What We're Doing: Computer Usage and Energy Conservation
It may not have an exhaust pipe, but your computer is a carbon junkie.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, computers and computer monitors in the United States are responsible for the unnecessary production of millions of tons of greenhouse gases every year. That’s because computers and computer peripherals consume electricity which is mostly produced through the burning of fossil fuels. The average computer consumes 1533 kWh/year, causing 1134 pounds of CO2 emissions.
However, it's easy to make your computer consume less energy. You can achieve significant computer energy savings by taking these simple steps:
Turn It Off
Contrary to what you may have heard, turning your computer off when you're done using it is not bad for its hardware. This environmental site explains more. In fact, shutting down may even extend the life of your computer due to reduced heat stress and mechanical wear. If your printer, scanner, speakers or other peripherals aren't networked, why not keep them turned off until you need them?
Switching off is an easy thing to do. It's remembering to switch off that is often the stumbling block. Stick a note to your monitor to remind yourself to switch off at the end of the day or work session.
Enable Power Management on Your Monitor
Many people believe that their screensaver saves energy. This is not the case. A utility called "power management" saves energy. When enabled, it puts your computer and monitor into a low-power mode after a certain period of inactivity. Also known as "standby," "sleep" or "hibernation," this low-power mode consumes 15 percent to 25 percent of the energy (or less) that would be consumed in normal mode. Because CRT monitors can use two-thirds of the total energy of the computer system, it's especially important to enable power management for your monitor.
A simple way to enable power management is to set it up manually by following these easy instructions, or contact your IT specialist.