Personal Computing Environmental Policy
1. Purpose
The purpose of the policy is to manage the lifecycle of computers in accordance with
environmentally sustainable practices.
2. Scope
This policy covers all desktop and laptop computers, notebooks, tablets, monitors or related peripherals such as a keyboard, mouse, etc., referred to in this document as “computing assets,” provided by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (FRA).
3. Applicability
This policy applies to all FRA employees and subcontractors and Fermilab users and affiliates.
4. Effective Date and Date Reviewed/Updated
This policy went into effect on Oct. 27, 2008, and its update was effective on April 18, 2022.
5. Policy
Fermilab is contractually committed to meeting the prescribed Federal Acquisition Regulation goals for electronic assets by purchasing qualified computing equipment which meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registration requirements. Requisitioners must provide justification for any acquisitions that are not EPEAT registered. These justifications must be reviewed and approved by a designated approver. Purchases that may cause the failure to meet these goals may be denied.
Computing assets must be operated in an energy efficient manner. EPEAT defines standards for power management of monitors, laptops, desktops, and printers. Power Management settings are enforced via the appropriate central management mechanism. The Power Management requirements for desktop operating systems can be found in the respective baseline documents: Mac OSX Baseline, Scientific Linux Fermi Configuration Baseline, and Windows Client Configuration Baseline. Any monitor, laptop, or desktop that cannot meet the Power Management settings must have an approved variance.
Disposal of Fermilab’s computing assets will be managed in an environmentally sound manner and is detailed and coordinated by the Facilities Engineering Services Section’s Property Management Department.
6. Definitions
Fermilab is the physical site and property that is the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Fermi Research Alliance, LLC is the operator and manager of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory under Department of Energy Prime Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359 and is the principal employer of personnel working at Fermilab.
Computing assets are desktop and laptop computers, notebooks, tablets, monitors and all related peripherals owned by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (FRA) and/or at the Fermilab campus in Batavia, IL or in Lead, SD.
Peripherals - any external device that provides input and output for a computer, laptop, notebooks, tablets, etc., including a keyboard, mouse, printer or monitor.
Property custodian is the person who is responsible for the physical equipment.
7. Responsibilities
Core Computing Division Desktop Engineering Department - specifies computers, devices and peripherals that are EPEAT certified for purchase and oversees the purchase of computers, devices and peripherals and reviews exemption requests for custom orders.
Procurement Department – performs verification for each product offering and ensures that each purchase of that product meets EPEAT requirements.
Fermilab Property Office – responsible for proper disposal of equipment per EPEAT requirements.
Property Custodian – procures new computing assets using the ServiceNow Order Hardware request process; keeps track of location of equipment at all times while they are the custodian; turns in any computing assets they wish to dispose of to the Property Office.
8. Authorities
Federal Acquisition Regulation (23.704) , United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) requirements, which require that 95% of all federal electronic product acquisitions be EPEAT-registered products
9. Owner
The head of Core Computing Division is the owner of this policy.
10. Review Cycle
This policy shall be reviewed every 2 years.
11. Communication Plan
The requirements of this policy shall be communicated by the Core Computing Division head to all employees. This policy shall be available in the Fermilab policy database. The Core Computing Division head is responsible for the communication of this policy.