ICT Energy Efficiency Working Group

Site assessments by SEAI Advisors across the country have shown Information Technology services to be:

• A significant uncontrolled energy user
• Responsible for relatively high night-electricity usage in large public buildings
• Driving cooling demand as IT service provision increases.

Potential Energy Efficiency Opportunities

There are several technology and management upgrade opportunities that are appropriate in ICT:

• Reduced cost of energy - As office equipment runs more efficiently, there will be a drop in energy consumption — meaning a reduction in running costs too
• Longer useful life of equipment - Equipment that operates at full power for less time will usually last longer and have less chance of overheating and failure
• Increased mobility - Increased use of laptops allows for more flexibility and mobility.
• Reduced mechanical ventilation requirements - Equipment on standby mode runs at lower temperatures which reduces the need for mechanical ventilation and cooling
• Protecting the environment - Lower energy consumption means reduced carbon emissions which are a major contributor to climate change.

ICT is a key service within the Public Sector, with principal topics including:

• Server virtualisation
• Cooling demand
• Best practice in day-to-day operations.
• Identification and billing of energy usage

SEAI is facilitating an ICT group, bringing together principle stakeholders and leaders in energy efficiency to develop methods to improve energy efficiency. 

Membership includes:

• Local authorities
• National and international experts on data centres, green IT and cooling
• Key stakeholders in Public Sector IT
• SEAI

The Working Groups developed a number of work streams to support energy efficiency in ICT services including:

• Best practice guides
• Identification of barriers to widespread replication & their respective solutions
• Identification of training requirements for stakeholders.
• Design for energy efficiency – Guideline requirements and specifications.
• Case studies of work completed
• Summary report of policy recommendations.

These outcomes are available to download here