Green Data Centres in Universities and Colleges: Improving Energy Efficiency and Performance

Computing and HPC clusters in data centres consume large amounts of electricity directly, and often use as much again in cooling, power supply equipment and other ‘overhead’ activities. This is increasingly expensive, and creates growing emissions of CO2. This workshop will provide Directors of IT and Directors of Estates with important updates on the new EU Code of Conduct and exemplars of good practice.

Computing and HPC clusters in data centres consume large amounts of electricity directly, and often use as much again in cooling, power supply equipment and other ‘overhead’ activities. This is increasingly expensive, and creates growing emissions of CO2.

The strategic review of ICT in further and higher education conducted by the SusteIT project showed that energy consumption, costs and emissions can be reduced through more efficient servers; virtualisation; holistic design of cooling and power supply; better air management; ‘free cooling’ and alternative cooling media to air. This workshop features UK examples from Imperial (CO2 cooling), plus a presentation from an American expert involved in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s green data centre programme. Attendees should:

• Gain a better understanding of good practice, and how it can be achieved
• Be updated on new developments, such as the EU Code of Conduct
• Build networks between practitioners, both within IT, and between IT and Estates (whose collaboration is essential to achieve effective cooling solutions)

Agenda

Time
Activity

12.15 – 12.45
Registration

12.45 – 13.00
The SusteIT Report and Energy Efficient Data Centres – An Overview
Peter James, Professor of Environmental Management, and Director, SusteIT

13.00 – 13.50
Energy Efficient Data Centres at Imperial College
Okan Kibaroglu, IT Production Service Manager

13.50 – 14.40

Practical Steps for Energy Efficiency and Low Carbon in Stand Alone
and Shared Data Centres
Chris Cartledge, consultant, and recently retired from
the University of Sheffield’s IT department

14.40 – 15.00
Break

15.00 – 16.00
Green Data Centres in the USA and the EPA Initiative
Geoffrey Bell, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California

16.00 – 16.45
Achieving Greener Data Centres in UK Further and Higher Education
Panel discussion with day’s speakers and other experts

16.45
Close

There is no charge for the event. However, as we expect to have a waiting list, cancellations after 25 February 2009 and no shows that are not due to illness will be depriving others of a place and so will be charged £100.