School district aims to decrease energy usage

School district administrators are working to decrease energy use as technology use increases.

The Laguna Beach Unified School District’s Chief Technology Officer Victor Guthrie and Ted Doughty Jr., director of facilities, grounds and construction, are working together to reduce power usage across the district, according to a news release.

“I am pleased with the proactive approach our staff has taken to ensure we minimize the costs of infrastructure while providing the latest technology tools to enhance student learning,” Supt. Sherine Smith said in a prepared statement.

One way the district has started to save power is by installing a power manager server at the network core.

The power manager communicates with all 1,400 district computers and laptops through software that allows the district to tell the computers to turn off after a certain amount of idle time or to turn off automatically after school.

“This software will save energy, while potentially extending the life of our district’s computers,” Guthrie said in a prepared statement. “Another sizable benefit of this system is that the power management software cost was offset through rebates offered by Southern California Edison. The technology department staff will be able to monitor and review reports of the power consumption over time, and make adjustments to maximize the efficiency of the computers.”

The district is also working to save energy by buying Energy Star Certified computers when possible. A majority of district computers already meet this standard.

— Britney Barnes

Twitter: @britneyjbarnes