Greening ICT Programme (with JISC)

As part of baselining energy consumption and cooling performance Shiang Chin, 4th year student at Imperial College London, helped with measuring computer rooms airflow.

He measured airflow and temperature above each perforated tile and re-adjusted dumpers to maximize the overall airflow. There is a variance across the tiles due to undefloor obstacles which are not easily movable. Once the project “cold aisle” and “free cooling” tasks are complete we can re-assess and review how airflow changed and whether it needs re-adjustment. 
On the graph X axis is a tile number (from 503, entrance, towards 535, the rear of the room). Thanks Shiang!

Read Undefloor airflow in full

We see more and more that issues of sustainability appear on Higher Education agendas. And rightly so. Energy consumption is probably one of the largest single expense in Estates and ICT budgets. Recognizing this JISC have started the Greening ICT Programme and we were very keen to take part in it. It could not be timed any better – with tighter budgets and pressure to reduce long-term costs there are opportunities and drive to do more within public organizations.

Imperial College runs a Carbon Management initiative which has a separate project, Computer Room Efficiency Improvement (project no 24), and decided it had a very good match to the objectives of Strand II of the Greening ICT Programme and it would be a good opportunity to submit our proposal and jointly fund the project. And now, with funding available, we are in a position to start the project.

Read Computer Room Efficiency Improvement project in full