The Sustainable Desktop? Achieving Energy Efficient PCs in Universities and Colleges


Start date: 02 September 2008 10:00

End date: 02 September 2008 16:15

Venue: University of Sheffield

City: Sheffield

SusteIT Aims of the workshop

This free event will launch SusteIT’s new ICT footprinting tool, which is based on a detailed analysis of communication, computing, and digital printing at the University of Sheffield. The analysis shows that ICT is now responsible for 18% of the University’s total electricity consumption, and a similar proportion of its carbon emissions, with desktop computing accounting for half of this. It is therefore vital that the sector does more to respond to the environmental and financial burden that ICT use creates. Fortunately, there are many good examples of good practice which will be highlighted in this workshop, including:

  • Powering down of PCs when not in use
  • ‘Harvesting’ idle CPUs through grid computing techniques
  • Purchasing devices with low power consumption
  • Substituting thin client devices for PCs
  • Changing practices with regard to replacement and disposal
  • The event will therefore be of interest to IT professionals, energy and environmental managers, and procurement staff

Draft Agenda

Please note this is a draft agenda, which is still being developed. We will treat any registrations as provisional and circulate a more detailed agenda later in July.

Time Programme activity
10.00 - 10.30 Registration and Refreshments
10.30 - 10.40

The Sustainable Desktop - An Overview

Peter James, Director, SusteIT

10.40 - 11.30

Footprinting ICT Energy Consumption - Lessons from the University of Sheffield

Chris Cartledge, Consultant and recently retired from the University's IT department

11.30- 12.30

Buying greener PCs

Panel discussion featuring Lisa Hopkinson, Project Officer, SusteIT; Simon Redding, Environment Agency and Member, Government Green IT Task Force and panelist tbc

12.30 - 13.20 Lunch    
13.20 -14.20

Computer Powerdown - Varying sector approaches

Panel discussion based on short presentations by:

Lisa Nelson, University of Liverpool; Howard Noble, University of Oxford and Gregory Regan, University of Plymouth

14.25 - 15.15

An energy efficient desktop grid infrastructure

James Osbourne, Condor Project Manager, Cardiff University

15.15 - 16.05 

Thin Client - can it replace desktops?

Fraser Muir, Director, Information Services, Queen Margaret University

16.15 (approx) End of session

Registration

There is no charge for the event. Knowledgeable vendors who can contribute their experience to the discussions are welcome. As we expect the event to be very popular, cancellations after August 26th, and no shows that are not due to illness, will be charged at £100.  Register via the online booking form 

Register online to attend 

Contact

For all queries relating to these workshops please contact Dawn Kelly e: jisc@inanyevent-uk.com, t: +44 (0)117 989 8509

Other workshops

This workshop is one of 6 workshops running over the next few months.

For more information about this project and future workshops you can also visit the project webpage (Suste-IT).