High performance, low carbon: ICT and the environment

many people, including Mike Norris

Agenda

• The challenge• The ICT sector• GN3-NA3.5• Preliminary results• Conclusion

The Challenge

Climate change – some trendsClimate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, IPCC

Global & ContinentalTemperature Change

Changes in GHG emissions(source: UNFCCC)

Country GHG emission 2004 (Mtonne of CO2)

GHG emission change 1990-2004

Kyoto Treaty obligation 2008-2012

Austria 79 15.7% -13%

Canada 599 26.6% -6%

Denmark 70 -1.1% -8%

European Comm 4253 -0.6% -8%

Finland 71 14.5% -8%

Germany 1226 -17.2% -8%

Hungary 123 -31.8% -6%

Iceland 3 -5.0% +10%

Ireland 56 23.1% -8%

Poland 564 -31.2% -6%

Sweden 72 -3.5% -8%

USA 6103 15.8%

The ICT Sector

Trends in ICT sector

Data centres

• 120 x 109 Kwh/year= ~2% of global CO2 emission= emission from aviation industry

… we have to be SMART

Routers: a power law for power consumption

IT mitigation

• Videoconference2-day trip to a meeting 1000km away, VC can save €1000 and 500kg of CO2 per person

• TeleworkingEvery teleworker can save ~ 1 ton of CO2 a year

• Dematerialisation & substitutione.g. E-books, e-banking etc

GN3-NA3.5

Structure of GN3• Joint research activities

- JRA1: future network- JRA2: multi-domain resources & services- JRA3: enabling communities

• Network activities- NA1: management- NA2: joint dissemination & outreach- NA3: status & trends- NA4: liaison & support

• Service activities- SA1: GÉANT network architecture design & planning, procuring, building & operating

- SA2: multi-domain service operation

- SA3: end-user services in a federated environment

- SA4: software governance

GN3

NA3: Status and trends

Task 5: environmental

effect

NORDUnet HUNGARnet PSNC HEAnet

Environmental working group

GN3-NA3.5: work programme

• Baseline audits...... of GÉANT and partner NRENs, using standards, such as ISO 14064

• Best current practice...... and practical policies

• Final results...... and recommendations

Throughout, liaison with other GN3 tasks, with NRENs and with projects such as Canarie’s Green

IT pilot

GHG audit

Office Data centres- services

Transportation- commute

- on mission

Backbone network

Preliminary results

Office7% Transport

2%

Data centres36%

Backbone30%

Schools network

24%

HEAnet GHG emissionsPr

ovisi

onal

–

to b

e che

cked

GHG emission from schools network

School routers67%

Network + services33%

HEAnet staff commute

Walk or cycle32%

Public transport55%

Car or motorbike14%

Conclusion

Further work

• Wasteful redundancy – dual PSU and equipment resilience ?

• Does equipment need to be powered on if it’s not in service or likely to be?

Some questions that need to be addressed, without impinging on the level of service

Investigating RE sources

Caution

“Green struck my head open,and freed me from all thinking!”

From “Bus” by Marina Tsvetaeva, 1934-36

Thank you