ICT and environmental sustainability

Nick Shacklock, Head of Network Technology, Becta

BETT 08Friday, 11 January 2008

Where is school energy going?

•School energy consumption is going up because of:–extended schools (7.5 – 12 hours a day)–increased use of ICT

•Just when we are being targeted to reduce them:–Climate Change Levy (non domestic energy bills tax);–Best value performance indicator BVPI-180 (energy/m2);–Planned ‘Carbon reduction commitment’ (larger LAs);–Children’s Plan – zero carbon school buildings by 2016.

What to do about this conundrum?• We won’t stop using technology in education

– ICT skills contribute to lower-carbon economic growth– proved to improve attainment– electronic registration reduces absences;– on-demand parental reporting;– use in lesson planning, preparation, delivery-growing

• We can mitigate ICT’s impact on school energy consumption:

1. in what we design and build

2. through what we purchase

3. in how we manage

4. in how we behave

What we can do in design / build?

•Avoid air conditioning through –natural ventilation–solar shading and light shelves–building controls–building management plans.

•Exploit waste heat from ICT!

•Make day-lighting and ICT compatible–To avoid having blinds down all day.–To reduce need for artificial light.–Whiteboards placed to avoid window glare.

What we can do in ICT purchasing?

•Buy Energy Star 4.0 compliant equipment.•Exploit the EU Energy Star database.•Set aside budget to prepare the environment that ICT will

be used in.•Laptops often use less energy than desktops.•Desktop virtualisation avoids need for local hard-drives.•Only buy printers which will print double sided.•National Audit Office say replace ICT every three years.

Managing and behaving (a) Reducing ICT carbon footprint

•Increase ‘enabling rates’ of power / resource saving settings:

– monitor– sleep – hibernate.

•Reinforce old cliché - switch off when not in use– monitors– terminal equipment (PCs etc)– NOT servers?

Managing and behaving (b) Using ICT to reduce school’s footprint

•Video conference instead of travel– (some) school visits replaced by point to multipoint

video cast.– Staff meetings over multiple sites.

•Home access to avoid travel for students

•Notes, worksheets and letters on web

•Set and mark homework online