Green Computing

April 12, 2011

Fact or Fiction?• Using a screen saver

saves my monitor and/or energy.

• Turning my computer off and on reduces the life of the hard drive.

• I can use blank sides of paper to print on for a draft copy.

Green Computing?“Green computing is theenvironmentally responsibleuse of computers and relatedresources.”

Source: http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid80_gci1246959,00.html

How Much Energy Does Your Computer System Use?

• 65 - 250 watts of electrical power

• 150 watts for CRT vs. 50 watts for an LCD display

• Laptop - 15 to 45 watts

• Laser printer - 100 watts or more when printing; much less if idling in a “sleep mode”

• Ink jet printers use as little as 12 watts while printing and 5 watts while idling

http://ecenter.colorado.edu/energy/projects/green_computing.htmlhttp://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-electricity-does-a-computer-use.htm

How Much Can You Save?• Having a computer on

40 hours per week instead of all the time, uses $40 less annually in energy costs.

• Assumes 85 watts computer and $0.083/kWh

• http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_users

• http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html

15%…Worldwide Percentage of money spent on powering your computer dedicated to computing; the rest of the money ($250 billion) is spent on energy wasted in idling.

Source: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/home-electronics/home-electronics-statistics.html

Energy Efficient Computing

• When not in use, turn off the juice

Switch Off the Strip

Energy Efficient Computing

• Screen savers save no energy and do not save screens

Energy Efficient Computing

• Screen savers save no energy but Power Schemes do

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_users

In Windows 7, search for “Choose Power Plan” and “Edit Power Plan”

Old Computers• Repurpose, Reuse or

Donate• Recycle

– There may be a charge– Special days during the year– Households vs. companies– Sample: Best Buy

• Websites– M

ichigan’s Electronic Waste Takeback Program

• Example company: GEEP

Computer Recycling Video

• Recycling video• Things to look out for

– Where are they taking your equipment?

– What are they doing with your equipment?

Reduce Paper Waste

Before You Print…• Do you really need to

print?• Did you proofread your

document?• Did you print preview to

ensure proper formatting?

• Do you need all the pages of the document printed?

Reduce Paper Waste• Print as little as possible• Don’t printout emails• Try to email documents instead of

faxing• Smaller font sizes and margins on

large documents can save a good deal of paper

• Try circulating items instead of copying

• Use double-sided printing and copying

• Reuse paper only printed on once

Reduce Paper Waste• Use Review features within

Microsoft Word such as Track Changes, Comments, and Ink—no need to print to edit documents

• Be careful where you print• Copy the minimum that you

need• Teach students these lessons• Accept work electronically

Other Waste Reducing Steps

• Don’t print in color if you don’t need to

• Make laser prints over inkjet prints

• Make multiple copies on copiers

• Use 100% post consumer recycled paper

Don’t Make PhotocopiesDon’t Make Photocopies• Scan it

– You can store it digitally• It’s already digital?

– Email it• Don’t want people to

change it?– Turn it into a PDF

Going Paperless for Earth Day

• Pledge to refrain from using any paper or accepting any work on paper this Earth Day

http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/

Other Green Computing Practices

• Recycling– Recycle batteries, ink

cartridges and print toner

Before You Buy• Can you upgrade

instead?• Buy only “Energy Star”

computers, monitors and printers

• Buy laptops not desktops• Buy ink jet printers, not

laser printers for home usehttp://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up

IT’S NOT JUST COMPUTERS

Green Your Electronics• Tree Hugger Info

Digital Cameras & Rechargeable Batteries

http://www.steves-digicams.com/digi_accessories.html

Cell Phones• Never throw a cell phone in the garbage• Recycle it!• You can get money for it.• www.cellforcash.com

Lessen Your Impact• Offset Your Carbon

Footprint– Carbonfund.org– Carbonneutral.com

• www.ecobusinesslinks.com/carbon_offset_wind_credits_carbon_reduction.htm

Green Computing Pledge• I will…

tool4learning.com/gc

Acts of Green

http://act.earthday.org/

Some “Recycling” Videos• Hard drives:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQYPCPB1g3o

• Computer parts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1_uvM-5xKs&feature=user

• A car! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZDngpTmpzQ&feature=user

Green Computing Resources• http://ecenter.colorado.edu/energy/

projects/green_computing.html • http://

www.energymanagement.umich.edu/utilities/energy_management/computing/

• http://www.facilities.ohiou.edu/greenpc• http://www.environment.columbia.edu/

docs-wycd/green_guide/Facts.html • http://wiki.williams.edu/display/docs/

Green+Computing • http://www.uoregon.edu/~recycle/

Conservation_computing_text.htm • http://www.ecofoot.msu.edu/

documents/green.computing.guide.pdf