Power Management

The use of power management can reduce energy consumption and cooling costs, reduce noise, and prolong the battery life of laptop computers. When your computer consumes less power, you reduce your impact on the environment and you also save the university money.

ITSD recommends that you set your monitor to turn off and your hard drive to spin down after a period of non-use. We recommend the following power management settings:

Personal Computer on Campus
Turn off Monitor - after 15 minutes
Turn off Hard Disks - after 30 minutes
Shut down - every night

Classrooms
Turn off Monitor - after 2 hours
Turn off Hard Disks - after 2 hours
Shut down - every night

Computer Labs
Turn off Monitor - after 15 minutes
Turn off Hard Disks - after 30 minutes
Shut down - every night
Or evaluated individually depending on type of lab.

Home
Turn off when not in use.

Windows instructions for adjusting power settings (PDF)

Mac instructions for adjusting power settings (PDF)

Recycle DVD/CDs

DVDs and CDs are recyclable plastic and you can dispose of them in the multi-use container in your building. If you have discs containing confidential information, some shredders are sold with a slot for discs. After shredded, this can also go in the recycle bin.

MYTH or FACT?

Myth: Screen savers save your screen.
Fact: Screen savers were originally developed to
prevent the permanent etching of a pattern
on older monochrome monitors. The same
protection occurs when you place the monitor
in a low power “sleep” mode. Avoiding the
use of screen savers on LCD and CRT displays
can reduce power usage while away from your
computer by 30-75 watts.

Myth: Computers have a shorter life when you
turn them on and off frequently.
Fact: Hard disks in PCs older than 10 years did not
automatically park their heads when shut
off, leading to disk damage from frequent
on/off power cycling. Newer PCs are designed
to handle over 40,000 on/off cycles, a
number unlikely to be reached during a
computer’s typical four-to-six-year life span.

Myth: Turning your computer off uses more
energy than leaving it on.
Fact: The surge of power when a computer is turned
off lasts a few seconds and is insignificant
compared to the sustained energy used in
keeping it on during periods of inactivity.

~Massachusetts Institute of Technology, August 2007

Energy Star

Look for products that are Energy Star certified when shopping for computers and other electronic merchandise for campus and home use.

Dell offers Energy Star

Dell is now offering Energy Star OptiPlex, Latitude and Precision computers . It is estimated that this could reduce as much as 78% of power consumption on these products that we purchase from Dell.

More Info

Dell Recycles Old Computers

Wondering what to do with your old computer equipment that you personally own? Dell has recycling programs that allow for the free return of all Dell branded product.

More Info

Apple

Apple’s products are designed to minimize energy consumption and meet requirements set by FEMP and Top-Runner. All Apple desktop computers, portable computers and displays conform with the requirements set out in the stricter Energy Star version 4.0 standard.

More Info