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Hampshire County Council's pioneering ‘green' approach to IT has featured at the forefront of an international conference showcasing the latest techniques to cut carbon emissions across the industry. The ‘Green IT 08' event held in London (May 7 & 8) allows businesses to learn how to deliver cost-effective, sustainable information strategies and technologies. The conference and exhibition demonstrate the latest green technologies, solutions and best practices, attracting key figures in business and IT from across the world. With a reputation for the innovative application of efficient technology and championing green IT strategies, Jos Creese, Head of IT at Hampshire County Council, was invited to deliver a keynote conference session at the event in which he highlighted the steps already taken by the County Council to reduce its carbon footprint.
Jos Creese Jos said: "IT has a critical part to play, both as an industry and in terms of what technology can do to protect our environment. Green IT is beginning to dominate the business agenda partly because it accounts for 2 per cent of total global emissions - the same as the airline industry, but more so because it offers the potential to reduce energy costs and the carbon footprints of individuals, communities and businesses." One of the County Council's main green successes is the refurbishment work currently underway at its main headquarters building, Ashburton Court, which will be one of the UK's leading low-carbon offices and is being used as a case study for best practice by the Carbon Trust. Sustainability is at the core of the plans which will see the building's energy consumption halved through the use of highly insulated materials and natural ventilation, the installation of efficient plant, heating and lighting systems and the recycling of waste heat from the Data Centre. The target is to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building by 60 per cent and two thirds of the energy used by the computer centre will be recycled to heat the building in the winter months.
Ashburton Court The introduction of new technology such as ‘Thin Client' computing has also been key to the County Council's green IT approach. This system relies on a central server for processing instead of individual PCs, which saves 792,000 kWh a year. With a typical home using 4,400 kWh per year, enough energy is now being saved to power 180 homes. Other benefits include reduced support costs and travel, with 22,000 fewer miles travelled by staff last year, a longer life span for equipment, and lower energy bills - all saving Hampshire tax payers nearly £1m per annum. Simple steps such as encouraging all staff to turn off their PCs at the end of the day and thinking twice about printing documents, have also helped to save energy and to reduce the County Council's electricity bill by over £100,000 a year. This comprehensive approach to sustainability has also seen a new, modernised telephone system brought in at the County Council's HQ buildings in Winchester. The system makes it easier for networking, hot-desking, and flexible and mobile working to go ahead, which means staff can cut their travel costs and reduce emissions. Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Ken Thornber, said: "We're very pleased that businesses and key figures in the IT world are keen to learn from and share our examples of best practice when it comes to sustainable technologies. "Working towards sustainability is not the responsibility of any single organisation, it is a moral responsibility for all organisations from multi-national to small businesses, and from international to local government. Our participation in this year's Green IT event demonstrates our position as a leader in this field." |
