Campus Energy Management via the IP Network: A Feasibility Study for Achieving Energy Efficiency via EnergyWise

Abstract

As energy prices rise and more attention is focused on human environmental impacts, organizations of all types are interested in reducing their energy consumption in order to lower costs, curtail greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and improve the overall sustainability of their operations. In response to that demand, a number of companies are developing technologies to help organizations to better manage their energy use. This paper explores the potential for one such technology, Cisco Systems’ EnergyWise software, to monitor and manage the energy consumption of network-connected IT devices on a university campus. Examining a pilot implementation of this technology at two schools on the University of Michigan campus, the paper describes the organizational and technical challenges that arose, discusses the reductions in energy use that were achieved, and presents the project team’s recommendations and conclusions.