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www.herts.ac.uk/computerscience

Paint IT Green conferenceWhen should I do my bit?

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Paint IT Green conferenceWhen should I do my bit?

Howard NobleOxford University Computing Services

http://projects.oucs.ox.ac.uk/lowcarbonict/

Wednesday, 8th September 2010University of Hertford

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Strategy A - Leave computers on all year: 110/1000 x (24 x 365) x 16,000 x £0.12 = £1,850,112

Strategy B - Power them down after work: 110/1000 x (10 x 223) x 16,000 x £0.12 = £470,976

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Why are idle computers left on?

1. To allow IT managers to install software updates and make backups

2. So computers can be accessed remotely by end-users

3. Sleep mode (ACPI S3) is unreliable

4. People forget to power them down

5. People don’t like to wait for their computer to start up

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Sin

gle

sig

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WOL web pages

Central WOL server

Central Backup service

FiDo software installation

Google Visualisation API

Central PMM server

Request wake on LAN

Request wake on LAN

Send ‘magic packet’

Request wake on LAN

Send ARP query

Sin

gle

sig

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PMM web pages

Register and wake computers

Centrally provided IT services

College and department networks

ARP query data

View graph - adjust behaviour accordingly

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Why do this?

1. CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/lc_uk/crc.aspx

2. HEFCE Carbon Management Strategy: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2010/10_02/

3. Help groups reduce costs and enhance their environmental performance

4. Help people make a rational response to the risks associated with climate change

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Consider a population where:

20% have reduced their consumption significantly

30% consume to their heart’s desire

50% mirror the consumption patterns of people close to them

What effect might the 20% have on overall consumption?

a. It will decrease

b. It will stay the same

c. It will increase

A thought experiment:

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Visibility of your action

Benef

it to

plane

t

Inconvenience to you

a. Turn your office computer off every day after work

b. Use 50% less water

c. Use 50% less gas

d. Use 50% less electricity

e. 50% fewer car miles

f. 80% fewer air miles over 5 year period

g. Extend life-cycle of an IT device by 3 years

h. Give £5 to a charity

i. Give £1000 to a charity

j. Persuade a friend to do any of the above

k. Persuade a group (school, workplace) to do any of the above

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What do individuals think when they see statistics that are meant to motivate them to

change their behaviour?

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The MO project

Open data Social capital

Culture of action on environmental issues

Access, store and share energy data

Visualise data so people can understand how they relate to it

Link energy data with other relevant data sets

Facilitate the emergence of trust and altruistic punishment

Enable people to form groups and make comparisons between groups

Representation of social capital

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Social Capital + Open Data

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Social Capital + Open Data