How green is IT? A new tool from JISC is helping universities and colleges calculate just how eco-friendly they are, by estimating the carbon footprint left by their computers.
Institutions can work out their carbon emissions by inputting information
about the numbers of computing devices into the SUSTE-IT footprinting tool.
The tool then estimates the overall amount of electricity used, and the
related carbon emissions, to help the institutions target areas for energy
saving.
Computers, servers, monitors, routers, faxes and even OHPs are all examined
as part of the process.
But there’s no need for time-consuming audits. Where records are limited,
users are encouraged to ‘guesstimate’ where necessary or use Sheffield
University figures as a rough rule of thumb.
Rob Bristow, JISC’s Green ICT programme manager, said: “I am very pleased to
see this tool made available to enable universities and colleges to start
understanding the carbon footprint of their ICT related activities. Using
this tool is a good first step to making the significant reductions in ICT
energy consumption that will be needed to meet the overall carbon reduction
targets currently being mooted.”
Developed by Lisa Hopkinson and Peter James of SusteIT and the University of
Bradford, the tool is one of the outputs of a JISC study on sustainable ICT
in further and higher education, which is being highlighted next week at a
free event in Edinburgh.
The half-day workshop, which is part of a Scottish Funding Council
initiative, will provide guidance on implementing green IT for estate and IT
managers.
Delegates will be able to find out more about the footprinting tool, as well
as how to cut IT energy bills by 10%, minimise power consumption and take
action to reduce their institution’s carbon footprint.
They will also hear from people who have made significant energy savings by
successfully using the footprinting tool, with speakers from City College,
Norwich; Napier University, University of Edinburgh; Angus College, Arbroath
College, and the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges.
Sign up for the event at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh on 24th
August 2009 at http://www.rsc-eden.co.uk/events/event_details.asp?eid=29
Find out more about the Suste-IT footprinting tool at
http://www.susteit.org.uk/files/index and more about JISC’s study on
sustainable ICT at
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/programme_jos/susteit
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