Did you know that after office lighting, computers and monitors have the highest energy consumption in office environments? The processor in your PC which allows you to perform mission critical operations but can’t do so without energy to keep it running. The cost of using just one computer can add up to several hundred dollars a year. However, using automated power management on each of your computers / monitors, could add up to significant savings. The amount of savings depends on your/your staff’s current habits – i.e., people who usually keeps their computer on 24/7 could save hundreds.
Did you also know that studies show that 35-65% of computer equipment are not turned off every night and weekend? That’s 75% of the time, computer equipment is on when not in use wasting energy and precious profits. Even if you/your staff turn off computer equipment every night, check out these tips for energy conservation that you might not be aware of:
1. Turn it Off! (obvious one)
The most basic step you can take when trying to conserve energy on your computer is to simply turn it off. This sounds obvious, and it is, but getting into the habit of turning your computer off can actually be rather difficult. Thankfully, you don’t have to get into the habit at all. By configuring automated power management putting your computer to sleep you can dramatically reduce energy usage either whenever the computer is idle (not just during off-hours).
HOW: Simply go to the Power Options menu in Windows and set the computer to automatically Sleep if it is not used after fifteen minutes. Now your computer will automatically turn itself off even if you forget.
Don’t forget to turn off other devices attached to your computer, as well. External hard drives, printers and other such hardware require power in order to operate, even in standby mode. Turning these devices off will conserve even more energy.
2. Use Power Management
While we’re messing with the Power Options menu, lets also implement some settings which will reduce power consumption while the computer is still on.
HOW: Click on Change Plan Settings to open one of the Power Plans listed. Change the options here so that your computer’s display is dimmed after two minutes and is turned off completely after five minutes. This will make sure that your computer isn’t using much power if you turn away from it momentarily.
Next, click on Advanced Plan Settings. Expand the Hard Disk section of the menu which opens and set the Hard Disk to turn off after five minutes of inactivity. This will further reduce your computer’s power consumption at idle.
3. Upgrades Reduce Power Consumption
If you have an older computer, you might want to consider upgrading it. Generally speaking, newer computers components are far more power efficient than older ones. Replacing an old processor with a newer model can result in less power consumption. Replacing the power supply can also achieve this goal.
Of course, you may not be comfortable tinkering around inside your computer and decide to replace it altogether. If you do decide to buy a new computer, look for one which is Energy Star certified. Energy Star is a set of government standards for ultra-low power consumption devices. The Energy Star website has a list of all computers which have earned Energy Star certification.
You can also reduce power consumption by upgrading your display if you’re still using an old CRT model monitor. These big, bulky monitors use between two and four times more power than a modern, slim LCD display. This upgrade alone can slash the amount of power your computer uses overall. (Note, the larger the screen, the more energy it uses.)
Lastly, studies have shown that laptops require less power than do desktops (55-70 watts while active and 2-9 watts while off for desktops compared to 12-22 watts while active and 1.5-2 watts while off).
So, to wrap up, use power management while computers are idle, turn off (or completely unplug) computers / monitors off at night and make sure you are operating on energy efficient equipment!
If you would like help in configuring your computers to take advantage of these energy savings settings OR if you’re interested in upgrading / replacing energy intensive equipment for your home office or office, please give us a call our Help Desk Support Team at R&B Communications 530-478-1137.
