400
students, and around 80 lecturers. Over 90% of its teaching involves use of VC, with around 600 ‘virtual’
lecture hours in 2007 and almost double this in late 2008, when it accounted for around a quarter of all VC
usage on the national JANET Videoconferencing Service (JVCS) network. SUPA has also been very
innovative in its use of VC, enabling students to see their lecturer at the same time as viewing presentation
materials such as PowerPoint, spreadsheets, video streams and PDFs. They do this in custom-designed
seminar rooms within the six SUPA universities (plus an additional room in the University of Dundee),
which together create the impression of a single virtual lecture theatre.
Benefits
Reduced costs and travel time. Without VC many of these courses could not take place at all, while
for others the travel time and costs would be prohibitive. In the case of courses taking place between
Glasgow and Edinburgh, for example, there is a saving of approximately 3-4 hours return travel time. In the
case of lecturers, this compares to a few minutes setting up a conference with the central JVCS booking
facility. per lecture. Instead SUPA lecturers spend a few minutes setting up a videoconference.
Enhanced academic capacity and the student experience – Physics is one of the more difficult
subjects to keep going within universities and SUPA enables its individual members to have a strong
offering, without all the overheads of doing so on a stand alone basis. In particular, it increases the range of
courses on offer to students, and provides opportunities to interact both with other students, and with
staff experts, in other universities. In some courses, for example, the students present work to each other
across the video network.
Strengthened research - Staff can also participate in cross-university seminars, or hold more ad hoc
meetings.
Lessons
Technical support and network teams need to be consulted fully during planning and implementation, as
they are crucial for the smooth running of the lectures. Local support in each participating site is crucial.
To improve interaction between participants, SUPA tries to provide other means of interaction such as the
introduction of interactive whiteboards to facilitate online tutorials.
Further Information
Contact Avril Manners, Director of the SUPA Graduate School: Avril.Manners(at)SUPA.ac.uk or David
Crooks, Learning Technologist: david.crooks@SUPA.ac.uk
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Estates & IT Connect at Ave Maria University
Summary
Ave Maria University has connected all its IT and facilities management, including air conditioning, lighting,
security cameras, fire alarms, electrical and building-access control systems, into one network.
The Innovation
Ave Maria University, a new Catholic university near Naples, Florida, has integrated or interconnected
almost all building services for its new nine-building campus. This has reduced the number of separate
networks – each with their own cabling – from six to two in each building. The core network uses highspeed, fibre-optic, cabling (built to allow for considerable future expansion), and works to Internet Protocol
(IP) standards. All building services also use open source communication protocols rather than supplier’s
proprietary ones. The network also supports a campus wide Voice over IP system which enables staff and
students with Wi-Fi phones to get calls anywhere on campus
This approach enables the 6-person IT and maintenance teams to manage and monitor everything from
office computers and servers to air conditioning, lighting and power consumption. In normal circumstances
they do this from a central control room, but can also access information and control it via Blackberrys or
smart phones. Automated responses also occur – e.g. If a fire alarm goes off, the air conditioning unit
automatically shuts off, doors are automatically unlocked, and emergency services have a live camera feed
to the fire alarm’s location.
The approach has also enabled integration of Estates and IT activities into a single function. According to its
head, Bryan Mehaffey, vice president for technology systems and engineering, and the person with the
original vision of an IP approach: “Modern universities need closer integration between Facilities and IT because
both are crucial support functions for learning, and also because its much cheaper and environmentally beneficial
than having them stand alone. Our IP-based approach now allows us to orchestrate and remotely manage every
device on campus, at lower cost and with lower energy consumption than conventional approaches.”
Benefits
Financial and energy savings – Capital expenditure for the IP approach was 9% lower than a
conventional approach would have been, even after allowing for additional expenditure on network
infrastructure. Operating costs are also estimated to be 58% lower, largely because of an estimated
$600,000 annual saving on utility costs, and $350,000 annual saving on staff costs. The Estates/IT
department has 1 FTE staff per 165 persons supported, compared to 75 in peer institutions.
Energy savings – consumption per square metre is 30% lower than the average of peer institutions.
Better campus security – Staff and students use swipe cards to gain access to buildings and computer
labs, which also double as debit and library cards. An identity management database lets the IT team
manage users’ privileges and monitor access.
Lessons
Code requirements require some systems, such as fire, to be stand alone, even though an interconnected
approach might be more effective. There was great resistance from contractors and engineers and it
required considerable time and energy to overcome this..
Further Information
Contact bryan.mehaffey (at) avemaria.edu for more information. See also http://hpb.avemaria.edu and
http://www.edtechmag.com:80/higher/march-april-2008/ready-for-delivery-2.html
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Conferencing Cuts Business Travel at HEFCE
Summary
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has reduced business travel through phone and
videoconferencing, reducing carbon emissions and travel costs significantly.
The Innovation
As the primary funder of higher education in England, HEFCE wants to set an example by operating in an
environmentally and socially responsible way. It has published data on its environmental performance since
2002-03, published its first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy in January 2007, and reported on
progress in 2008. The nature of HEFCE’s work means that its staff do a significant amount of travelling
nationally. Hence, a key objective is to “Minimise carbon emissions from business travel by avoiding unnecessary
travel and travelling by public transport unless there are reasons why this is not practicable or if there are other
circumstances that would impede efficiency or effectiveness.” This is backed by a target of reducing carbon
dioxide emissions from business travel by 5% and 10% (relative to 2002-03) by 2010-11 and 2013-14
respectively.
Conferencing is a major part of meeting this target, both informally, e.g. through use of conference phones
in meeting rooms, and more formally through 552 videoconferencing calls. This is 14% above the six-year
mean and 70% higher than in 2002-03, and results in part from a recent upgrading of their conferencing
facility. The calls were mainly between HEFCE’s Bristol and London offices, or between these and external
stakeholders.
Benefits
Reduced emissions – In 2007-8 business and commuting travel by HEFCE staff resulted in 395 tonnes of
CO2 emissions – a 19% fall from the peak of 491 tonnes in 2005-6, and a 6% reduction from 2002-3.
Cost and time savings – While HEFCE hasn’t quantified them, the time and cost savings will be
significant. SusteIT estimates time savings of over 1100 hours and direct cost savings of over £19,000 plus
indirect cost savings associated with staff time. This is based on conservative assumptions that half of the
video-conferences reduced travel for at least one member of staff between London and Bristol (a 4 hour
round trip costing around £70).
Improved work-life balance – HEFCE’s staff can avoid overnight stays or very long days due to
unnecessary travel, improving their work-life balance.
Lessons
To encourage the use of VC it helps to publicise the facilities and have technical support available.
Further Information
Contact Joanna Simpson, Higher Education Policy Advisor, HEFCE: j.simpson(at)hefce.ac.uk. See also the
2007-8 CSR Report at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/environ/csr0807.pdf.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Low Energy PCs at the University of Birmingham
Summary
The University of Birmingham is saving energy, money and space, and fostering local innovation, by
systematically replacing its standard PCs with compact PCs, based on laptop technology, mounted directly
which saves energy, space and overall lifetime costs.
The Innovation
In 2007 the University of Birmingham upgraded one of their main library computer clusters, replacing 70
traditional workstations with equivalent spec but lower energy TFT-PCs. These are an innovative design
which mounts a compact PC on the back of a standard LCD monitor. They have been developed by a local
company based on the University’s campus.
The compact PC is based on laptop technology, thus quieter, operating at a lower voltage (30 Watts
compared to 100 Watts for a typical PC), and generating less heat than a standard computer. Unlike the
other possible alternatives of thin clients or laptop clusters, the TFT-PCs provide a uniform experience
across campus, allow use of intensive applications, and are secure and accessible to all users.
The university has recently replaced a further 270 desktops in its flagship Learning Centre cluster with the
TFT-PCs, and expects to roll them out over the entire campus in future.
Benefits






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Reduced environmental impacts due to lower power consumption and lower heat production.
The TFT-PCs consume one third less electricity than the machines replaced, and the lower heat
production has knock on benefits in terms of lower air-conditioning energy consumption. The
TFT-PC's brushed steel chassis is fully recyclable and contains no PVC.
Reduced space needs – with no base unit, the TFT-PCs allow potentially around 33% more PCs
for a given layout or more space for students. Due to their lower heat production the TFT-PCs can
also be installed in locations without air conditioning.
Improved accessibility and security – the TFT-PCs are more accessible to users as they
integrate with the University’s monitor arm solutions, and onsite security solution.
Improved comfort levels – because of the lower heat production, the use of TFT-PCs keeps the
learning environment at a more comfortable temperature, particularly in summer.
Popular with users – 82% of students who responded to a survey wanted standard desktops
replaced with TFT-PCs.
Lower costs – for the above reasons the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is extremely
favourable compared to standard desktop PCs.
Supporting innovation – the TFT-PCs are totally UK designed and manufactured, developed by
the supplier and a consortium of UK universities, and with help from the local Regional
Development Agency.
Lessons
The direct, and indirect (cooling), energy consumption of conventional desktops can be greatly reduced.
Universities can play a key role in fostering ICT innovation, and benefit from it themselves.
Further Information
Contact Rob Arnold at R.F.Arnold@bham.ac.uk for more information
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Shared storage has business and energy benefits
Summary
London Metropolitan Network (LMN) provides a data back up solution to London institutions which is
more reliable, cheaper and more energy efficient than in-house equivalents.
The Innovation
LMN is a non-profit making company owned by universities, colleges and other non-profit bodies in
Greater London. It provides a state-of-the-art, high-bandwidth network connecting over 100 institutions to
the JANET academic network. In 2003, the LMN identified the need for a robust data backup solution
which would work flexibly within the different technical environments of London’s varied universities and
colleges, and which was scalable as requirements grow in the future. Typically institutions would back up
data locally on to tape on a variety of different servers, both centrally and within departments, and tapes
would be removed offsite to a nearby secure location. These arrangements were not considered to be
adequate, given new regulatory requirements (e.g. data protection) and business continuity needs (e.g. site
outages). Following a successful technical trial and legal review, the LMN network offered the Managed
Backup service, VBAK, provided by a 3rd party service provider, InTechnology.
The Managed Backup Service is an automated offsite backup and recovery service, provided on a
subscription basis. It offers automated, unattended, data backup ,and rapid and reliable online restoration,
completely eliminating the process limitations of traditional tape-based backup solutions. Data is stored
away from London in a secure N+1 environment with uninterruptible power supplies and power backup,
and is supervised 24x7 by skilled technical staff. Data is backed up to an institution determined policy and is
available for restoration 24 x 7 from the data centre. As of September 2008, over 22 service agreements
had been signed with 15 institutions in London, including Birkbeck College and King’s College.
Benefits
Enhanced security – Business continuity and disaster recovery is now more assured for users.
Reduced costs – because of economies of scale, costs are typically 20-50% less than those delivered via
in-house or alternative solutions
Reduced maintenance – Because the VBAK service is automated it can free up IT staff in member
institutions from manual data backup procedures.
Scalability – Subscribing to the Managed Backup Service allows institutions to increase or reduce the
amount of data backed up as corporate requirements change, and with costs adjusted accordingly. This
avoids any constraints created by constraints on data centre expansion in London due to limited availability
of new power connections.
Energy/environmental benefits - By centralising, consolidating and sharing the Managed Backup Service
infrastructure InTechnology greatly reduces the physical footprint, and energy consumption, of backup
servers and storage arrays. This footprint reduction is further improved by data compression,
deduplication, and off-line storage of seldom accessed data.
Lessons
Shared service solutions can deliver energy and performance benefits, whilst retaining a high degree of
institutional control.
Further Information
Contact Maria Ilia, Business Development Manager at LMN at m.ilia (at) lmn.net.uk.
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
Location independence works at Coventry
University
Summary
New ways of working at Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) have improved staff work-life balance and
productivity, and reduced absenteeism and travel, and are now being extended to core university staff.
The Innovation
In 2002 CUE, the commercial arm of Coventry University, piloted a voluntary location independent
working (LIW) scheme, and has since expanded it to over half of its 166 staff. Participants are positively
encouraged to work out of the office for 40–60% of their time. Before beginning a three month trial period,
they agree objectives with managers, sign an agreement on revised working conditions, and receive a
briefing on health and safety, and other issues. They receive home broadband access, equipment (a laptop
or thin client, printer, router, Smartphones, PDAs), office furniture and £80/year to cover additional
heating costs. They can also access an online booking system for shared flexidesk space to ensure that they
can work in the office when necessary. The scheme has won numerous awards, and was one of the first in
the UK to be accredited to the Work Wise Standard for smarter working. Its success also led to CUE
winning a JISC exemplar project to introduce formal LIW arrangements for academic and office staff within
the University as a whole.
Benefits
For individuals – 64% of participants in the LIW scheme said that it had improved their work-life balance
and 56% that it had reduced their stress levels. Individuals also save an estimated £450 per year on
travel/parking costs, while helping to reduce their personal carbon footprint and CO2 emissions.
For employers – CUE believes that the more efficient use of desk space resulting from LIW has allowed
it to avoid increasing its space requirements – and that this and other benefits provide net (i.e. taking into
account equipment costs etc.) financial savings of £1271 per participant per year. It identifies further
benefits from improved productivity and work flexibility, better internal communications between staff,
enhanced attractiveness as an employer, reduced absenteeism and stress, and reduced pressure on car
parking. 70% of LIW participants have also reported a 40-100% increase in personal productivity.
For the environment – increased space efficiency reduces an organisation’s carbon footprint (and
reduces the need for new construction in the economy as a whole). LIW participants also avoid commuting
at least once a week, and have more freedom to avoid congested periods (when vehicle engines are least
efficient). CUE encourages use of public transport or car share whenever possible. It also supports and
encourages a paperless office environment, providing a seamless platform which enables participants to
work anywhere in the world without the need to carry their office on their back.
Lessons
New participants need to be offered bespoke training in the use of LIW equipment prior to commencing
the scheme.
Independently initiated meetings involving participants, line managers and technical support to explore and
practice alternative methods for communication and holding meetings (eg webcams).
Flexidesk rooms should be fitted with wireless printing, and clear arrangements for storage of participant’s
papers need to be made.
Further Information
Contact Mark Abrams, Director of Business Development Support Office: MAbrams(at)cad.coventry.ac.uk
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk
Case Study 1
© SusteIT, 2008
October 2008
www.susteit.org.uk