Computer Green

Source: http://thefutureofthings.com



About a week ago, while I was at my desk in the Bioinformatics Computer Lab at Ohio University, a new computer was purchased for one of the more senior graduate students. This student offered me his computer which was being replaced with the new computer. I accepted his offer and he placed his old computer on my desk. A few days later I found a little time and was able to connect the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and computer together to make a functioning component. I turned on the computer and this unit had a Linux operating system rather than the Windows operating system that I am accustomed to. I explored this computer a little and then I decided that I would continue my exploration later when I had more time. I searched extensively for the log out button and was not able to locate it. Just then the previous owner walked in and so I asked him how to turn off the computer. He gave me a confused look and asked “Why on earth would you want to turn it off?” He pointed around the room and showed me about 15 unused computers that were left running with nobody at their stations. I thought that everybody turned off their computer when they were done, just like turning off the lights when you leave the room. As I left the Bioinformatics lab I looked into the three other computer labs located in the same hallway and there were approximately fifty unmanned computers. In the students computer lab down the hall there were another forty computers, all running and no students around. Also, on this floor are numerous offices with numerous computers. How many of these computers are running without anybody using them?

According to Murugesan, each personal computer in use generates one ton of carbon dioxide every year. This is because computers use electricity and electricity is made by burning coal which in turn generates carbon dioxide. According to Gingichashvilli, environmental experts calculate the amount of electricity a computer uses over its lifetime and then they are able to determine how much carbon dioxide it will emit into the atmosphere during its operation. Gingichashvilli suggests that we look into alternative sources of energy such as solar power, in order to reduce the burning of coal. Another suggestion is that we calculate how much carbon dioxide a tree will absorb as it grows and plant the required number of trees in the area were the computers are purchased.

Although it is not always feasible for us to install solar panels, there are other options available. These options do not cost a lot of money and we can conserve the energy that our computers use (Pash). One of the simplest solutions would be to just turn off our computer when we are not using it. The amount of energy we would save is well worth the extra time it takes to re-start our computer. If we want to save re-start time then we can set our computer to go into standby or hibernate mode when we are not using it. In standby mode, the power is turned off to items like the monitor and hard drive. You are using very little power but your computer is still on (Trapani). Because your settings are loaded into the random access memory (RAM), which is your working memory and not your hard drive, your computer responds quickly when it restarts. On the other hand, when you use hibernate mode all of the settings are written onto the hard drive and your computer shuts down completely and is not using any power (Trapani). Because all of the settings were written on the hard drive, your computer will return to its normal state when it is restarted. In order to access the hibernate settings in Windows, open the Control Panel and click on the Power Settings icon and then click on the Hibernate tab.

In 1992 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated an energy-management program called Energy Star (Gingichashvilli). In order for a computer to be labeled as Energy Star compliant it must meet certain energy consumption requirements. Any computer purchased by the Federal Government must meet the Energy Star guidelines. According to the Energy Star website, if every computer sold was Energy Star compliant then $1.5 billion in energy costs would be saved and the amount of greenhouse gases reduced would be equal to those emitted from 2 million vehicles. Part of the Energy Star requirements is that the computer must be able to reduce its power usage when it is not being used. The Energy Star website also claims that 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics and appliances is consumed while the product is turned off. Because of this, they recommend that you plug your computer, monitor and printer into a power strip and then turn off the power strip when you are done using your computer. AC power adapters for laptop computers, and cell phones, use power even when they are not plugged into the computer and it is also recommended that you unplug them when they are not in use.

Most people think that screen savers save energy that is used by the monitor but this is a misconception (Gingichashvilli). If you want to save energy then you need to turn the monitor off or place it in sleep mode. If you are going to be away from your computer for more than twenty minutes, then turn off your monitor. If you are going to be away from your computer for more than two hours then turn off the computer and the monitor (Energy Star).

A lot of people think that they will shorten the life of their computer by turning it on and off. The reality is that the life span of electronics is determined by the total time the apparatus is in use and by its temperature (Murugesan). Therefore, when we turn off our electronic equipment we are extending its life by reducing the total time it is operational and by reducing its temperature. Most people are not aware that they could make a huge difference just by changing a few basic habits. In answer to the question “Why on earth would you want to turn it off?” The earth depends on it.


Works Cited

Energy Star. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy. n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. .

Gingichashvilli, Sarah. “Green Computing.” The Future of Things. Thefutureofthings.com. 19 Nov. 2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. .

Murugesan, San. “Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices.” IT Pro. IEEE Computer Society, Jan/Feb 2008 24-33.

Pash, Adam. “Easy Ways to go Green with Your Computer.” Lifehacker. Lifehacker.com. 22 Apr. 2008. Web. 27 Feb 2011. .

Trapani, Gina. “Hibernate vs. Standby.” Lifehacker. Lifehacker.com, 17 Oct. 2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. .

Uhinfotech, “Green Computing at UH.” YouTube. Youtube.com, 22 Oct. 2009. Web. 27 Feb.2011. .