Did You Know?
- A 2009 U-M survey identified over 160 server rooms and data centers on campus.
- In the US, Data centers consumed 61 billion kWh of electricity in 2006–1.5% of total electricity consumption and twice as much as in 2000–at a cost of $4.5 billion.
- Computers and office equipment accounted for 15% of the total electricity consumption(211 billion kWh) of office buildings in 2003.
- In 2007, Gartner estimated that 40% of the CO2 emissions from IT devices are due to PCs and monitors.
Use Campus Sustainable Computing Services
U-M offers a number of services across campus that can help you toward your sustainable computing goal. Check these out and let us know of others that we may have missed.
Computer Power and Patch Management (CPPM)
The Computer Power and Patch Management (CPPM) service gives unit IT professionals a tool to easily configure all workstations to use the recommended power management settings. Units have the control to recognize exceptions and deploy different settings for special cases.
CPPM is a cross-platform service, providing power management for Windows and Macintosh computers. Local administration is delegated to the local IT staff who determine how and to whom these settings are applied.
CPPM is provided by Information & Technology Services at no cost to units, with base licenses covered by Planet Blue Sustainable Computing.
Virtualization as a Service (VaaS)
Virtualization as a Service(VaaS) allows campus units to purchase virtual machine, which enable the services of multiple physical servers to be provided on a single server. Units no longer have to power, house or maintain physical hardware to provide computing services. In addition, units can easily change server characteristics without purchasing additional components or upgrading hardware. Information and Technology Services (ITS) takes care of networking, power, data center space and storage as well as the features of the server itself, such as CPU and memory.
Virtualizing servers decreases the total number of servers needed— providing savings in raw materials, manufacturing, disposal, and lifetime power consumption— which reduces the environmental impact of providing computing services.
VaaS allows the University to reduce the power consumption by computing services while allowing unit IT professionals to provide specialized services required by the mission of their unit.
Ink & Toner Reuse and Recycling Program (Office Max)
You can leverage Office Max deliveries to recycle ink and toner cartridges. Request a collections recycling box and give it to your Office Max driver when supplies are delivered.
If you don't get deliveries from Office Max, you can get a pre-paid collections box for UPS pick-up.
More on the Ink & Toner Reuse and Recycling Program...
Managed Print Services
Managed Print Services (MPS) is currently working with several pilot units across campus to evaluate their printing environment and recommends ways to save money and the environment through changes to their printing services.
MPS analyzes print, copy, fax, and scanning equipment to ensure it is the right size and in the right location.