BCS Industry Awards 2008 Finalists

Carbon Control Software (CCS) has announced today that its PC power management software has won a place in the finals of the British Computer Society Industry Awards. The CCS software can reduce the power consumption of an organisation’s computer network by up to 40%. This in turn leads to a reduction in the amount of CO2 the organisation produces.

The BCS IT Industry Awards, supported by Intellect and NCC, are the leading hallmark of success amongst practitioners today. The cross industry awards form a central element to the BCS’ professionalism in IT initiative and recognise, promote and acclaim excellence, professionalism, innovation and the outstanding achievements to which individuals and groups contribute.

Carbon Control Software is one of 10 green IT initiatives chosen from among many entries to move through to the final of the BP-sponsored Environment Award category of the BCS competition. This category recognises methodologies or products which allow others to bring benefit to the environment, including energy savings.

The greening of the IT industry is becoming more of an issue with every year that passes. It is estimated that the industry currently contributes 2% of global carbon emissions annually, a similar figure to the aviation industry. For this reason a lot of emphasis has been placed on promoting products and solutions which can reduce the impact that computing has on the environment. David Clarke, BCS chief executive says: “In the current economic situation it is rewarding to see that IT is continuing to lead through innovation and deliver real business benefits. These projects reflect the fact that technology is an integral and expected part of everyday life and is at the heart of literally every business – even farming. I am particularly pleased to see the number and quality of entrants we've had for the green awards as this represents one of the biggest issues for the industry to address now and in the future.”

The CCS power management software works by placing inactive PCs into power saving mode or switching them off. Trials have shown that this action can reduce the energy consumption of an organisation’s computer network by up to 40%, which brings with it associated cost savings and emissions reductions. With energy prices rocketing and carbon reduction policies being implemented by governments worldwide, CCS has provided a solution which can actually offer users a return on investment whilst reducing their carbon footprint. A key feature of the software is the reporting module which allows system administrators to view their organisation’s exact energy savings down to an individual user level for any period of time thus allowing them to demonstrate both the monetary and emissions savings achieved. The software is unobtrusive to the individual user, can be configured to encourage regular breaks in line with DSE regulations and is a much more effective method of reducing energy usage than attempting to change employee working practice.

One feature of the CCS software which may have caught the judges’ eyes in particular is the link between the software and the global carbon disclosure network CarbonEarth. This website allows individuals to download a free edition of the software to run on their home computer. They can then upload their energy savings to the CarbonEarth site allowing other users to view their green credentials. The site also acts as an eco conscious social network; those who sign up can use the carbon calculator to work out how much CO2 they produce every year and watch as the map interface plots their carbon footprint on their location. They can also build a profile page and use the friend finder to search for other green-minded individuals and match their carbon emissions statistics to their own.

Stephen Grant, Managing Director of Carbon Control Software, said, “We’re delighted that the British Computer Society has recognised the potential of CCS to reduce the impact of the IT industry on climate change. The software is an innovative and effective method of reducing the computing carbon footprint of organisations and individuals. I’m glad that the industry is rewarding companies who make a commitment to producing environmentally friendly IT solutions.”

The judging for the award will take place in October with a winner and two medallists in each category announced at the black-tie gala Awards dinner in December at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Save Energy At Home For Free

How many of us leave our computer switched on even though we’ve finished using it? Every year inactive computers make a contribution to climate change in the form of millions of tonnes of CO2. Play your part in preventing global warming by using Carbon Control Software Home Edition. It works by switching off your computer when it’s not being used and can help reduce your carbon footprint.

Additionally you can share your Carbon Control Software savings with the world by registering with CarbonEarth, the global carbon disclosure network.


KEY FEATURES

• Switch off system automatically when home PC is left unattended

• Customise your own personal energy saving policy to suit your needs at home

• Define your own energy supplier tariff and system wattage settings to get accurate personal savings

• View your savings live in terms of energy saving, carbon reduction and cost savings

• Upload data to the global carbon disclosure network CarbonEarth and share your savings with the world

ADDITIONAL EXTRAS

• Specify critical software applications which may be affected by energy saving policies to avoid disruption

• Enable computer utilisation check to ensure that system is truly idle before enforcing energy saving policy

• Enforce manual system suspension operations at the click of a button

• Update your energy monitor client automatically using our auto update system

Download Carbon Control Software Home Edition (1.0.10)

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Carbon Control Software joins the European Supply Chain Carbon Council

Carbon Control Software (CCS) has announced that it has become a member of the European Supply Chain Institute’s Carbon Council. The Carbon Council brings together the lead organisations in both the Government and Commercial sectors in a multiyear research and recommendation programme. The aim of the programme is to develop and promote strategies for effective carbon management in the supply chain.

Carbon Control Software was invited to join the council after demonstrating the positive contribution it could make to the councils goals. CCS has become part of the Key Technology Management & Financial Solutions Group which will discuss and evaluate the various tools available to supply chain managers in their quest for carbon reduction, producing advisory reports containing recommendations. Other members of the group include IBM, Motorola, JP Morgan and the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Chris Gibson, Business Development Manager at CCS commented, “Carbon Control Software is very pleased to be recognised by an organisation that is striving to reduce carbon and energy usage through the restructuring of the supply chains. We see this as an opportunity not only to provide software applications but also to make a positive contribution to combating climate change.”

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.”