Green Computing

Wesleyan’s ITS department is addressing sustainability and technology across campus:

↓ Our Fleet	↓ Assessing	↓ Energy Management
↓ Double Sided Printing	↓ Backups	↓ Ride Board
↓ Purchasing	↓ Thin Clients	↓ Cardinal Technology Center
↓ Recycling	↓ Virtualization	↓ WesStation Post Office

Our Fleet

▲

• In 2007, ITS had a fleet of 4 vehicles: a van, a small station wagon, an electric truck, and an SUV truck
• We have sold the SUV, and plan to replace the van and car with a hybrid an/or another electric truck at some point in the future
• Now, in 2008, we estimate our fleet now produces approximately 25,000 fewer pounds of CO2

Double Sided Printing

▲

• ITS has installed duplex printing on all black and white printers in computer labs and in the Science and Olin libraries
• Computers in our labs and the libraries have been reconfigured to default to duplex printing

Purchasing

▲

• All ITS employees and managers have been instructed to include green criteria in their purchasing decision making
• Energy usage, source materials and components, and recycle-ability are all points of consideration
• ITS is working with Academic Affairs to search for green computers to offer faculty and staff
• New servers and network components are now being purchased with green criteria
• ITS has committed to purchasing of paper with 30% recycled content for its printers in all the labs and libraries

Recycling

▲

• All computers and peripherals brought to our Computer Service Center are either reused by other users, stripped for parts, or recycled
• The Wesleyan community is invited to bring e-waste to the Computer Service Center around Earth Day each year for reuse or recycling

Assessing

▲

• ITS has tested a number of computers, peripherals and monitors for their energy usage to have a baseline of technology energy usage
• This baseline assists us in evaluating the energy use advantages of new and replacement technology

Backups

▲

• Many Wesleyan users have kept their computers on 24 hours a day in order permit a backup process to run (sometime between 6:00 pm and the following morning).  ITS has begun a pilot program of “Morning” backups that occur between 9:00am and 11:00am that permit the user to turn their computer off when they leave work each day

Thin Clients

▲

• ITS is looking at a number of test environments for Thin Clients – terminal like computers that connect to central servers for applications and file storage
• Thin Clients can save significant amounts of energy over standard PC configurations and reduce the amount of heat produced – thereby reducing the amount of AC needed during the summer months

Virtualization

▲

• Virtual machines are being increasingly used to reduce the need to purchase new hardware and to reduce energy usage
• Terminal server is being employed to give administrative assistants at Wesleyan access to EMS rather than purchasing new hardware
• Permission of Instructor and Pre-Requisite Override forms are now electronically submitted rather than with paper

Energy Management

▲

• ITS is looking at various energy management options for putting computers to sleep or turning them off when they are not being used
• We are looking at centrally managed systems and local installations for both Macs and PC’s
• ITS is currently implementing a number of power saving procedures in computer labs and kiosks
• ITS is also investing in sophisticated timers that will turn classroom technology on and off when not in use and will be remotely managed

Ride Board

▲

• ITS has developed a ride board for all members of the Wesleyan community to use.
• Users can submit rides, or submit requests for rides to Wesleyan or departing from Wesleyan
• The ride board is part of the ePortfolio suite and is currently available in the Maintenance and Testing bucket

Cardinal Technology Center

▲

• Sells only recycled paper
• Offers external hard drives with minimal packaging and green components
• Recycles ink cartridges, batteries and light bulbs
• Participates in a replace-a-bulb program (each student incandescent bulb brought in is replaced by a compact fluorescent bulb for free)
• Offers EPAT Gold monitors for sale
• Urges staff to walk to service calls and not to use vehicles
• Highlights green products in a green sales display
• Is considering purchasing a cartridge refilling machine for ink toners

WesStation Post Office

▲

• Students now receive an email when they have a package delivery rather than a piece of paper in their mail box
• Enhanced recycling for lost mail or mail that the students look at and dispose of immediately

◄ Back to Home