More league tables!

[ServersPlus]

We are currently discussing a number of green initiatives with some of our IT vendors and I'm curious to see how aware EduGeek members are of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) and if you think it's likely to have much of an impact on your IT departments?

 

Have a look here for more info: CRC and State-funded Schools | Carbon Reduction Commitment .info

 

Once in effect, the CRC league tables will be published online and made publically available.

[Geoff]

site blocked in lancs....

[steve]

Interesting, not heard this before.

 

We are writing an eco/green section into our next 3 year development plan.

 

This year we specifically bought PCs with 80Plus PSUs.

[FN-GM]

We dont do anything as such to save carbon. We only turn all machines off at 6pm then they automatically come on again at 7am.

 

We did put a few timers on some laser printers but the kids messed around with them every 5 mins. The teachers couldn't manage getting them working again.

[Geoff]

I'd imagine just junking old CRTs/PCs would go a long way. However I think there are far worse culprits in schools than the IT. Aging heating systems, lack of double glazing and poor insulation to name a few obvious candidates.

[john]

110% agree with you on that! Its the biggest joke and waste for us, although saying that TRVs are being fitted as I type, next phase of windows will hopefully be forthcoming soon so we will get there.

[apoth0r]

Did you know your servers aren't as energy efficient as they should be!! For £150,000 we'll make them out of tree's which grown tiny eeee pc's and save you thousands....

We'll bundle in a free 8gb memory stick though!

 

Waste of money when there are industries who couldn't give a monkeys....

[russdev]

My topic of the month at moment...

 

I did presentation on green IT at Open Source Schools Unconference the other week.

 

As presentation wasn't recorded I am going to do a screen cast at somepoint but to give an overview main points are this: -

 

• Schools not getting preasure but will do as LA have targets and they are not meeting them
  
• Business IT (inc mobile phones) accounts for 2% of worlds CO2 same as airline industry
  
• Being green is part of ofsted inspection I suspect that schools will get inspected more on this area in the future.
  
• Also schools account for large % of CO2 admisions in a LA state
  
• Also helps electricity bills.
  
• We are at start of journey.
  

 

The fact is cost to sort other areas out is too large but to sort out IT and making it green would make massive improvements.

 

What ever your view bit of touch luck you head is going to get presssure and it means you will as well.

 

So sorry no matter what your own view is get use to having to deal with it I am afraid.

Edited July 29, 2009 by russdev

[Oops_my_bad]

I wouldnt worry about it too much, it's a flash in the pan idea and the novelty will soon wear off when SMT are told they can't have that new application or those new whiteboards because it will take them over their "green" quota

[russdev]

Sorry missed a point of my list green it is not about buying green or else but look at the options.

 

In the USA there is a system called EPP (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing). People have given it a new name Environment, Price & Performance.

 

So when buying you look at price and performance first.

 

Lets say two IWB at same cost but one consumes more electricity then you go less power hungry one.

 

It is thinking about enviormental side of purchase which as a rule not had too until know,

 

As for flash in pan if I was betting man I would say that you will see it get a higher profile in ofsted inspection which means guess what your slt will care..

 

Russ

[Oops_my_bad]

Lets say two IWB at same cost but one consumes more electricity then you go less power hungry one.

And if one IWB costs less but consumes as much power as a Boeing 747, which one do you think the school will choose?

 

As for flash in pan if I was betting man I would say that you will see it get a higher profile in ofsted inspection which means guess what your slt will care..

Then I will be able to talk about all our initiatives, such as virtualisation, printer throttling, power management, 85% PSUs, binning CRT's etc... job done

[russdev]

 

I agree but that is point about buying green you should not pay more for sake of it being green. But to be honest looking at purchasing is that last step anyway will have to see if can get in studio tomorrow and record this screencast.

 

Russ

[steve]

I've had a brief conversation with our SMT about green IT recently.

 

The general gist was, I can save you x over the next 5 years, but I'll need on av. y more per year to achieve it. (given X is less than 5 times y)

 

This means the overall budget is less, just distributed slightly differently.

 

It was received well and will become policy from next year.

 

I agree with russdev, this will only become more of an issue as time moves on. Maybe a schools greenness will be on their report card when the are introduced.

[john]

It will come more of a problem but my problem will be that a lot of the green stuff does cost more, we have 3 rooms of CRTs still and on my pittance of a budget I cannot afford TFTs, all 3 rooms are Design rooms so need big TFTs rather than value ones so thats out of the question. I have print management and lock them down but then I cannot make the kids pay for extra as its not the done thing , althogh staff will get a nasty shock when there fairly limitless comes down hard next term as they moan about being billed for toner so if they expect me to foot the bill they can be treat like children to make them think

 

 

We are expecting Ofsted in Sept / Oct (its been the buzz word around our place for the last 6 months that they are due prompt in the new year) so we shall see what they say, maybe if they state were not IT Green then the head may give me piles of cash to fix it

[russdev]

Key at moment the sustainable framework is not high on ofsted agenda at moment but all it is going to take is words from LA and government and inspectors will be looking at with a closer eye etc.

[john]

Key at moment the sustainable framework is not high on ofsted agenda at moment but all it is going to take is words from LA and government and inspectors will be looking at with a closer eye etc.

Ah right thanks for that Not what I wanted to hear in some ways but good in others. Back to my Sun-Ray plans for the future