InfoTech

IT Energy Savings Improvements

A variety of energy savings improvements have been implemented in the Miller IT data center since it was assessed for both power and cooling in July of 2010. The study recommended that no further IT equipment should be added to the data center until the outstanding power and cooling issues were addressed. Through a combination of physical improvements and server virtualization, IT has been able to recover enough power to upgrade the research computing cluster and implement the new email and archiving infrastructure. With these efforts, we estimate that we will have sufficient power for future planned systems in the MITC data center.

Recent improvements include:

• Used server virtualization to combine many physical servers into a fewer number of virtual servers, dramatically reducing the overall number of servers. 91 physical servers were virtualized, resulting in power reduction of 53kW. 48 Email/Archive servers were virtualized, resulting in power reduction of 6kW. 
• Decommissioned 30 unused servers and storage devices, resulting in power reduction of 36kW.
• Disk Sub Systems & Virtual Tape Library replacements and de-duplication.
• Hardware Replacement: IBM p595, p570, 12 blade servers being replaced by 4 IBM p740 servers saving 14 kW of Power.
• Power density has increased from 500W to 1kW per rack to well over 10kW, some expecting up to 20kW.

Efficient Cold Aisle Containment system at MITC Data Center

• Installed cold aisle containment to optimize use of cold air for cooling of IT equipment only, rather than the whole room. This produces an energy savings of up to 20% in those contained areas, resulting in a savings of about 35kW.
• Raised the operating temperature of the ambient air in the data center, for a savings of up to 36% in air conditioning usage and a savings of 41.76 kW.

• Removed airflow obstructions under the floor whenever possible
• Relocated perforated floor tiles to optimize airflow
• Reduced the use of cable arms that restrict air flow in cabinets
• Sealed cable openings in the floor

• Sealed openings in the data center walls and ceiling to control air flow

• Installed blanking panels in equipment racks to separate cool intake air from hot exhaust air

Energy-Savings Feedback Module at MITC Data Center

• Added plenum extensions to warm air intakes on the computer room AC units
• Implemented new high-density rack standard, including power monitors in the power strips
• Implemented top-of-the-rack network switching and overhead cable trays to cut down on the amount of cabling required in the room
• Networked computer room AC units to optimize and coordinate their actions
• Used in-row cooling to target areas needing cooling
• Shut off one computer room AC unit

Even though new systems continue to be introduced into the data center, through power capacity planning, virtualization, and implementation of best practices IT has been able to reduce the data center power needs by 24%. These changes have resulted in a reduction of facility cooling load by up to 77kW or 50%. The total energy savings to the University equates to roughly 172kW of power. This equates to a reduction in our carbon footprint of 909 tons.

Sustainable Printing

IT also manages campus printing and seeks to reduce waste wherever possible. Learn more about our Green Printing Initiative. Recent changes have demonstrated the cost savings and environmental benefits of changing the way we print.

Digital Printing Accomplishments

1. Zero persistent bio-accumulative toxic footprint
   - Toner is non toxic and has a transfer rate nearly 100%
   - No chemicals are needed for clean up
   - No personal protective equipment is required, further reducing resource use
   - No air or water abatement issues
2. Reduced paper consumption
   - During Spring 2011, all Uniprint stations were switched to print double-sided by default
   - A linear cost structure makes short runs economically feasible
   - Shorter runs translate to less obsolete printed inventory and less waste
   - Targeted communications are more effective
   - Personalization leads recipient to electronic information
3. Streamlined production
   - Soft proofing eliminates resource consumption
   - Digital archiving reduces storage space

Consolidation Accomplishments

• Merged Copy, Production Print, Poster Print and Copier Management Services
• Eliminated internal competition
• Closed Floyd Street printing plant
• Matched capacity to need
• We now accomplish as much or more work while consuming fewer resources

Outsourcing Accomplishments

1. Waste Reduction: Large, regulated industrial facilities are better equipped to handle hazardous materials
2. Inventory Control: Smaller inventory reduced VOC’s (ink and solvents) and paper
3. Bottom line: Economy of scale and competitive bidding has lowered costs

Green Computing: Your Power Settings Make a Difference

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by environmental issues. Carbon dioxide emissions, energy use, landfills — there is so much to consider. When it comes to your computer, however, it really is easy to make a positive difference for the environment, and for your budget. The average computer uses more than $100 of energy each year. You can cut this figure in half with just a few mouse clicks, saving money and lowering your carbon footprint. The best part is, your computer already knows how to do it.

Power Management
The key to cutting your computer’s energy use in half is called power management. These are settings that put your computer into a low-power sleep mode after a certain amount of idle time. Touching your mouse or keyboard then wakes the computer back up when you need to use it. Climate Savers Computing recommends settings that put the monitor and hard drive to sleep after 15 minutes, and the system into standby mode after 30 minutes. This is all it takes to cut your computer’s energy use in half! Your computer already has power management settings—they just need to be turned on. Click the Climate Savers Computing power management instructions for step-by-step instructions to enable these settings on your PC or Mac.

Need help?
Contact the UofL IT Help-Desk at 852-7997 or helpdesk (at) louisville.edu if you need help turning on your computer’s power management settings. There is also plenty of great information about green computing on the Climate Savers Computing website.

Did You Know?
Turning on power management settings on 1,000 computers saves $50,000 and prevents nearly 300 tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere every year. This is the equivalent of taking 600 cars off the road!

What can you do?

• Enable power management settings on your computer.
• Buy an Energy Star-qualified computer. The next time you need a new computer, look for the Energy Star symbol. Climate Savers Computing estimates the cost difference at less than $30 per computer, and you will recoup that expense in energy savings. Learn more at www.energystar.gov.
• UofL's Green Purchasing Policy recommends EPEAT-certified computers. Computers with this certification not only meet Energy Star qualifications, but also use fewer toxic materials, have longer product life spans, and feature more eco-friendly recycling options when it is time to upgrade to a new machine. Visit www.epeat.net for more information.
• Always shut down your computer when your done with it and certainly when you leave for weekends or vacations.

New Opportunities

• Moving from desktop printing to shared devices in order to reduce energy consumption, waste from supplies and packaging, and total printing volume
• Switch to EA Toner and Solid Ink technology which has a significantly lower mass in order to generate less waste while reducing the cost of color printing.
  
• Adopt double-sided printing campus-wide. While this is currently encouraged as default, it is not mandated as such.
  
• Adopt “toner saver” settings campus-wide. While this is currently set as default for most printers, it is not mandated.