Sustainable Technology Initiatives
"We believe that one responsibility of Kwantlen University is to demonstrate environmental stewardship in our communities. Our first action is to be efficient and use less, but after that we want energy from the cleanest sources." said Skip Triplett, past President, Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Every year, BC Hydro recognizes Power Smart business leaders who make energy-efficiency and conservation a way of doing business. These leaders incorporate sound energy management practices into their operations and invest in energy efficiency for the future of their business. They create better working environments while improving their environmental, social and economic performance as well. And, they foster an energy conservation culture that benefits all British Columbians. There are many things IET has already implemented that demonstrate our commitment to the overall vision of Green information technology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Data Center Initiatives - Virtualization of Servers
Virtualization allows one physical high powered server to host several virtual servers rather than having a separate physical server for each application. This is possible because today's servers typically have more CPU power than a single application needs. This is an environmentally sound strategy as it reduces the amount of underutilized physical servers, saving space, power and cooling.
- Consolidation of Storage (SAN)
In 2005 Kwantlen purchased a Storage Area Network (SAN) to make disk storage more efficient and easier to manage. A SAN provides a central physical location for disk drives and a mechanism to connect virtual volumes created on these disk drives to any server equipped with the appropriate Fiber Channel adapters. This allows the purchase of servers that are physically much smaller where the primary considerations can be CPU and RAM. This provides a substantial savings by avoiding the need to expand the data centre. This redundancy and flexibility promotes the use of virtualization and consequently increases data centre efficiency.
Overall a SAN is a very transformational technology within the data centre that allows for environmental and other costs savings by changing the way data is stored.
Sustainable Printing Initiatives - Workgroup Multi-Function devices
IET has worked closely with Material Management over the past six years implementing Energy efficient Multi-Function devices (MFD) in Staff and Faculty areas. Multi-Function devices reduce printer and copier fleets by consolidating printing, copying, scanning, and fax technology into one unit. These units are Energy star compliant with superior efficiency and power management options than some of the aging equipment they usually replace.
MFDs can help organizations eliminate duplicate equipment, which creates multiple environmental problems, such as overuse of supplies due to the complexity of managing multiple brands and models. Consolidation also makes it easier to justify the added cost of installing duplex printing as noted below.
- Default to Double-sided printing on Multi-function Printers
IET has implemented double-sided printing on all Multi-Function devices (a total of 62 on all campuses.) All future printers installed and supported by IET will be defaulted to double sided when the installations takes place. IET is working towards implementing double-sided printing on all supported laser printers in teaching and open labs throughout Kwantlen and this program should be completed in 2009.
In addition to the financial benefits, reduced paper consumption due to double-sided printing also results in environmental benefits from reduced resource use, energy savings and lower pollutant emissions including greenhouse gas emissions. For example , source reduction of 1 ton of office paper ( or 200,000 pages) results in life-cycle energy saving of 36.58 Million BTU and 2.18 carbon equivalent (MTCE) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
- Green Workgroup Printer Stations
IET is installing Energy Star compliant network laser printers in strategic office locations on the Surrey and Richmond campuses. The Green Print stations will provide secure cost effective double sided printing to areas that do not have printers on the same floor as their offices. One key intent of this program is to reduce reliance on personal inkjet and laser printer installed in individual offices which do not support double sided printing, do not allow for managed certified ink cartridge recycling, and are generally not energy star compliant.
Moving to higher performance printer stations will reduce reliance on smaller, less cost-friendly personal printers. These benefits are similar to those already gained by implementation of MFDs in high demand areas including reducing the overall number of printers and removing low performing inkjets and laser printers with higher than necessary cost/page values.
Office and Workspace Initiatives - Increased provisioning of Laptops
IET has supplied and configured approx. 400 laptop computers for faculty and staff and will continue to expand on this program. Providing laptops instead of desktop systems to faculty and staff can significantly reduce the number of PCs needed to operate a department thereby reducing the amount of power needed.
A typical laptop computer has a maximum power consumption of 15 W and extensive power management capabilities. A typical desktop PC, with display, consumes about 10 times that, or 150 W, and has less effective power management features. The potential energy savings from substituting PCs with portable laptops are significant, particularly if you don't plug the laptop into a separate display monitor
- Remote Shut-down of Faculty and Staff computers
IET has implemented server-based policies which will remotely shut down faculty and staff PCs at a set time each night. Faculty and staff are encouraged to shut their computers off at the end of their workday, but any PCs which are left on are shut down remotely.
The remote shut-down of PCs helps to reduce overall power consumption. A computer left continuously running will emit 2161 pounds of CO2 in a year and cost $45 a year to power at $0.0372 per kWh. (a major cause of global warming). Turning a computer off at night so it runs only 8 hours a day computes to a reduction of 810 kWh per year, or a 67% yearly savings.
- Hotel Offices for IET staff (Spring 2009)
IET has made available drop-in offices at all campuses to allow IET staff to work closer to home on selected days which will cut down on carbon emissions produced by automobiles. IET management utilizes Virtual Private Network(VPN) Technology to be able to work from home offices which also minimize the use of the automobile.
- Teleconferencing
IET has implemented teleconferencing infrastructure and equipment which also allows for staff in multiple locations to attend meetings without the travel. Staff and faculty can initiate conference calls from their office phones as well as sign out a robust teleconferencing unit for meeting spaces from the campus libraries.
Labs and Learning Technology Initiatives - Remote Shut-down of Lab computers
IET has implemented server-based policies which will remotely shut down PCs in labs at a set time each night. This initiative, when combined with the shutting down of faculty and staff PCs affects over 2900 computers across all campuses. Approximately 97% of all pcs are governed nightly by this policy.
The remote shut-down of PCs helps to reduce overall power consumption. A computer left continuously running will emit 2161 pounds of CO2 in a year and cost $45 a year to power at $0.0372 per kWh. (a major cause of global warming). Turning a computer off at night so it runs only 8 hours a day computes to a reduction of 810 kWh per year, or a 67% yearly savings.
- Thin Client computer environment
IET implemented Thin Client technology in the Surrey Library in Fall of 2008. Thin clients are stateless, fanless desktop appliances that have no hard drives. All features typically found on the desktop PC, including applications, sensitive data, memory, etc., is stored back in the data center. Thin Client technology offers significant saving in regards to power consumption, heat generation, and life cycle.
Because of their low power demands, thin clients can reduce power consumption by as much as 85% when compared to a typical PC. With no motherboard to continually cool, there is not need for heat sinks and fans. This reduces the environmental control needs of a lab which when full of PCs would need continual monitoring due to the heat that PCs generate. Another important benefit of thin client technology is the long life span. While PCs are often replaced on three to four year cycles, thin clients have usable life-cycles two to three times that.
- Switch from CRT to LCD Monitors
Over the last five years, IET has replaced 1,650 CRT Monitors with LCD Technology and disposed of the old models at certified recycling centers. New monitors purchased as part of this replacement program are LCD Energy Star certified and all CRT monitors will be phased out over the next two years.
LCD monitors consume an average of 50-80% less energy than the same size CRT monitors and produce less Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Emissions. LCD monitors also have a longer useful life expectancy than CRT monitors, reducing the frequency of replacement and saving money.
- Video Conferencing
IET has installed video conferencing equipment in classrooms at the Surrey, Richmond and Langley campuses. This technology allows students to attend selected courses at campus locations closer to home thus reducing automobile carbon emissions. This service will be expanded to meetings which will allow staff to attend meetings without having to commute to another campus.
- Provisioning of Online Courses
Kwantlen has been offering Partial and Fully-Online courses for over a decade. With some course offerings available over the Internet, students can participate in post secondary education from the comfort of their own homes. This increases the availability of courses without increasing the space requirements on campus. Kwantlen saves heating and electrical costs while students see multiple benefits from not needing to drive into campus including less traffic, less pollution and less consumption of fuel. Kwantlen offered over 100 partially or fully online courses during the Fall 2008/Spring 2009 semesters.
IET Waste Disposal and Recycling
- Waste Disposal and Recycling
IET uses certified waste recycling companies to disposal of all IT equipment waste. IET has been involved with preparing and shipping hundred's of computers to African students in many African school's can have the opportunity to use computers with their studies.
"Many thanks for all your work and support. The computers will soon be on their way to really needy schools in western Kenya. You know the students are always absolutely amazed at the generosity of people like yourself. And these kids are desperate to acquire the technology skills we take for granted in Canada. Often to them it will mean the difference between having enough to eat during their lifetime and not. That may seem dramatic, but it's true." Bonnie Sutherland - Rotary International
For additional information, support, training, or assistance contact us,
IET Service Desk @ 604.599.2116
Email: servicedesk@kwantlen.ca
Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: 1st Floor, Arbutus Building, Surrey Campus
