Sustainable IT
Beyond technological improvements IT Services is committed to sustainability across our organisation.
Learn about the initiatives we're implementing to minimise our carbon footprint and promote environmental responsibility.
Recycling unwanted IT equipment
We are working with our IT hardware provider to recycle laptops and PCs which are no longer fit for purpose.
Over the course of this partnership, the University has so far saved 44.1 metric tonnes of IT equipment from landfill by either recycling or refurbishing more than 4,500 unwanted devices.
When the University uses the providers app to book collections of these unwanted laptops and PCs, we also contribute to their tree planting programme and earn cash rebates (many of which are donated to charity).
Choosing a renewable home for our high performance compute facility, Viking
In October 2023 we moved our research computer cluster Viking to EcoDataCenter in Sweden. Viking is used to complete high performance computing tasks and supports research and teaching at the University however it also uses a lot of energy. We chose to move our clusters to EcoDataCenter as it is the first data centre to be made from wood and runs on 100% renewable energy; 75% from hydropower and 25% from wind power. The centre also uses the excess heat created by computer clusters to dry wood and create pellets which are a renewable energy source. More information on moving Viking to EcoDataCenter.
Reducing the amount we print
To help cut down on unnecessary printing, we have been encouraging staff and students to use alternatives to printing such as scanning documents to online PDFs and using assistive software where possible. We've also been sharing tips on how they can avoid spoiled prints. In response to the decline in demand following the introduction of hybrid working, we have also reduced the quantity of multifunction printers on campus by 40%. This project is estimated to be saving 3.03 tonnes of CO2e per year and was delivered by a staff and student-led Green Impact Project Team who went on to win a Green Impact Platinum Award.
Shutting down equipment when it’s not being used
We’ve created a process which shuts down equipment in PC classrooms when they’re not being used during vacations. Compared to our ‘always on’ approach, we have already saved an estimated 18.8 tonnes in CO2 and over £25,000 in energy costs. We’re also introducing occupancy sensors in approximately 300 teaching rooms to turn off equipment when the rooms are not occupied. Not only will this help reduce energy use but it will also decrease the need for maintenance, lower cooling demands and extend the lifespan of our equipment.
Auditing our data centres
In early 2023 we undertook a project to audit every cable and device within our data centres so we could accurately track the power being used by each server. Data centres are physical locations where we store all our computer systems and IT infrastructure. This project has enabled us to remove old and inefficient switches, track down department owners of servers and decommission equipment which is no longer needed. This had led to a 12.6% reduction in power used across our main campus data centres- a saving equivalent to that used by 40 UK households.
Adding the Ecosia search engine to PC classrooms
In January 2023, all IT classrooms PCs had their search engine changed from Google to Ecosia. The Ecosia search engine works in the same way as Google but uses its profits to plant trees where they are needed most across the world. The idea to switch to Ecosia was brought to The University of York Students' Union by two students and was implemented by IT Services. Find out more about Ecosia.
