April 2006

A Penny Saved is a Plant Delayed

Large-scale computer energy conservation can affect future power rates

It's true; it only costs pennies a day to run your computer.

But just like compound interest, those pennies add up. And when you consider all the computers in Georgia, PC use adds to the demand on our state's power grid.

A typical computer/monitor system draws about 200 to 250 watts with none of the power saving features enabled. That translates to about 34 cents a day if the computer is always on, $125 to $150 a year. Add more if you have a large display, high-powered CPU or several peripherals.

If you enable the power saving features built in to your computer, you can easily cut the cost to run your computer by half–enough savings to treat your family to a fancy dinner.

On a Windows XT PC, you'll find the power savings settings by right clicking on an empty area of the desktop. Select Properties, then Screen Saver, then Power.

On a Mac running OS X, open the Apple Menu and choose System Preferences. Next, select Energy Saver.

Save even more energy and money by turning the computer off when it's not in use, especially overnight. Experts agree that it won't shorten the life of your computer equipment.

Cutting the power use of your PC has a larger implication. If everyone does, it will delay construction of power generating plants and lessen the capacity needed by electricity transmission and distribution systems.

All that savings just by the click of a mouse.

NREL's computer efficiency page

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