IT's role in campus sustainability

I came across a list of practices that Information Technology staff can take to decrease the footprint of their services. Due to the efforts of our IT staff, WWU already employs some of these practices, such as LCD screens, centralized printing (in most areas), print limits, and one that doesn't show up on this list, the "Print Station." Apparently print station has had a significant effect on the amount of paper used in the labs, simply because of the extra step involved in printing, which involves telling the printer to finalize printing at a secondary computer. Last quarter, students in the Campus Sustainability Planning Studio (CSPS) put forth a proposal for default margin reductions on computers, aimed at saving $7,000 in paper alone. IT staff have been receptive and are looking to implement this change in the coming months. A student team from this quarter's CSPS class is currently researching the potential energy savings involved with shutting down campus computers at night, while still enabling critical operating system updates.

1. Use servers as heaters . Because servers generate a lot of heat all by themselves, consider not heating the server room in the cold months. Monitor the room to check temperature levels.
2. Conserve PC power . Implement power conservation software for all PCs on campus.
3. Go LCD . Replace monitors with those that have lower-energy LCD screens.
4. Eliminate desktop printers . Not only will this save energy, but it will greatly decrease the amount of printing-- and paper waste-- that routinely takes place on a campus. If users have to walk to a printer in a central location to pick up a printed sheet, they are more likely to opt to read the information on-screen.
5. Implement pay-to-print programs in your computer labs . You don't have to charge students for every sheet they print; but by simply placing a limit on the tally and charging fees for overage, your campus will make students pay more attention to what they're printing.
6. Cash in on copper cabling . Many colleges removed their copper wiring when they upgraded their infrastructures to a newer standard. Often, the old copper cabling is parked in a storage area; recycling the now highly valuable copper can result in a nice fat check for the institution, if it's taken to the right vendor. The move will also reduce storage.
7. Replace older computers with newer, more powerful, and more energy-efficient machines. On average, a refreshed machine can result in a 20 percent decrease in power consumption, resulting in significant cost savings and environmental benefit. Recycle the old machines responsibly.
8. Remind employees to turn off their computers when they go home for the day, or implement a program that forces the automatic shutdown of PCs left on after business hours.