Penn Green IT: Examples of Success

Units from around campus are working toward making their computing operations more environmentally friendly. Below are just a couple of examples of Penn's Green IT Success. To nominate an example of Green IT success that you would like to see highlighted on this page, please contact Amy Phillips.

Division of Human Resources: Desktop Management Practices

The Division of Human Resources has implemented a power management strategy, using Altiris for its 75 workstations to make sure staff computers are being turned off at night and weekends on a regular basis. They estimate to be saving Penn about $7,000 annually in electricity costs. A central server automatically shuts down the computers from 9 PM to 6 AM every weekday and 24 hours for Saturday and Sunday. Powering up the systems at 6 AM in advance of workers' arrivals, mitigates the usual excuse people use for not turning off their computers---slow boot up in the morning. Kudos to the IT Staff in Human Resources for taking the lead and achieving this green success! More technical details can be found on the Provider Notes Wiki.

Information Systems and Computing: Hardware Recommendations

Purchasing standards have emphasized various sustainability-related criteria over the last few years. Buying efficient hardware, helps to steer Penn green. The good news is if you've been following ISC's hardware recommendations, you've been purchasing efficient systems, maybe without even realizing it. For example:

• The University’s primary desktops (Dell’s OptiPlex GX620 and Apple’s iMac) became RoHS-compliant in 2005.
• The move to Core 2 Duo processors (which began in fall 2006 and was complete by spring 2007) brought advanced power controls and generally improved power efficiency to the University’s desktop systems.
• In FY2008, sustainability was listed as one of the key considerations in the desktop recommendations, with specific suggestions related to system size and display life cycle.
• For FY2010, the desktop recommendations will specify 80% efficient power supplies.

For more information about hardware guidance visit Penn's Desktop Recommendations page.