University of Abertay first to trial free PC energy-saving software

The University of Abertay Dundee is the first higher education institution in the UK to trial the Carbon Control Software Pilot Scheme on its computers, which could slash its energy costs by up to 40%.

The free Carbon Control Software, manufactuerd by a company with the same name, works by providing real-time accurate measurements of computer activity on PCs and laptops, and puts them into standby mode during periods of inactivity.

The measurements are then processed and expressed in terms of energy usage, energy cost savings and CO2 savings when PCs are switched into standby mode during periods of inactivity.

This means that universities, local authorities, companies and organisations with an IT network can report and disclose levels of energy consumption as well as enforcing computer energy policies on their network infrastructure.

Steve McLeod, senior information specialist at Abertay, said, "Everyone is aware of how important a role IT plays in the running of the university and indeed of so many organisations, but not everyone is aware that it has a larger carbon footprint than the aviation industry.

"We were keen to see how Carbon Control Software worked as the university is working hard to find ways of reducing its carbon footprint, and after a demonstration we saw the potential benefits both financial and environmental," he said.

The pilot scheme is currently running on 150 university PCs and will be more widely extended if successful. The university runs a total of 2,500 PCs across its departments.

Software Innovators Aim to Save Planet and Pocket

A Scottish firm has developed software which will enable businesses to cut energy bills and their carbon footprint

Aberdeen-based Carbon Control Software (CCS) has pioneered a windows-based programme which will automatically apply energy-saving procedures to a computer network during periods of inactivity.

Businesses will be able to monitor how much energy they are saving as CCS will provide reports based on recorded data which will document usage and savings across each department. A recent report found that computers which are left on for sustained periods of inactivity could be responsible for up to 10 per cent of the UK’s total energy consumption. Estimates suggest that everyone in Scotland using CCS at home and at work could save the equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the road.

Stephen Grant, director and founder of CCS, said: “Our climate is changing and this innovative system will allow businesses to take a significant step in responding to the growing needs and concerns of our impact on the environment, whilst reducing energy bills.”