Saving the Earth with your PC
You don’t have to plant trees every weekend or join rallies in front
of major polluting countries’ embassies. You can show your love for the
environment and reduce your carbon footprint even if you’re just at
home surfing the Internet! With your computer, some tips and a plan, of
course you can!
Here are some ways to do that!
Use energy-saving features
In an office, the devices that are largely responsible for energy
consumption are desktop computers and laser printers. Save energy by
putting electronic devices on “sleep mode” especially when they’re not
in use.
Better yet, configure the hard drives to sleep when inactive. Click
on the Control Panel to access the Power Options to do this. Standard
displays already use up to about 80 watts.
Shut down computers
When the workday is over, during weekends and holiday periods, turn
off computers. Don’t just leave it on thinking it will be faster for
you to log in when you get back.
Switch off the monitor when idle
If you want to leave the office for lunch, or have a class to attend
to, switch off the monitor. Older models of monitors are the most
power-consuming parts of the computer. CPUs and video cards are next.
Don’t count on screen savers
Screen savers do nothing to lessen energy consumption.
Use LCD monitors
They consume half the energy of older versions (CRT or Cathode Ray
Tube monitors) and generate less heat (You can monitor the energy your
computer consumes by the amount of heat they produce).
Disconnect extras
Remove drives, extra USBs, printers and other peripherals that are
not in use. This saves only a few watts, but it adds up in the end, as
the computer won’t have to keep processing data that is not needed yet.
Choose computer parts wisely
For example, Intel’s Pentium 4 series guzzles up more power than AMD
counterparts. Inkjet printers use up less energy than lasers. Do the
research.
Have an efficient power supply
When there’s inefficient power supply, it means that some of the
power that’s supposed to go to your PC gets lost in the process of
changing or converting power from the wall to something the PC can use. Two options are Antec, which offers its EarthWatts power supply and FSP Group's fanless power supply, which offers an 83 percent efficiency at 90w load.
Use notebooks or laptops
They are built to run efficiently on minimal power to extend battery life. Compared to desktops, laptops use up less energy.
Save power indirectly
By turning off computers, your PC can stop the heat it generates.
The more computers working in a room or office, the more air
conditioning units compensate to cool the area. So consult with the
local IT staff for computer use practices that can add up to the
energy-saving initiative.
In Cebu City, local businessmen have already appealed to the public
to adopt energy-efficient practices considering the Central Visayas
region’s lack of power sources. Cebu City Chamber of
Commerce President Edward Gaisano said in a statement that knowing how
much energy you are using, where it goes and if you are using more than
you should is the key to energy-saving initiatives.
Save energy. Do your part in saving the Earth with your computer!
Sources:
“Energy Conservation for Office Computers.” Retrieved March 22, 2009 from
http://computing.wayne.edu/hardware/saveenergy.php
McDonough, Andy. “Cut Costs, Conserve Energy with PC Power Management.” Retrieved March 22, 2009
from
http://www.crn.com/white-box/199501000;jsessionid=EQQ5I2R3AET3YQSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN?pgno=2
Villamor, Marites. “Cebu businessmen call for energy conservation.” Retrieved March 22, 2009 from
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/110984/Cebu-businessmen-call-for-energy-conservation
(Published 07 April 2009, Smart Communications, Inc.)
