How Green Computing Can Benefit Schools

By making the transition to green computing, schools can reduce their energy consumption, save on their power bill, extend their budget and help to save the environment.
 
How Schools Can Benefit
At recent webinar on green computing, participants discussed steps that schools could take to reduce their energy consumption of their technology systems. This would not only reduce environmental impact, but also help cut their expenditures and save on their budgets.

Schools can benefit from programs such as IBM’s Big Green Innovations, which is aimed at helping schools and businesses design more energy-efficient data centers to reduce power consumption. IBM also buys back and disposes of used computer systems.

Understanding how much energy is being consumed is a major step to solving the problem. There are a number of steps that schools could take, beginning with calculating which systems are using the most energy and determining which of them could be placed in idle mode when they are not in use.

The IT systems account for an estimated 45 percent of energy use and power and cooling infrastructure accounts for 55 percent, yet it is also estimated that only 20 percent of the average school IT system is being used at any time.

How Schools Can Use Green Computing Practices

There are several ways that schools can green-up their computer systems:

  • purchase only ENERGY STAR-compliant products;
  • use an Intranet along with Microsoft SharePoint technology for posting internal information (schools can reduce the amount of storage space needed on individual machines and reduce the number of printed emails);
  • use server virtualization technologies to combine a number of servers onto one or two hardware systems to save energy;
  • cut power consumption by setting monitors to go into sleep mode; and
  • give students access to virtual schooling at home to cut down on the use of electricity and gas consumption. This is particularly effective for students who live in rural areas and have to travel further to get to school.


Arun Kumar, MVP, is the manager of operations for the Website Dreams-Central. He can be reached via the Website at thedreamscentral.com.


Featured

  • California School District Starts Construction on Public Safety Center

    The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) recently announced that construction has begun on a new public safety center that will house the district’s safety and security programs. According to a news release, the James Ramos Center for Public Safety will measure in at 17,140 square feet and contain the district’s Police Department, Office of Emergency Management, and cadet program.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

  • Image courtesy of MiEN Company

    6 Ways to Pull Off a Major District Construction Project

    Designing and building a large-scale project on a K–12 campus is a monumental undertaking that requires the right blend of ideas, funding, design and execution to get it right. The process also relies on multiple partners, each of which has to handle its respective aspect of the project while also keeping the district’s broader mission and goals in mind.

  • The Role of Unified Communications in Hyflex Education

    Academic technology and pedagogy have evolved in ways few could have imagined a decade ago. Today, hybrid/flexible (or hyflex) learning environments — a mix of in-person and remote instruction — are the new normal. However, as promising as it sounds, making hyflex work smoothly is no small feat.

Digital Edition