Summary of recommended energy saving strategies

Be sure Windows is set to turn off the monitor after 30 minutes of non-use. This will ignore any screen-saver you might be using. Screen Savers do not affect energy usage.

Shut-down your computer during extended periods of non-use, but especially overnight and during vacations.

Connect all peripherals and other devices to a power strip to allow them to be completely shut off during non-use periods.

If any device has an LED glowing any color, it's using some energy. It should be powered down to be shut off completely.

Issue 40, Spring 2008

Be As Green as You Can Be

by Greg Ellis

Energy conservation is of increasing importance in our everyday lives. While this article is directed primarily at conserving energy used by computers and peripherals, the same approach can apply to all of your office electronics, including printers, scanners, copy machines, powered audio speakers, laptops, digital cameras, battery chargers, cell phone chargers, mp3 players, even staplers and pencil sharpeners.

Computers and peripherals have become more "green," in recent years, using less energy with power-saving features built in. One of the greatest energy saving technologies has been the switch to LCD display monitors.

Below are some general guidelines and considerations for reducing your computer system's energy usage. They fall into three categories: energy saving when not in use, energy saving during normal use, and computer peripherals.

Turn it off when not in use
We're not talking about shutting down your computer if you go over to the bookstore or step out for a cup of coffee, but about extended absences. Going to be gone for meetings from noon to 4:30? Consider shutting it off. End of the workday? Power-off your electronics — not just your computer but peripherals and other devices as well.

Save energy during normal use
University policy requires that energy-saving features native to the Windows or Macintosh operating systems be configured to conserve energy. This is generally directed at turning off the monitor after 30 minutes of no activity. (Screen savers do not perform any energy-saving function and will not be affected by these settings.)

Windows computers can also be configured to turn off the hard drive and go into System Standby, but using these two features may cause your computer to temporarily lose its network connection — potenatially confusing your connection to the P:drive or U:drive. Standby mode is a good solution as long as you understand the side effects it may have. In Windows, go to 'Power Options' in the Control Panel if you want to check your settings; Mac users go to System Preferences, Energy Saver.

Manage peripherals for conservation
Peripherals which are part of your computer system may be one of the most overlooked factors in saving energy.

Printers are one of the heavier energy users while they are printing, which is really only a small percentage of the time they are on. They go into a power save mode on their own after not being used for a period of time. Even in the power save mode, however, some of their circuitry stays on. Due to the start-up/warm-up cycles most printers have, it is not necessary to turn them off/on during the day, but shutting them off at night is good practice.

Computer speakers also draw energy because of their external power supply. (Newer USB speakers do not have an external power supply and are off when the computer is off.) Just turning off the speaker does not conserve energy; as long as the power supply is plugged-in to the wall, it is still drawing power. This is true of any device that has an external power supply. The best way to stop them from wasting energy is to plug them into a power strip which can be turned off when not in use; otherwise, unplug them from the wall outlet.

About the Author
Greg Ellis is an ATUS Technician working in Computer Maintenance. He can be reached by email greg.ellis@wwu.edu or phone 650-3694.

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