|
Saving our customers time and money while saving the Earth, one system at a time. |
 |
Enovative Energy Solutions |
|
|
|
Home -> Resources -> Twenty-One Green IT Tips -> 1. Turn It Off
1. Turn It Off One simple step can reduce the impact of your computer equipment on the ecology of planet Earth. That step is to turn off the power for computers or monitors when not in use. (Computers need to be properly shut down, of course, and not simply "switched-off".) Taking this step saves the electricity that would be used by the computer. But it does more: it also helps to improve the quality of the air. In the United States, 70% of the electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Every step in improving electricity efficiency also has the benefit of reducing the amount of air pollution that is created. Perhaps you are one of those people who are already taking the time to switch off your computer and monitor when not in use. If so -- congratulations! Is this really a problem? Depending on which survey you believe, somewhere between 50% and 90% of  office computers are left running
24-hours per day. While an office worker might be at work for 2000 hours per year, equipment left on works
four times that amount. Leaving the computer and monitor running results in 8000 hours per year of operation
(the actual number is 8760 hours, 24 hours times 365 days).
In some cases, of course, IT Departments request that office computers be left on overnight to enable automatic updates. But this activity is not something that actually requires systems to be left on every night. With proper coordination (or better - centralized solutions that address this issue), computer systems can be kept on one or two nights per week. Quantifiable Benefits In relative terms, the savings are going to be 75% of the cost of the electricity of running such equipment. In dollar terms, a system that uses 100 watts would cost around $96 dollars per year to run 8760 hours per year, but only $22 to run 2000 hours per year. This is a savings of $74 per computer system per year. In terms of environmental benefits, such a change reduces the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere (for the electricity generated) by around 1000 pounds per year. Other Benefits There are other benefits as well. Waste electricity often becomes waste heat, which must be cooled using air conditioning during the warmer months of the year (and, in some cases, year-round). Moving parts - such as spinning hard drives - incur wear and tear when left running. By turning systems off when not in use, you enable them to last longer, reducing the frequency of needing to replace or repair such systems. |
|
|
(C) 2010 Enovative Energy Solutions. All rights reserved. | |