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Energy costs have gone up considerably. It is important for the campus community to understand how they can help control energy costs. What follows are recommendations for desktop computer users to reduce needless power consumption; a chart indicating how much energy is directly consumed in using various Dell and Apple brand desktop and laptop computers used on campus; and a list of peripherals and their direct energy consumption recommendations.
Recommendations
- Purchase equipment that has the ENERGY STAR rating.
- Promote the use of shared network printers. Check to make sure that Energy Saver functions (if available) are enabled on printers.
- Enable Energy Saver functions to reduce power consumption during the workday. We recommend putting displays into Energy Saver Mode when idle for 20 minutes, with hard drives set at 30 minutes. For assistance in adjusting your Energy Saver function, please contact IT Support Desk at
- Unless otherwise directed by your department or IT group or letting an overnight backup run, users should power off their machines at the end of the workday. Check with your department for when your computer backup occurs.
- Have computers and peripherals plugged into a power strip. After shutting down your at the end of the workday, simply turn off the power strip. Otherwise, you will have to unplug external power supplies to keep them from continuing to draw power for devices no longer in use (speakers, scanners, printers, etc).
Results
The following chart shows potential cost savings for different computer configurations, based on an energy cost of 8.5 cents per Kilowatt Hour. In both cases, no energy saving settings are configured. So, with more of the recommendations in place, further cost reductions can be realized. The dollar amounts reflect a single 12-month year.
| Computer Configuration | Powered@168 hrs/wk | Powered@60 hrs/wk |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop w/ 24" LED
backlit LCD [290 Watts] Power Range: 180-540 Watts |
$2748.72 | $981.76 |
| Laptop (15" or 17"
display) [85 Watts] Power Range: 45-90 Watts |
$805.48 | $287.56 |
Printers
- Ink Jet Printers:
- 25 W/hr. Power consumption measurement is the external power supply, not the printer itself.
- Laser Jet Printers:
- 825 - 1100 W/hr.
Wear And Tear
Hard drives and other components are now better built, so wear and tear through daily powering on and off of desktop computers is no longer a consideration.
Shutting the machine off extends the overall life of the machine by having cooling fans run less, pulling less dust and dirt into the machine. Less dust and dirt means both a lower operating temperature (so H/VAC works less) and less wear and tear on the system due to heat.
