What is 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.
The 3 URLs that talk about Green Campus Computing:
1.
Campus computing comes up green
Center works to safely dispose of e-waste
Center works to safely dispose of e-waste
It talks about that although students enjoy the stylish new Macs and PCs in computing labs across campus, some might stop to ponder the fate of that dusty, old machine with the sticky keys they loved to hate in last year's class. The U's Green Computing Resource Center helps ensure that electronic dinosaurs, now known as e-waste, stay out of the landfill. They notes the toxicity of components in used equipment. These components include lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame retardants. All are hazardous and can create long-term issues if not handled properly. GRX (Guaranteed Recycling Xperts), a company that contracts with the state and local schools to process this e-waste in an environmentally responsible manner deconstructs the outdated machinery at their processing facility in Clearfield and isolates anything containing hazardous materials. Some components are re-utilized, some are recycled and some usable items are resold. Their stated goal is to return 100 percent of the material to the manufacturing process.
URL: http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/campus-computing-comes-up-green-1.345643
URL: http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/campus-computing-comes-up-green-1.345643
2.
Green Computing in Sites
It talks about the Energy Efficiency Initiatives in Sites that takes its stewardship of University resources very seriously and fully supports the University's institutional commitment to green computing practices.
Some specific examples of energy efficiency initiatives already pursued by Sites include:
• Campus Computing Sites was the first large campus computing provider to purchase much more energy efficient LCD flat-panel displays. They also replaced mini-towers with "small form factor" desktop Windows machines. The switch to these physically smaller, more energy efficient machines resulted in significant energy savings for our partners and the University.
• All Sites computers purchased in the last six years have been EPA Energy Star compliant. All Sites computers purchased in the last year are compliant with the new, more restrictive Energy Star guidelines released on July 20, 2007.
• Sites computers are left on 24/7 throughout most of the year. The primary reason for this is that our Windows and Macintosh computers receive new software and security updates overnight. Sites computers switch to lower-power energy-saving modes when they are left unattended for extended periods of time. These power-saving modes can reduce power consumption by 50–95%, depending on the model.
• Sites printers make use of "deep sleep" energy-saving features that reduce energy consumption when not in use. These features appear to be well implemented and do not require additional development work on their part.
URL: http://www.itcs.umich.edu/sites/general/green.php
Some specific examples of energy efficiency initiatives already pursued by Sites include:
• Campus Computing Sites was the first large campus computing provider to purchase much more energy efficient LCD flat-panel displays. They also replaced mini-towers with "small form factor" desktop Windows machines. The switch to these physically smaller, more energy efficient machines resulted in significant energy savings for our partners and the University.
• All Sites computers purchased in the last six years have been EPA Energy Star compliant. All Sites computers purchased in the last year are compliant with the new, more restrictive Energy Star guidelines released on July 20, 2007.
• Sites computers are left on 24/7 throughout most of the year. The primary reason for this is that our Windows and Macintosh computers receive new software and security updates overnight. Sites computers switch to lower-power energy-saving modes when they are left unattended for extended periods of time. These power-saving modes can reduce power consumption by 50–95%, depending on the model.
• Sites printers make use of "deep sleep" energy-saving features that reduce energy consumption when not in use. These features appear to be well implemented and do not require additional development work on their part.
URL: http://www.itcs.umich.edu/sites/general/green.php
3.
Campus Computing Goes Green to Save Money
It talks about "Greening the Internet Economy," that was designed to address the problem of the soaring financial and environmental costs of information technology. The researchers have also 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, and for them to be more precisely determine how to use energy.
URL: http://chronicle.com/free/2009/01/10296n.htm
URL: http://chronicle.com/free/2009/01/10296n.htm
However, here are some suggested ways on how the university can adopt the concept of Green Campus Computing:
• Turn off the monitor when it's not in use
• Use more energy efficient monitors like LCDs instead of the traditional CRT monitors
• Volunteer computing or file sharing practices
• Virtualization of servers
• Use more energy efficient and less noisy cooling systems (like using liquid cooling systems instead of the conventional heat sinks and fans)
• Temperature maintenance and regulation to reduce thermal shock wear and tear to computer parts
• Increase online security measures through the use of firewalls, anti spyware and anti virus programs to reduce the increasing amount of eWaste on the Internet and on other networks.
• Use the power management correctly, so that we can save energy costs per year.
• Do away with paper altogether because it costs a lot of money and wastes paper. Instead, use ebook reader that would be incredibly cool and which you can use for your entire life, too.
• Use DC Power instead of AC Power to save space, save energy loss inside the adaptors and saves ventilation costs.
Furthermore, the power to demand such green policies lies within us; the student, the teachers, the faculties and the school. There is no “cost vs. green” battle here. We must demand that if we want us to make us buy green products, then it had better be cheaper too!
So take action, speak out by writing letters and asking questions, entrepreneur, go for seminars, bore your friends with information, build interdisciplinary dialogues etc. Together we can move towards a better world for the next generation to inherit and let us make our campus computing be “Green”.
• Use more energy efficient monitors like LCDs instead of the traditional CRT monitors
• Volunteer computing or file sharing practices
• Virtualization of servers
• Use more energy efficient and less noisy cooling systems (like using liquid cooling systems instead of the conventional heat sinks and fans)
• Temperature maintenance and regulation to reduce thermal shock wear and tear to computer parts
• Increase online security measures through the use of firewalls, anti spyware and anti virus programs to reduce the increasing amount of eWaste on the Internet and on other networks.
• Use the power management correctly, so that we can save energy costs per year.
• Do away with paper altogether because it costs a lot of money and wastes paper. Instead, use ebook reader that would be incredibly cool and which you can use for your entire life, too.
• Use DC Power instead of AC Power to save space, save energy loss inside the adaptors and saves ventilation costs.
Furthermore, the power to demand such green policies lies within us; the student, the teachers, the faculties and the school. There is no “cost vs. green” battle here. We must demand that if we want us to make us buy green products, then it had better be cheaper too!
So take action, speak out by writing letters and asking questions, entrepreneur, go for seminars, bore your friends with information, build interdisciplinary dialogues etc. Together we can move towards a better world for the next generation to inherit and let us make our campus computing be “Green”.
