Low carbon ICT
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The purpose of this project was to provide a practical exemplar of how an institution can implement both the policies and the technologies to conserve energy used by desktop and server hardware with the minimum of disruption to users and system administrators alike.
Executive Summary
A desktop computer and monitor will consume about 920 kWh of electricity if left on all year, but only 198 kWh if switched off at the end of each working day (switched off overnight, at weekends and holidays). This equates to an annual saving of £86 and 387 kg CO2eq (a measure of greenhouse gas emissions). We estimate 8000 computers owned and managed by departments and colleges are left on all the time unnecessarily. If this stock of computers is switched off at the end of each working day there is a potential total annual saving of about £690,000 and 3,100,000 kg CO2eq.
The carbon reduction commitment (CRC) legislation will add to the business case supporting better power management because the University will have to report CO2 emissions and buy carbon credits from April 2010. This data will then be used (alongside other metrics) to place Oxford University within the CRC 'performance league table'. There is therefore a risk that poor performance will have a negative effect on the University brand, with various consequences.
The OUCS, OeRC, OUCE and Estates department have worked together over the last 18 months to develop an institutional wake on LAN (WOL) service, which allows computers to be switched on remotely. Providing a service for switching computers on remotely is very important as it makes it possible for them to be switched off, without negative consequences. For instance it should be possible to avoid the scenarios where computers are left on (a) just in case users need their computer when away from the office; (b) in order that IT systems can perform backups; (c) and, to avoid users waiting for a computer to boot up each morning.
To use the WOL service, IT Support Staff (ITSS) need to install WOL ‘gateway server software’ on the subnets that connect desktop computers to the network. The software is released under an open source license so there are no license costs, and OUCS can help ITSS to install the software; responsibility for managing the WOL service remains with the department or college. By installing a WOL gateway, there is an additional benefit. Departments and colleges will be able to use a monitoring service which tracks the number of computers which are switched on throughout the day and night. Research shows that this type of feedback can increase the success of energy efficiency initiatives, in particular it builds a collective responsibility and encourages further uptake of energy efficiency by colleagues.
The WOL service and other tools will give units the opportunity to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions, but it has to be emphasised that to achieve an actual reduction in electricity consumption will require effort to change people’s behaviour. The computing service will work with departments and colleges to run campaigns which develop a shared responsibility and changed working practices. This will include advice on (a) implementing WOL and other technologies that improve desktop power management practices; (b) communication strategies; (c) and, developing monitoring and reporting systems. The general approach will be to develop exemplar sites that serve to encourage other groups to adopt similar initiatives.
Finally, it is worth noting that this discussion has ignored mention of desktop computing equipment brought into college and department buildings. Approximately 90% of the 12,000 undergraduates bring a laptop to the University. It is not known how undergraduates manage their computers, but a considerable proportion of these may be switched on consuming electricity throughout the 3 x 8 week terms. OUCS has initiated discussion with a student environmental group (“Roots and Shoots”) to find out the scale of the problem and advocate better desktop computer power management.
Read more about the sustainable desktop computing at the University of Oxford