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sustainabletimes 05 www.binfo.co.uk

Proponents of Software as a Service (SaaS) frequently refer to its environmental advantages, but how great are they and where do the benefits lie?

In order to find out, SaaS provider NetSuite commissioned Greenspace to identify, measure and quantify the energy-savings that come from using the NetSuite Cloud business management software suite instead of on-premises Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and E-commerce applications.

Greenspace found that the use of shared datacentre resources and the

elimination of the need for additional on-premises servers and support equipment, such as server room air-conditioning, reduced the average NetSuite customer’s electricity bill by more than $10,000 a year. Taking into account hardware, software licenses, maintenance, personnel and occupancy, Greenspace claims that total cost reductions could be as high as $100,000 per customer, per year.

Other claimed benefits of NetSuite’s offering include lower levels of paper use and e-waste and increased productivity.

www.netsuite.com/green

A is for Aberdeen

Active, a leading provider of sustainable energy systems, is practising what it preaches at its new £3 million Aberdeen headquarters.

A variety of micro-renewable technologies, such as a wind turbine, solar panels and a road energy system that soaks up heat from tarmac surfaces, will enable the 1,665 square metre building to be completely self-sufficient in energy by the end of the year. The Active Renewable Energy Centre is the only building in Aberdeen to have an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

greenAgenda…

Energy management at the workstation

Herman Miller claims to have bridged the gap between large building infrastructures and individual workstations with a new desktop energy management solution that enables energy consumption to be monitored, measured and controlled at workstation level.

Developed following Herman Miller’s strategic alliance with electrical and network infrastructure solutions provider Legrand, Energy Manager (EM) is an electrical circuit control system that connects building power systems with the modular power of Herman Miller workstations including Vivo interiors, My Studio Environments, Ethospace system and Action Office system. An EM unit mounted on a panel or inside the wall of Herman Miller’s frame-and-tile based systems controls two of the four circuits of power feeding a cluster of workstations. This enables a manager to regulate the delivery of power to devices plugged into those circuits so that task lights, printers, power bricks etc. are only on when needed and off when workstations aren’t occupied.

Power can be delivered according to a timed programme or workstation occupancy – EM sensors detect a worker’s presence and instantly turn on devices plugged into the circuits: when the person leaves, the devices turn off automatically. EM can be integrated with Herman Miller’s Convia web-based building management system, which provides programmable on/off control of selected circuits, overhead lighting and building control systems; and the ability to measure energy use and workstation occupancy.

Real-time monitoring and historic reports give managers the information they need to develop energy-saving strategies and optimise real estate usage.

www.hermanmiller.com

The cloud is greener, claims NetSuite

In a whirl

Visitors to Glastonbury will have seen this impressive 5kW wind turbine spinning above the festival’s main Pyramid stage.

The Skyrota turbine features a distinctive two-bladed vertical axis design that enables it to collect wind from all directions, unlike conventional turbines. Suitable for use in urban, rural and built-up areas, it was installed by approved Skyrota distributor and installer Sitec Infrastructure Services Ltd.

www.skyrota.com