All museum staff have access to computers and there is an ever growing list of computer-based tasks.  Expansion has happened quite markedly in the past 10 years and there has been a growth in power consumption due to the increasing numbers of PCs and, as a result, the costs of electricity to facilitate their use has risen dramatically, alongside the associated carbon dioxide (C02) emissions.
 
Dr Jonathan Moffett (right) of the Ashmolean Museum said, “Computers were frequently left on day and night and even over the weekends and understanding that a single PC can waste as much as £50 per year and be responsible for a quarter tonne of C02 if left on is quite shocking.  Typically in an educational establishment or public space it is often unclear who should be switching off equipment and we needed something that would address this issue.”
 
The Ashmolean Museum choose PC Power Down, a Qubic Group owned company, offering a simple, easily managed solution which ensures computers are switched off when not needed and are powered up and ready when required.  Via scheduling software, the administrator sets a time of day for them to switch off and switch back on just prior to use.  PCs can be programmed in two different ways; using the ‘Hibernate’ or ‘Shut down’ function in Microsoft Windows. 

Even if the PC has been switched off via PC Power Down, it can still be switched on manually, and it also offers a web-based remote wake-up facility that allows authorised users to switch a PC on using a web browser.
 
“PC Power Down delivers value by providing tangible evidence of cost savings that can be factored into the overall objectives, while it also off-loads ‘carbon guilt’ to an automated managed platform, says Dr Jonathan Moffett. " The administration interface is well designed with intuitive controls, and technically the small memory footprint on the server and of the client software make it very straightforward to roll out.  This is backed by excellent support from PC Power Down and goes a long way in supporting our green IT initiative."
 
Gary Shepherd of PC Power Down said, “A recent study undertaken within a British University showed the savings generated by PC Power Down covered its costs in just a few weeks: accessing the HEFCE Rolling Green Fund reduced the payback period to less than two weeks.  We plan to extend the use of PC Power Down to control other devices in the Ashmolean such as network printers, photocopiers, water coolers and other ICT.”

The panoramic Pitt Rivers Museum

And as you're visiting one Oxford Museum, of the classic variety, you should also spare the time to drop into the Pitt Rivers Museum, by going  here and alight on any one of the red dots to get yourself a panaramic view of that unforgettable main court with its splendid higher and lower displays, not to mention the blissful drawers, just at the right level for easy child viewing.

Like this: Or even this but better, because on the web you can pull to change the view, until you are giddy from this cornucopia of and beautiful historical objects.