Global Energy City

Computers are GREAT we can connect with people, get work done, play games and pretty much live our lives on them.  But they do use electricity.  There are a LOT of ways to reduce how much electricity they use by simply following a few steps.  
A few things about a computer that you should know.  First that they DO use electricity when they are on, on standby, in hibernation and turned off UNLESS you unplug them.  Each piece sucks a little bit of juice while plugged in.   So when your computer is OFF see if you can unplug or cut electricity  to the computer and or components.  The easiest way is through a power strip.  After you’ve shut your computer down just flip the switch to off and you’ve stopped the power.  Flip the switch back to on and you’re in business.  You can also get a power strip like the Energy Saving Smart Strip With Autoswitching Technology #LCG3 (04940) that monitors one outlet and shuts off the others when the computer powers down.

But now the question is to power down or not power down.  For YEARS I’ve always kept my computer on.  Running day and night.  Haven’t had a problem.  But then if I count the number of hours I am away from the computer and the amount I’m on one I begin to see large gaps that I could theoretically power down.  From my experience as a help desk person powering down your computer does very little in the way of reducing the computers life.  The hard drives spin less, the fans work less and pull in less dust, less heat is generated and a LOT less power is used.  The suspend mode is a good step.  I’ve been using the hibernate function which also works pretty well.  I turn off my computer at night and on in the morning before coffee.  

Now when you’re working on your computer is there a way to reduce your usage.  First run only what you really need to run.  Turn off or uninstall anything you don’t really run.  For example there is a system such as BOINC which allows you to ‘donate’ spare CPU cycles to find alien life, cure cancer and AIDS, find prime numbers and dozens of other projects that ordinarily would require a super computer but instead use the consolidated spare CPU cycles of thousands of volunteers.  While a GREAT way to help projects that would ordinarily not have the computer resources they need. Running these makes your computer work harder and in turn use more electricity.  That cool screen saver that has 3d stuff zooming everywhere looks really cool.  But that also uses a LOT more electricity than the Blank and tons more than the Turn Off Monitor.    

Turn off components you don’t use. Printers unless you’re printing right now turn them off.  They suck power. Unplug unused USB devices (e.g.  your iPod or WebCam) when you’re not using them.  USB powered devices do suck juice from your computer and your wall. 

So in summary

• When turning off your computer cut the power to your peripherals.
• Turn off your computer when not using it.  It WILL survive.
• Don’t run anything extra such as P2P, Grid Computing and Screen savers unless you have to. 
• Turn off and unplug your extras (printers, cameras, mp3 players) when not in use. 

These should reduce your electric consumption.