Greening Your Institution's Networks Systems

The agenda for the July 20^th Networks Greening Your Institution's Networks System event was circulated to 100’s of contacts earlier today. The event has only 4 speakers in total (including the SUSTE-TECH project manager) despite almost 50 Network contacts being asked to present. I started to wonder if this may be because not enough research has been done on the subject so far? Have research institutions and ICT manager focussed too much the energy use of other categories of ICT equipment? Did moving into the cloud distract institutions from examining the impact the use of switches, routers and cables have on their energy use ? Perhaps it’s because their energy use  may be more difficult to monitor than other pieces of ICT kit and their environmental footprint almost impossible to quantify (much like all pieces of ICT equipment)? The response from many of the Network manager asked to present was just that; they simply hadn’t enough information and/or data on the subject to be able to present on.  In addition to this, results of completed Suste-IT tools (from the SUSTE-TECH) project showed that Networks were amongst the higher users of ICT related energy use, yet only 2 institutions included addressing the issue in their Action Plans. Perhaps this is something that ICT research institutions, HE’s and their funding bodies should consider examining at some point?

Metering and Managing Energy Consumption in Data Centres

I attended the  Metering and Managing Energy Consumption in Data Centres workshop in Leeds last Tuesday. The event, attended by at least 20 delegates and had 4 speakers, offered real insight into how to manage and monitor your data centres energy use. Rob Bristow has already blogged extensively on the event (see Rob’s Blog) so there’s not much point in me repeating the details of the event, except to reiterate the main outputs from the workshop.

They were;

1.  there are many and varied methods of collecting and then monitoring the energy use of data centres. Energy meters that work for one server may not integrate with another. Continuing to try several different methods, types of equipment and points of monitoring until energy usage is being measures, is key!

2. Once data has been gathered, the most important aspect is following through on initiatives that will reduce energy consumption.
This is easier than many IT managers realise. The SUSTE-TECH project ran 2 Data Centre Efficiency workshops, the slides of which are available on the EAUC’s SUSTE-TECH website: The slides contain very useful information on the number of ways to green your data centres and even offer examples of best practice. www.http://www.eauc.org.uk/workshops.

Slides from the Metering and Managing Energy Consumption in Data Centres workhop are available on

http://www.goodcampus.org/events/info.php?siteID=&refnum=65&startnum=A0 

The EAUC's Green Gown Awards

The EAUC's Green Gown Awards recognise exceptional initiatives by universities and colleges across the UK to become more sustainable. The Awards are widely recognised as the most prestigious recognition of environmental best practice within the further and higher education sectors.Categories this year include; carbon reduction; energy efficient construction; and of course Green ICT.
So if your institution has improved its ICT systems by either reducing its energy related requirements, utilised more environmentally friendly equipment or implemented an initiative that created less ICT related waste then the Green ICT category is for you. 

For more information click on the following link. http://www.greengownawards.org.uk/welcome/
Good Luck to all Green ICT entrants !!

SUSTE-TECH workshops during the summer of 2011

Upcoming Workshops

Networks.An event examining the energy use of networks is being planned for July 20th, 2011 at the University of Bristol's Graduate School of Education. Speakers at the event will include ICT managers from a range of FHE institutions and researchers from various JISC funded projects. A link to register to attend this event will be created shortly so please return to this webpage for furthur details. Details of the event are below on the "save the date flyer"

Utilisation of Space Through the Use of ICT.An event that examines how the use of innovative communication technologies are influencing the design of physical learning spaces in FHE institutions will be held at the University of Birmingham on August 24th. Hear from those who have carried out such research and learn how ICT can help declutter and streamline classrooms and lecture theatres, thus enhancing the pedagogic experience. Speakers from one of JISC's various e-learning and pedagogy project's will present on their findings, as will the head of the University of Leeds' "INTelligent Energy awaRE NETworks" project. Represenatives from the ICT business sector will also present

Improving Sustainability Across Estates

On June 30th, the JISC funded SUSTE-TECH project ran a workshop that examined how, through the clever use of ICT, estates managers can run their campus more sustainably. Over 40 delegates registered to attend the event and speakers from both the FHE and business sectors presented on what they had done to reduce energy consumption and wastage of resources by employing technology.

A presentation from the host institution’s Head of Building Operations, Kevin Cope highlighted how Imperial College have reduced their plants and services carbon consumption and how ICT infrastructure underpinned it’s delivery. Steve Scott, director of Campus Services at Queen Margaret University presented on how their sustainability strategy for the new Musselburgh campus contained a vision statement that aimed at developing a “sustainable community for learning and life”. Their holistic sustainability strategy emphasised getting the basics right first so they designed sustainability in from the start that incorporated their ICT systems. 


From the business sector, Dave Everett from RM-Utileyes presented on how real-time utility monitoring at a primary school resulted in savings of  thousands of pounds even though the school was unaware of any obvious performance issues.


Finally, Prof. Peter James Director of The Suste-IT Project showcased what a selection of UK HE institutions had done to reduce energy costs and reach carbon targets.  Feedback from the delegates was very positive with the workshop scoring an 8.25/10 for overall success.

As FHE estates struggle to find efficient ways of saving money, this workshop demonstrated how this sector wide issue can be tackled.  All presentations are available on the EAUC’s Greening of ICT with JISC workshop webpage : http://www.eauc.org.uk/workshops.

P.S. Watch out for upcoming workshops on Greening Your Institutions Network Systems and Utilisation of Space Through the Use of ICT.

Examples of Sustainable Networks

Quick question. Does anyone have information in the form of case studies and/or examples of best practice where institutions greened their ICT Networks? I'm in the process of organising a workshop that will examine "the true environmental cost of network systems at institutions", and am in need of  examples that involve changes to the use of switches, routers, cables, IP telephones, etc.

Contact me at NHogan@eauc.org.uk or on 01242 714321.

Thanks

Nicola.

2011 Green Gown Awards

Green Gown Awards 2011, Awarding Sustainability Excellence in Universities and Colleges.

Entries for the 2011 Green Gown Awards are now open. The deadline for universities and colleges to submit their Stage 1 applications is Friday 15 July.

Now in their seventh year and administered by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), the Awards recognise the exceptional initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK to become more sustainable. The awards ceremony will this year take place on Thursday, 3^rd of November in London's Covent Garden. Since their inception in 2004, the Green Gown Awards have grown year-on-year and we expect 2011 to be no different.  The categories for the 2011 awards are:  

• Carbon Reduction
• Colleges & Smaller Institutions
• Continuous Improvement – Institutional Change
• Courses
• Green ICT
• Promoting Positive Behaviour
• Research and Development
• Skills
• Social Responsibility
• Space Efficiency
• Student Initiatives and Campaigns
• Sustainable Construction and Refurbishment
• Sustainable Procurement

It promises to be a fantastic evening so don't miss out ! For more information on the Green Gown Awards please on the following link; http://www.eauc.org.uk/green_gown_awards

 For sponsorship enquiries email darren.hale@redactive.co.uk or call 020 7880 6206