Green IT: Reducing the Energy Use and Carbon Footprint of Institutional Computing Infrastructure – A Case Study of a Mid-Size Campus Data Centre

Abstract: Rapid digitalization has made computing one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand in institutions, yet most server rooms and computer labs run far below their efficient operating point. This study applies operations research (OR) techniques – energy and utilization analysis, bin-packing optimization, a linear power model and scenario simulation – to (i) analyze the energy and carbon footprint of a representative mid-size campus IT facility, (ii) test Green IT interventions, and (iii) propose an optimal combination of measures. Using a synthetic but realistic dataset of 120 servers, 400 desktop computers and supporting network and cooling equipment, we show that server consolidation, cooling optimization and PC power management can reduce annual electricity use by about 62% and, with a 25% solar offset, cut carbon emissions by about 71%.