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Technology Meets Ecology

Over the last several years, the Technology department has made a number of changes that reduce our energy use (and by extension, carbon emissions), and the amount of computer equipment that goes to the landfill. Though each change, in itself, is fairly small, together they really add up! Here are some of the changes we’ve made:

  • All of the Dell desktops and all of the Apple Macintosh desktops and laptops are compliant with the new Energy Star standard. Energy Star is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency (learn more about Energy Star here).
  • The default power setting on all faculty/staff office and general access computers is to go into an energy saving mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. In 2007, both operating system vendors made their energy savings software more reliable. As a result, we’ve now set computers to go into a deeper sleep than in the past, resulting in greater energy savings.
  • Because we are now able to “wake up” the general access and lab computers remotely in order to update software (such as antivirus, and OS), we are now able to automatic shut down all of these computers (except those on the residence campus) at 11 pm each evening. Shutting all these computers on campus down completely saves a substantial amount of energy, when compared even to deep sleep mode.
  • Since 2006, the express web stations have been set to shut down each evening and wake up each morning, rather than going to sleep overnight.
  • Technology shuts down as many classroom technology systems at night as we can during our evening walk-throughs. Over time, we will install equipment that will allow us to automate those shut downs. When the School of Management building opens, we’ll be able to schedule those rooms for automatic shut down. We’re also trying to educate the community to help us by shutting down classroom systems when they are finished with the equipment. This not only saves energy but also prevents expensive bulbs from hitting the landfill too early.
  • In 2004, we stopped replacing monitors when replacing computers—we only replace monitors when they are broken. As with many computer parts, CRTs (“cathode ray tubes”) are serious hazardous waste. We want those that are in service to remain in service as long as people can productively using them. At the same time, it is to the Earth’s benefit for us to move to LCD (“liquid crystal display”) monitors, as they consume less energy. Monitors are a bit of a catch-22.
  • With the Campus Card Office, we decided that the pay-for-print policy should benefit those who print double-sided, so students pay (or their quotas are decremented) per piece of paper, not per print. We have tip sheets about saving paper, including how to print double-sided. For the past two years, every printer purchased with Technology funds has been capable of printing double-sided.