A Use of Computing and Chrome OS to Reduce Energy Consumption and E-waste on an Educational Environment Rodrigo Daron Wang, Paulo Roberto Janissek, and Mirelli Zanetti Graduate Program on Environmental Management, Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

carbon footprint, and that can be easily achieved by Abstract -Environmental concerns, specially related to use reducing power consumption as suggested by the law [3]. of non- renewable sources of energy are the main topics on nowadays business. For many institutions the To perform a present study, the power consumption of power consumption, even on standby mode, can represent different operational system was compared. Two operational most of the electricity consume. It has been observed that a systems, a cloud-based and a conventional one were large number of computers are normally desktops even if installed on different computers. The computers most of that are just used for simple tasks, like writing configurations were representative of university documents. A normal desktop consumes about 130 W, environment used to evaluate the leading to an expressive parcel of total energy consume due utilization on an educational institution. to its significance and number at majority of institutions. This work presents a cloud alternative as a way to reduce energy consumption. By using a computer configured Using less powerful computers also has the advantage to use just resources and services, is possible to of having smaller computers, which are going to produce much less electronic waste, also known as E-waste, when reduce the power consumption to a level around 15W with similar capabilities. This configuration is possible using a the device got obsolete. This work also estimates the e- cloud specific operational system, like Chrome OS or waste production over a time-line period as computers become obsolete. Chromium OS, its open source version. Keywords:Cloud Computing, Chrome OS, Environment, Based on its characteristics, it can be assumed that cloud

Energy-Saving. computers are good either for a computational point of view as for the environment, but this work also tries to look at the 1 Introduction user’s point of view. Using a different operational system can be a challenge for users wont to use the conventional Nowadays the use of internet services, like systems like Windows and Mac OS. To investigate the user Docs, Facebook and YouTube, are growing quite fast and experience, it was created an application that simulates the most of the time spend on a computer is on those services use of a cloud computing on computers usually accessed by [1]. Most of users and applications don´t need a big and students at the university campus. The user´s experience on powerful computer. The use of Cloud Computing cloud environment was accessed by a “not compulsory” operational systems, like Chrome OS[2], may in the near answers to a questionnaire automatically presented before future fill all the user’s needs. the student log off.

Google already released some netbook’s call Since cloud computers use servers to provide the services, ““ that runs on Chrome OS, an operational their power consumption and the waste generation becomes system based entirely on a . This work presents also a concern. But a has one benefit as different the results from a study to use a similar system as an clients around the world can access it. So its use can easily alternative for the conventional computers of a private be optimized, since clients from different time zones can use university. Due to similarities, the main results could be it. By this arrangement computers become more productive, applied to many institutions out of the educational business. and being less time on idle state. Another server´s advantage is that it can be placed near renewable energy sources, a Since a computer that just access the Internet can be situation not always possible for institutions or companies less powerful, and consequently consuming less energy, that need to be settled near big cities. Also a server can adopting a cloud concept can helps a institution to reduce easily be updated or recycled, since it has a higher volume, the carbon footprint. In Sao Paulo, one of the biggest if compared to from users around the Brazilian city it was already adopted laws to reduce the world. 2 Related Work Using a power consumption meter, connected to the outlet, all the 10-hour test was accounted on each round. Power consumption can be considered one of the The meter used on the test is the P3 International model major environmental problems, so the procedures to P4400. After the 4 times round of each computer, the measure are very important for the study. averages of power consumption results were considered.

Bianzino [4] had reported a method to compare Table 1 – Configuration of computers used to compare different computers and the power consumption of them. cloud and conventional system. His study presents 3 computers, being 2 desktops and 1 notebook, using 3 different operational systems. The power consumption was obtained using the computer´s native OS Computers Processor Operational browser to access the web. As results, the authors observed RAM/Storage System about 70 to 100% of the processor use, with power consumption in the range from 25 to 85W. Atom 1.6GHz Chromium OS 2Gb/8GB Cloud Souza et al. [5] present a study about the power Configured System 1.6GHz consumption of notebooks. The project uses a P3 International model P4400 power consumption meter, which 2GB/160GB is a very useful device to measure the capable of power and Intel dual core energy consumption. The power measurements were Notebook 2,13GHz Windows 7 captured at every 30 minutes and computers were analyzed 4GB/500GB in stand- by and active mode. As results, the authors [5] AMD Athlon found an average of 17.5W for active mode and a 5,7W for a computer on stand-by mode. They conclude that if the Desktop 01 2,0GHz Windows 7 computer were turned off instead of use on stand-by mode 2GB/200GB there will be a 25% economy on power consumption. AMD Phenon X4 Desktop 02 2,2GHz Windows 7

3 Methodology Conventional 8GB/2x750GB 3.1 Power Consumption comparison between Cloud and conventional computing 3.2 E-Waste generation from computers end First a computer was configured to use Chromium OS, of life the cloud based OS. This computer was a netbook with an Intel Atom N270 with 2GB of ram and Compact Flash card Another subject addressed by this work was the E- with 8GB for storage. This configuration can be acquired by waste generation from computers. The indicator of waste is about $250 dollars in Brazil. normally represented by its total mass. The computers on this study were all measured using a precision scale. As a matter of comparison, the same computer was configured for use the conventional Windows 7 The E-waste is generated after the computer end of OS. The computer was also compared to standard desktops life, when it is considered obsolete. The university where configurations found on the university campus were the this project was developed has a policy of a 6-year term of present work was done. Table 1 shows the configuration of computer life cycle, as was reported in [6]. So, if a new all the computers used on the test. computer is added to university today, it will be considered obsolete 6 years later. All the computers were tested on a same environment, for 10-hour and 4repetitions for each test. All the computers This lifecycle can be bigger or smaller on other were on an active state running a word processor institutions, and it will impact directly on the generation of application, and connected to an automated keyboard, that e-waste. With the historical data of the university it was could type at a continuous rate. possible to make a projected scenario for e-waste generation. The scenarios can be used to shows how much The word processor application was choose, since this e-waste will be produced each in the future, using cloud was considered the application used more often on a computing replacements or only the conventional computing university, and by all courses and degrees. system. 3.3 User experience on the use of Cloud After the creation of the scenarios, one analyze was done to find out the power consumption, waste generation Computing and costs for implement each scenario.The power The user experience is an important aspect of this consumption was based on the comparison of cloud-based study, since the computers need to remains functional for and conventional computers, using the average power the tasks and needs. An application was made to allow the consumption of each computer. The waste generation was user to use a simulation of a cloud computing OS. This calculated from mass of computers generated over the years, application was running on Windows 7. After the use of the taken into account the 6-years computer lifetime policy of application the user could answer a questionnaire with the university. So, after 6 years a computer is considered questions about his experience using cloud services and obsolete and the waste is generated. cloud OS. The cost of implementation is the sum of the unitary The questionnaire users responses indicates the major cost of each computer. The cost of the computers was problems of using cloud computing and also the separated in cloud computing and conventional computers. appropriated places or environment at the university to This cost was based on the Brazilian market, in Real’s, and deploy cloud computing. price on this paper were also converted to dollars using current rate, even thought this rate may vary in the future. 3.4 Scenarios about Cloud Computing 4 Results implementation on a university The comparison between the average power With the results of the previous parts, was possible to consumption of the special configured system and the create a scenario, showing a comparison, between the use of representative computers used in the university is show in cloud computing and the conventional system. The scenario Table 2. It can be seen in the Table 2 that the cloud system without the use of cloud computing was created based on can be very efficient, with only 8% of power consumption the historical data from the university, and applying an of a desktop. increasing rate of 5% per year on the total number of computers. Table 2 shows the historical inventory of Table 2 – Average power consumption from computers university computers and the future prediction. tested. The scenario for implement cloud computing was Average power created based on historical data to generate the main results Computers Operational System consumption (kWh) and environmental advantages possible to be obtained with the implementation of cloud computing. It was also took into account for cloud implementation the user experience Chromium OS 0.14

Cloud Configured and the university peculiarities. As a result, it was found that System is possible to insert, over the years, new computers using Windows 7 0.15 different configurations and a cloud based OS. Notebook Windows 7 0.21

The data obtained from the user experience, allows Desktop 01 Windows 7 0.8 deciding which computers on an educational environmental Conventional are possible to be replaced by the new systems using, for Desktop 02 Windows 7 1.74 example, Chrome/Chromium OS. The majority of university computers used at present time have applications (software) that already have similar versions online . As an example, it Even thought the configured system with Windows 7, can be taken the well know suite, which its consumed almost the same power as the cloud-based similar online application is Google Docs. system, the system did not run well, with some slower use, as compared to the cloud based or the desktops. The best way to add cloud computers in to the university system is by the replacement only the already The notebook had a great efficiency, but this kind of obsolete computers. This procedure will avoid more computer is not normally used on educational institution. computers being discarded, since only the ones that were The configured system was build to be used as a desktop, already destined to be replaced will be changed by the cloud with the unit connected to a screen. ones. The scenarios were calculated for 2012-2020 year time, for number of cloud, conventional and total computers The second part of the study was the E-waste on the university. generation. The measurement of mass from the computers used on the test allowed comparing the e-waste generated Some computers were considered not suitable to be when these computers become obsolete. Table 3 show the replaced, mainly because they use specific applications like mass of the computers tested. Those desktops represent equipment controlling and software for design and computers that are used by the university and the configured engineering courses that doesn’t have online alternatives. system is the alternative implied by this study as a This is a expected situation for many institution, but even replacement alternative. that a great number of computers are for non-specific use, as for research and normal students tasks that are possible to Another important part of the study was the user be replaced. . experience about the use of cloud computing. The first step was to develop an application to allow a simulation of a By combining the previously results it was possible to cloud-based operational system, like chrome OS by the user. create scenarios for implementation of cloud computer on a . The figure 1 presents the starting menu for the application university. The inventory database, used and a future installed on some computers. The application allowed the projection with 5% grow per year is showed on Figure 2. user, before closing the application, to answer some questions about the experience. Table 4 – Questions done to access the users experience on cloud computing use. The questionnaire had 9 questions and on table 4 are showed the 3 more relevant. These questions allowed the study to find out how the users were reacting to the system. Question Table 5 shows the percentages of the answers. Those answers allowed the study to find how many computers 1. How do you rate your experience using cloud were easily replaceable to the new system. computing? 2. How do you rate the idea of using cloud Table 3 – Mass of the different computers tested. computing? 3. Do you think is possible to use a cloud-based only computer? Computer Operational System Mass (kg/lbs.)

Table 5: The percentages of answers given to the Configured Chromium OS 0.9/1.9 questionnaire by the students Cloud System Alternatives Windows 7 1.0/2.2 Question Responses (%) Notebook Windows 7 1.8/3.9 Very Good Good Bad Very Bad 1. Desktop 01 Windows 7 10.3/22 23.3 38.4 16.3 22.1

Conventional Very Good Good Bad Very Bad Desktop 02 Windows 7 11.1/24 2. 51.2 30.2 7.0 11.6 Yes No 3. 65.0 35.0

With the inventory data, this study suggests a replacement plan, by changing new computers to ones using cloud-based operating system. It was assumed considering that not all computers can be replaced, since some computers needed to remain using the conventional system. Figure 3 shows the number of computers for each system over the years.

Figure 1 – Screenshot of the application dedicated to simulate a cloud environment use.

Figure 4 – Comparison between the power consumption from control (conventional system) and cloud-based

Figure 2 – Graphic with the inventory and the future system implementation predictions for university computers number

From the scenario showed on Figure 3 were created The differences for the two comparative scenarios on some graphics comparing the power consumption and the e- discarded computers subject takes time to shows up, waste generation over the years, to compare and find out the because the 6 years time to computers become obsolete. On benefits and disadvantages of cloud system implementation. the graphic is possible to see that the mass differences will Figure 4 shows the difference on the power consumption be noticed only after 2016. By that time, the mass of between the new scenario and the control one (with only a discarded computers starts to decrease due to the use of normal system). . By comparing the two systems it can be lightweight computer, with less processor power. seem that the cloud-based system uses almost 50% less energy demand.

Figure 6 – Comparison of the mass of discarded computers over the years.

5 Conclusions Figure 3 – Number of computers for each system on the suggested scenario. The use of cloud computing on a university or any educational institution seems to be a plausible idea. It must The figure 5 presents the comparison of the mass of E- be taken into account that not all computers can be replaced, waste that would be generated from computers discarded at least by the moment, mainly because there is not enough over the years. It should be emphasizes here a 6 year Internet services for all the tasks needed. Even that, there are university policy for computer´s lifespan and that the many places where the replacement can be done with great computer configured to use the cloud-based OS has advantage, specially looking on a environmental significant lower mass then a normal desktop. perspective. The power consumption and the generation of e-waste are becoming an increasing concern all over the world. This study shows that is feasible to use cloud computing scenario with benefits about 50% on energy economy and producing less e-waste over obsolete computers.

There is still some study to be done to reduce server power consumption and e-waste generation, but as stated before, the centralization use of the server allows the use of renewable sources of energy and recycling alternatives can easily be applied.

6 References

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