Green Journal: Rest Your Computer and Save Energy
July 9, 2007
Posted by CindyC in : Green Journal , trackback
I have mild gadget phobia but writing this blog and running Organicpicks means I spend quite a bit of time in front of the computer. Like many people, I tend to multi-task and often step away from the computer, sometimes for hours. For the most part, I simply let my computer’s power control defaults kick-in, until now.
An average laptop uses anywhere from 15-45 watts of power; a desktop uses far more: 60-250 watts, depending on the type and monitor. By putting the computer in stand-by or hibernate mode, I can decrease energy consumption to about 3-5 watts. Also, according to Microsoft and energystar.gov, energy use in hibernate mode is the about the same as shutting down but leaving the computer plugged in. For me, this is interesting and practical information because many people, including myself, find it really annoying to wait for my computer to power up, especially in the morning rush. Of course shutting down and unplugging will result in zero power usage but for me, that is not an easy practice to turn into habit.
Although this energy saving idea seems straightforward, I found there are actually some myths surrounding computer energy use including:
– Screen savers saves energy. So not true – in fact, some 3D graphs screensavers can use over 100 watts of energy – more than the computer itself!
–Turning computers off and on will wear it out. Unless you are still using a machine from a decade ago, this is not an issue.
–Turning off the computer will equal zero power usage. This is only true if you unplug the computer after shut down. By leaving it plugged in, the computer will still consume about 2 to 3 watts of “flea power”, similar to hibernate mode.
To be honest, I thought my computer was automatically hibernating until I rechecked my power management setting. My default settings for standby and hibernate (when using plug-in power) was Never, which meant that my computer was sitting idle, using full power, even on nights when I forget to turn it off. So my immediate action is to change my setting to the recommended standby after 15 minutes and hibernate after 30 minutes so I won’t forget again.
While browsing on this topic, I also found this interesting tool - CO2 saver from Snap.com. This toolbar basically adjusts your power management option to reduce consumption when it’s idle. Installation is free and easy, even for me. There are several management settings from mild to aggressive to custom. What is cool about the CO2 Saver is that it calculates your individual CO2 savings (from reduced energy use) as well as the overall savings from all toolbar users. Of course, you can achieve the same effect by resetting your own computer power option but to have an action turned into tangible results feels so much more satisfying.
So my green action tally this week:
Time consumed to implement this action: 30 seconds to adjust my power management option and about 2 minutes to install and set up the CO2 Saver options.
Extra Upfront Cost: Nothing
Resources spared: According to my CO2 Saver tabulation, I have already saved 1.02 lbs of C02 since installation (2 days ago). Collectively, C02 Saver users have saved 82,000 lbs of C02.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Previous Journal Entries
Less Dryer Lint, More Energy Savings
Seal, Mail & Recycle Old Cell Phones
Organic Gardening
Pump Up Your Fuel Efficiency
The Wife’s Test on CFLs
Green on the Road
Eating Local and Organic
BYOC: Bring Your Own Cup
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag
Copyright 2007 Organicpicks
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Comments»
CO2 Saver looks like a very cool product. Verdiem Corporation has a version designed for large networks (300 or more PCs).
Verdiem’s SURVEYOR software is a comprehensive power-management solution for networked PCs. It enables IT administrators to reduce energy consumption by an average of 250 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per PC annually, saving an average of $20 to $40 per PC, simply by moving PCs into lower power settings when not in use. Most organizations see a pay back within 6 to 18 months and reduce their energy cost, and carbon footprint significantly every year.
Organizations large and small are cutting the cost of running their PCs and freeing up much-needed cash for higher priorities. Customers include: federal, city, & state agencies, K-12 school districts, community colleges, universities, and corporations. SURVEYOR has been approved by numerous utilities, Seattle City Light, New York Power Authority, Southern California Edison, the EPA’s EnergyStar program, and the Rebuild America program.
Check it out at http://www.verdiem.com
Verdiem looks interesting and it’s nice that they are targeting businesses and cities where an implementation can save tremendous energy and carbon emission. Cool.