Page 1 Savings in Consolidating Machines Reducing Redundancy by Switching to Multi-Functional Devices on Smith Campus Chelsea Vaughn EVS 300: Environmental Science & Policy Spring 2009Page 2Abstract As conservation and sustainability have become higher priority issues, new topics have been introduced as potential solutions for making the planet a healthier place. Whereas recycling and rainforest preservation were previously the major options when one imagines how to be sustainable, reductions in energy consumption are now being considered as valuable contributions to sustainability. This project addressed a specific avenue of energy consumption at Smith College: the excessive use of IT devices and possible ways to consolidate machines as well as bringing awareness to campus employees. Two different evaluations were conducted. The first determined how the consolidation of a particular subset of machines into multi-functional devices (MFD’s) would change overall energy use. The second surveyed locations on campus to establish in which circumstances excessive energy use was occurring and if there was potential for reduction. The methodology for each evaluation involved a survey of machines and research into the energy consumed by devices at the particular locations, either via direction measurement or published materials. A total of 75 Canon copiers currently exist at Smith College. The number of Xerox MFD’s to replace them and the number of devices each MFD will replace has yet to be determined. One floor in two separate buildings was surveyed for the second component. The administrative building showed a remarkably higher amount of IT devices (and also energy consumption) than did the academic building. The biggest contributor to this difference resides in the fact that the majority of offices in academic settings have personal IT devices in each office, as opposed to sharing by floor. The simplest solution is to decrease inefficient older machines and excessive use in private offices and switch to password protected community-shared devices and MFD’s.Page 3Introduction Recent climate concerns have spurred conservation and sustainability to reenter the public eye from a somewhat dormant resting place. While some may view this reappearance as a first time focus on the environment, this is not actually the case. Environmental concerns have existed and will exist as long as the impetuses for them are in practice. For example, recycling became popular in the 1970’s (RRSI 2004), bans on chemicals for environmental use (such as DDT) in the late 1960s (Environmental Defense Fund 2009), and attempts to reduce air pollution as far back as the 1950’s (ARIC 2002). With the recent trends of climate change, efforts have increased to readdress environmental issues and develop sustainable technology, beginning with monitoring greenhouse gas emissions in the 1990’s (U.S. EPA 2009). Energy use is a concern that was not heavily emphasized in the past, but as evidenced by increasing commercials for ‘energy smart products’ (such as compact fluorescent light bulbs) and signs requesting one to “please turn off the lights when leaving, it is now receiving more attention. Furthermore, ENERGY STAR, which began in 1992, is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy which aims to help us save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices (ENERGY STAR 2009). Colleges are hubs of electronics and are therefore good targets for evaluating energy use. If the 5-Colleges are a representative example, colleges typically receive a lot of internal effort from student groups to improve conservation and sustainability. However, some issues exist undetected beneath under the radar and require serious effort to be addressed. Oberlin College, for example, works to address all facets of sustainability, even challenging issues that are above the power of student-led organizations. Oberlin has initiated energy efficiency measures that are somewhat common, such as purchasing energy efficient light bulbs and encouraging thePage 4unplugging of electronics when not in use, but they have also gone up and beyond the standard approach. A few of their projects include: dorm monitoring, production of solar energy, chiller replacement, and the well known Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, which helped launch the green building movement of the mid 1990’s (Oberlin College 2009). However, because not all colleges are as organized as Oberlin, other means have been created to assist in evaluating and developing sustainability on campus. “The Sustainable Endowments Institute is a nonprofit organization engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices.” The SEI conducts surveys to produce the College Sustainability Report Card, which compares colleges based on different aspects of sustainability, including energy efficiency (The College Sustainability Report Card 2008). After receiving a report card showing exactly what is lacking, a college can then work to make improvements for the next year. One aspect of this report card is climate change and energy. Aside from the previously mentioned energy-related concerns, excessive energy consumption by IT devices is now being realized as a significant portion of a college’s electricity pie. In today’s age of technology, it is not abnormal for a person’s office to be equipped with a computer, printer, and maybe even a fax machine. Place this setting in an office complex or an academic institution, multiply by the number of employees, and the result is a lot of electronics plugged in. Computers are understandable as they are often used regularly and are required in order for each person to function in their position, but other devices are not used with the same frequency. On a college campus, not only do students bring multiple personal IT devices, but each department and office has their own IT devices. Reductions for students are a different issue than those for offices. For example, sharing a printer, on a dormitory floor, which may contain fifty individuals withPage 5various schedules, is not really realistic. Departments and offices, on the other hand, pose simpler solutions because there have fewer people and IT device use is more regular and fairly