Making IT a Key Part of the
Campus Sustainability Effort
Dennis Cromwell and Kristin Hanks
Indiana University
Slide 1
IT is not a line item?
AASHE ( www.aashe.org )
Where is IT?
Campus
Operations
Administration
and Finance
Buildings
Financing
Climate
Investment
Dining Services
Planning
Transportation
Energy
Grounds
Waste
Purchasing
IT has major implications for energy consumption, waste
streams, and enabling better practices on campus.
How do you get IT involved?
Slide 2
Model for Sustainability Projects
Keep the three items in mind for all projects
Slide 3
The Sustainability Model and IT
Strategic
Define responsibilities within the organization
Define coordinating role
Create relationship with campus wide effort
Make it part of strategic planning process
Operational
Cross unit involvement
Focus on metrics
Create projects based on strategic goals
Personal Practice
Find opportunities to tap into passions
Make it everyone's job (like security)
Slide 4
Balakrishnan, Suresh, and Donald Z. Spicer. “Climate Change, Campus Commitments, and IT “
(Research Bulletin, Issue 20). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008,
available from www.educause.edu/ecar.
Slide 5
IT Sustainability at IU
IT Strategic Planning Process
Recommendation 6: Indiana University should develop and implement plans for
responsible environmental stewardship for information technology.
(http://ovpit.iu.edu/itsp2/resources/ITSP2_Final_120408.pdf)
Hiring of a Sustainable Computing Graduate Student
Membership on the Sustainability Task Force
Set of projects
– Data Center Practices (new center, consolidation and
virtualization)
– Print Less Go Green Campaign
– Green IT Purchasing Initiative
– Electronic Waste Collection Event
– Desktop Energy Reduction Pilot Study
Slide 6
Data Center Strategies
• 800 virtual servers running on < 35 physical
platforms (replaced approximately 300 physical
servers)
• Continuous effort to consolidate, co-locate, and
virtualize servers/storage
• New data center online in 2009
– More energy efficient
– Better power management/measurement
– Space for growth
Slide 7
Electronic Waste Day
Strategic
• IT Strategic Plan
• IU Surplus Stores
Operational
• Event Logistics
• Regional Campus Involvement
Personal Practice
• Media blitz - TV, radio, newspaper, email, web
• Survey with awareness building
Results
•830,000 pounds of e-waste collected
•Increased Awareness
•Plans for future collection
Slide 8
Electronic Waste Day
Slide 9
Desktop Power Management
Strategic
• Pilot in a live environment
• Pushing upgrades and patches during day
Operational
• Wake-on-Lan utility and web interface
• Websites for support and FAQ
Personal Practice
• GoGreen Sidebar Gadget – see your personal savings
Results
• Energy reductions of 3% at building level, 30% on the 4th floor,
and 48% average on individual computers
• 107 current users of GoGreen Gadget
Slide 10
Desktop Power Management
Fourth Floor Pannel Usage KWH Phase 1 and
Phase 2
120
Phase 1
Phase 2
100
Average KWh/Day
PC Energy Consumption by
Phase
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
Phase 1
Phase 2
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Opt Opt Opt Opt Opt GX Opt Opt Opt Opt Opt
745 950 755 755 755 620 745 745 960 745 755
Individual Desktop Computers and Model Information
80
KWH 60
24 hour Total
40
20
0
GoGreen Gadget
Slide 11
Making IT Part of the Solution
IT as an Enabler
•Reduce travel
•Increase telework
•Reduce space requirements
•Reduce paper use/printing
•Automation of building lighting, heating, and cooling
•Reporting systems and visualizations to build awareness
Slide 12
Lessons Learned
This is not just about the data center
Make IT part of the solution and not just a problem to be solved
Actively engage IT professionals with sustainability efforts on
campus:
- membership on task forces
- pilot projects with departments
- plug into IT Strategic Planning Process
Slide 13
Thank you!
Dennis Cromwell – dcromwel@iu.edu
Kristin Hanks – khanks@indiana.edu
Empowering People: IT Strategic Plan
http://ovpit.iu.edu/itsp2/resources/ITSP2_Final_120408.pdf
GoGreen Gadget and Pilot Information:
http://education.indiana.edu/PowerManagement/tabid/12714/Default.aspx
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
www.aashe.org
Slide 14