Green Campus Computing.. Ü
First got this definition of green computing from Wikipedia.
“Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. The primary objective of such a program is to account for the triple bottom line, an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success. The goals are similar to green chemistry; reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste.
Modern IT systems rely upon a complicated mix of people, networks and hardware; as such, a green computing initiative must be systemic in nature, and address increasingly sophisticated problems. Elements of such a solution may comprise items such as end user satisfaction, management restructuring, regulatory compliance, disposal of electronic waste, telecommuting, virtualization of server resources, energy use, thin client solutions, and return on investment (ROI).”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_computing
“Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. The primary objective of such a program is to account for the triple bottom line, an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success. The goals are similar to green chemistry; reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste.
Modern IT systems rely upon a complicated mix of people, networks and hardware; as such, a green computing initiative must be systemic in nature, and address increasingly sophisticated problems. Elements of such a solution may comprise items such as end user satisfaction, management restructuring, regulatory compliance, disposal of electronic waste, telecommuting, virtualization of server resources, energy use, thin client solutions, and return on investment (ROI).”
Now here are 3 URL’s that talks about green Campus computing
♥ http://www.beloit.edu/isr/greencomputing.php#GreenComputing
From Beloit College
What is Green Computing?
Green computing is the environmentally responsible use of technology.
What can I do to “green” my technology use?
•Enable power management on your computer.
•Power down the computer and monitor when not in use.
•Consider plugging your computer and peripherals into a power strip with an on/off switch and turn the entire power strip off when not in use.
•Think before you print. Do you really need a paper copy?
•Use recycled paper if possible
•Use Print Preview to review your job before printing it
•Print in black and white whenever possible.
•Print two-sided whenever possible.
•Reuse unnecessary print jobs as scratch paper.
•Advertise events, parties, etc. electronically or with chalk instead of print-outs.
•Recycle!
○Use the recycling bins around campus to recycle paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic
○Toner on campus can be brought to ISR for recycling
○Beloit College computers and laptop batteries can be brought to ISR for recycling
○Recycle used alkaline batteries in Pearsons by the mail center or in the Library
•Use email instead of faxes
•If you are in the market for a new computer at home, consider buying an Energy Star compliant computer
•If it’s possible, download software from the web instead of purchasing a physical installation disc
How can I change my computer’s settings to be more green?
What is Power management and how does it help?
Every day energy is wasted by computers and monitors that are left on when not in use. By simply putting the hard drive and monitor to sleep after a short period of inactivity, huge energy savings can be realized. The computer should wake up with a quick click of the mouse or by pressing a key on the keyboard. In some cases, you will need to press the power button briefly to wake the computer up. Also, be sure to shut down your computer before leaving for the day and over weekends. Use this handy calculator to get an idea of how much energy and money can be saved.
What can I do to “green” my technology use?
•Enable power management on your computer.
•Power down the computer and monitor when not in use.
•Consider plugging your computer and peripherals into a power strip with an on/off switch and turn the entire power strip off when not in use.
•Think before you print. Do you really need a paper copy?
•Use recycled paper if possible
•Use Print Preview to review your job before printing it
•Print in black and white whenever possible.
•Print two-sided whenever possible.
•Reuse unnecessary print jobs as scratch paper.
•Advertise events, parties, etc. electronically or with chalk instead of print-outs.
•Recycle!
○Use the recycling bins around campus to recycle paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic
○Toner on campus can be brought to ISR for recycling
○Beloit College computers and laptop batteries can be brought to ISR for recycling
○Recycle used alkaline batteries in Pearsons by the mail center or in the Library
•Use email instead of faxes
•If you are in the market for a new computer at home, consider buying an Energy Star compliant computer
•If it’s possible, download software from the web instead of purchasing a physical installation disc
How can I change my computer’s settings to be more green?
What is Power management and how does it help?
Every day energy is wasted by computers and monitors that are left on when not in use. By simply putting the hard drive and monitor to sleep after a short period of inactivity, huge energy savings can be realized. The computer should wake up with a quick click of the mouse or by pressing a key on the keyboard. In some cases, you will need to press the power button briefly to wake the computer up. Also, be sure to shut down your computer before leaving for the day and over weekends. Use this handy calculator to get an idea of how much energy and money can be saved.
♥ http://ecenter.colorado.edu/energy/projects/green_computing.html
From University of Colorado Environmental Center
The growing use of computers on campus has caused a dramatic increase in energy consumption, putting negative pressure on CU’s budget and the environment. Each year more and more computers are purchased and put to use, but it’s not just the number of computers that is driving energy consumption upward. The way that we use computers also adds to the increasing energy burden.
Research reveals that most personal desktop computers are not being used the majority of the time they are running and many personal computers nationwide are needlessly left on continuously. Every time we leave computers or lights on we waste electricity. Burning fossil fuels generates most of our electricity and it also emits pollutants, sulfur, and carbon dioxide into the air. These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog, acid rain and global climate change.
Over the last fifteen years, computers have transformed the academic and administrative landscape at the University of Colorado. There are now over 18,000 computers on campus. Personal computers (PC) operation alone may directly account for nearly $550,000 per year in University energy costs.
Computers generate heat and require additional cooling which adds to energy costs. Thus, the overall energy cost of CU’s personal computers is more likely around $700,000.
Meeting computer cooling needs in summer (and winter) often compromises the efficient use of building cooling and heating systems by requiring colder fan discharge temperatures. In the summer, these temperatures may satisfy computer lab cooling needs while overcooling other spaces.
Given CU’s commitment to energy conservation and the environmental stewardship, we must address the issue of responsible computer use. By adopting conserving practices, annual savings of $300,000-400,000 are possible.
How Much Energy Does Your Computer System Use?A typical desktop PC system is comprised of the computer itself (the CPU or the “box”), a monitor, and printer. Your CPU may require approximately 100 watts of electrical power. Add 50-150 watts for a 15-17 inch monitor, proportionately more for larger monitors. The power requirements of conventional laser printers can be as much as 100 watts or more when printing though much less if idling in a “sleep mode.” Ink jet printers use as little as 12 watts while printing and 5 watts while idling.
Research reveals that most personal desktop computers are not being used the majority of the time they are running and many personal computers nationwide are needlessly left on continuously. Every time we leave computers or lights on we waste electricity. Burning fossil fuels generates most of our electricity and it also emits pollutants, sulfur, and carbon dioxide into the air. These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog, acid rain and global climate change.
Over the last fifteen years, computers have transformed the academic and administrative landscape at the University of Colorado. There are now over 18,000 computers on campus. Personal computers (PC) operation alone may directly account for nearly $550,000 per year in University energy costs.
Computers generate heat and require additional cooling which adds to energy costs. Thus, the overall energy cost of CU’s personal computers is more likely around $700,000.
Meeting computer cooling needs in summer (and winter) often compromises the efficient use of building cooling and heating systems by requiring colder fan discharge temperatures. In the summer, these temperatures may satisfy computer lab cooling needs while overcooling other spaces.
Given CU’s commitment to energy conservation and the environmental stewardship, we must address the issue of responsible computer use. By adopting conserving practices, annual savings of $300,000-400,000 are possible.
How Much Energy Does Your Computer System Use?A typical desktop PC system is comprised of the computer itself (the CPU or the “box”), a monitor, and printer. Your CPU may require approximately 100 watts of electrical power. Add 50-150 watts for a 15-17 inch monitor, proportionately more for larger monitors. The power requirements of conventional laser printers can be as much as 100 watts or more when printing though much less if idling in a “sleep mode.” Ink jet printers use as little as 12 watts while printing and 5 watts while idling.
♥ http://chronicle.com/free/2009/01/10296n.htm
From The Chronicles of Higher Education
From The Chronicles of Higher Education
Campus Computing Goes Green to Save Money
By JOSH KELLER
Relocate a college's server computers next to a solar-power generator. Replace AC power with DC power. Cool the servers only where they get the hottest. Put the servers in the ocean and power them with waves. Those were a few of the ideas discussed last week at a conference, "Greening the Internet Economy," that was designed to address the problem of the soaring financial and environmental costs of information technology. The event, held
by the University of California at San Diego, offered a sampling of a new generation of technologies that promise to help colleges make their IT departments both more efficient and more sustainable.
Many of the participants emphasized the importance of systems that could more intelligently measure energy use on the campus. In recent years, colleges have been hurt by the rising costs of powering and cooling their data centers, in part because those costs are difficult to measure and poorly understood (The Chronicle, January 9).
At San Diego, researchers have started work on hardware to help colleges and other organizations understand how to make their servers more efficient. The device, called the GreenLight Instrument, will deploy sensors and software to measure the energy use, humidity, and other variables in various parts of a Sun Modular Data Center, a popular, self-contained complex of servers.
The goal is to encourage engineers to try different computing strategies to reduce electricity consumption, said Thomas A. DeFanti, principal investigator on the project and a senior research strategist at the university's California Institute for
Telecommunications and Information Technology.
By JOSH KELLER
Relocate a college's server computers next to a solar-power generator. Replace AC power with DC power. Cool the servers only where they get the hottest. Put the servers in the ocean and power them with waves. Those were a few of the ideas discussed last week at a conference, "Greening the Internet Economy," that was designed to address the problem of the soaring financial and environmental costs of information technology. The event, held
by the University of California at San Diego, offered a sampling of a new generation of technologies that promise to help colleges make their IT departments both more efficient and more sustainable.
Many of the participants emphasized the importance of systems that could more intelligently measure energy use on the campus. In recent years, colleges have been hurt by the rising costs of powering and cooling their data centers, in part because those costs are difficult to measure and poorly understood (The Chronicle, January 9).
At San Diego, researchers have started work on hardware to help colleges and other organizations understand how to make their servers more efficient. The device, called the GreenLight Instrument, will deploy sensors and software to measure the energy use, humidity, and other variables in various parts of a Sun Modular Data Center, a popular, self-contained complex of servers.
The goal is to encourage engineers to try different computing strategies to reduce electricity consumption, said Thomas A. DeFanti, principal investigator on the project and a senior research strategist at the university's California Institute for
Telecommunications and Information Technology.
"Right now there isn't enough information for somebody to make a definitive decision: Where do I save my money? Do I eliminate disks in my computers, or do I stop them? Do I use more RAM or less RAM?" said Mr. DeFanti. "Nobody has detailed information on this."
Aiming for Precision
Intelligent measuring systems like Greenlight should be extended to allow engineers to more precisely determine how to use energy, said Gary L. Baldwin, director of special projects at the University of California's Citris program. For example, he said, operators at a data center could direct cool air only where the facility is generating the most heat.
Another idea that shows promise, participants said, is to supply computers directly with local DC power. Computers generally use direct current, but the public electricity grid typically supplies alternating current, and 30 percent of the electricity can be lost in the conversion of one form to the other.
Some colleges have started projects to power their computers directly from solar cells or other sources of DC power on the campus, avoiding the energy loss altogether. At San Diego, administrators hope to build a "power ring" that will supply computers across the campus with DC power, said Mr. DeFanti.
The rethinking of how to supply campus power is part of a broader effort to "divorce ourselves from the electrical grid," said Bill St. Arnaud, chief research officer at Canarie Inc., a Canadian computer-networking organization. Power-transmission lines lose a significant amount of energy over long distances, he said, which means that supplying a campus with energy from faraway power plant can be inefficient. A better strategy, Mr. St. Arnaud said, is to build campus data centers next to a renewable source of power, like a solar plant. High-speed optical transmission lines, he said, would ensure that the computers would seem "as close as next door."
Aiming for Precision
Intelligent measuring systems like Greenlight should be extended to allow engineers to more precisely determine how to use energy, said Gary L. Baldwin, director of special projects at the University of California's Citris program. For example, he said, operators at a data center could direct cool air only where the facility is generating the most heat.
Another idea that shows promise, participants said, is to supply computers directly with local DC power. Computers generally use direct current, but the public electricity grid typically supplies alternating current, and 30 percent of the electricity can be lost in the conversion of one form to the other.
Some colleges have started projects to power their computers directly from solar cells or other sources of DC power on the campus, avoiding the energy loss altogether. At San Diego, administrators hope to build a "power ring" that will supply computers across the campus with DC power, said Mr. DeFanti.
The rethinking of how to supply campus power is part of a broader effort to "divorce ourselves from the electrical grid," said Bill St. Arnaud, chief research officer at Canarie Inc., a Canadian computer-networking organization. Power-transmission lines lose a significant amount of energy over long distances, he said, which means that supplying a campus with energy from faraway power plant can be inefficient. A better strategy, Mr. St. Arnaud said, is to build campus data centers next to a renewable source of power, like a solar plant. High-speed optical transmission lines, he said, would ensure that the computers would seem "as close as next door."
My View...
This Green Campus Computing is really a great way to save and protect our environment and it would be good if this will be implemented in the school. But it is not easy to do this right away with just a snap of a finger. I know USEP could implement this if all of us in the university would cooperate with each other. Everything could be achieved if there is cooperation.
For the university to adopt this green campus computing I would suggest we first try to do it at home. Each of us could start to conserve energy not just on computers but other electrical appliances by turning it of and unplugging it when not in use. We could be used of this habit and eventually bring it at school. In the university, example after a class in the computer laboratory, computers are not unplugged after a session because it will be used by the following section. But then I believe there are still some ways to conserve energy. I have also read in an article that screen savers could also consume much energy so as much as possible we should not anymore put screen savers in our computers. Adopting green campus computing is not an easy task but I believe when there is cooperation this could actually be implemented soon after.
For the university to adopt this green campus computing I would suggest we first try to do it at home. Each of us could start to conserve energy not just on computers but other electrical appliances by turning it of and unplugging it when not in use. We could be used of this habit and eventually bring it at school. In the university, example after a class in the computer laboratory, computers are not unplugged after a session because it will be used by the following section. But then I believe there are still some ways to conserve energy. I have also read in an article that screen savers could also consume much energy so as much as possible we should not anymore put screen savers in our computers. Adopting green campus computing is not an easy task but I believe when there is cooperation this could actually be implemented soon after.
gAbEe.xii Ü
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