ICT And Sustainability

There are sustainability issues to be considered in the technology choices we make. Queen Margaret University has decided to use 'thin client' technology whereby PC users do not have hard disk drives at their desks as the hardware and software is stored on a central server. This minimises heat generation and therefore reduces the need for ventilation. Other organisations have gone for flat screen monitors for similar reasons.

The issue of sustainability is also one of ensuring that our spaces remain able to support current models of learning and teaching as they evolve. In the section on Pace Layering we identified technology as one of the most short-lived elements of a building and your vision must take into account a planned replacement cycle for the technology.

Edinburgh's Telford College took the approach of standardising all of its IT equipment when it moved to the new campus (although some of the equipment was purchased prior to the move so that staff could get used to it). There are clear user benefits in having the same equipment in all rooms and the College considered its replacement cycle right from the outset. It estimated the lifespan of the various components as:

• 2 years - laptops
• 3 years - desktop machines
• 4 years - servers
• 5 years - voice and data communications
• 10 years - wiring/infrastructure etc

In planning for financial sustainability the College knows exactly when the spend will occur. All end-user equipment is leased. Servers and infrastructure were initially funded from capital funds although servers will also be leased on renewal. The College has found this to be the most effective option as the leasing company can reclaim VAT which means that they are paying 82-90 pence in the pound over the lifespan of the equipment.

There are numerous logistical issues to be addressed when it is time for replacement. The College has 1,250 items of end-user equipment and the original installation took eight weeks to roll out in the new building. In the live situation there are however only six weeks between the end of one academic year and the beginning of the next. Various options are being considered including rollout at 50% per year over two years or using both the Easter and Summer breaks.

The issue of sustainability also applies to the management of technology. Newcastle College estimates it has saved £45k per annum by introducing an automated system whereby a server powers up PCs in sequence after 7.30am (thus reducing power surges) and turns off every PC at 9pm. Whilst the situation may be more complex to manage in research intensive institutions it is likely that many institutions could make similar savings.