Cutting ICT Energy Use and Carbon - Practical Actions from Improvement Projects

To encourage institutions to participate in the Suste-Tech Green ICT project an event has been planned for September 15th 2010, at Leeds Metropolitan University. The event will include participants from the Scotland Energy Management project presenting on their experience with greening their ICT systems.

Speakers from institutions such as QMU, Heriot Watt, Edinburg’s Napier University and Angus College will present on the benefits of switching to greener ICT equipment.

Attendees of the event will hear IT managers tell of their experience with switching from desktops PC’s to thin client technology, implementing minimal-cost desktop powerdown, switching to server and desktop virtualisation and how to obtain free cooling in smaller server rooms.

Attendees of the event will also hear IT managers tell of their experience with implementation of project Action Plans and how when funding is cut or institutional reorganisation thwarts original Action Plans, those hurdles are over come and sustainability in the IT department is restored, albeit a little later than scheduled.

It is hoped that after presenting on the benefits of utilising greening ICT and of participation in the Suste-Tech project, IT managers will leave feeling inspired and motivated to make similar sustainable changes at their institutions. A significant part of this project is helping IT managers to make the case to their institutions finance directors that investments made now in sustainable technology will prove worthwhile as energy bills will be reduced leading to fewer CO2 emissions and realisation of carbon reduction targets.