a few myths about computers and energy
Myth # 1: Computers don't use much energy.
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Office electronics are the fastest growing use of electricity in commercial buildings in the United States. Computers, as a group, use the most energy of all office equipment. The City’s 1,200+ computers use an estimated 800,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year--the equivalent of about 100 typical households (assuming only 10% are left on each night). In addition to their direct energy use, computers generate significant heat which adds to the buildings' air-conditioning load over much of the year.
Myth # 2: Operations costs for computers are minimal.
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Electric power for the City’s computers cost about $46,000, or $38 per year for each computer. If all computers were turned off each night and weekend, the City would save about 20% of that cost. Put another way, we would save the energy equivalent to that used by 20 typical households.
Myth # 3: If you shut your hard drive off, it doesn't matter if the monitor is left on.
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In fact, most monitors consume about two-thirds of a computer's total energy use.
Myth # 4: Screen savers save energy.
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Screen savers are meant to save the monitor pixels from burn-out, not save energy. In fact, screen savers use considerably more energy than a blank screen.
Myth # 5: It is better to leave hard drives running because shutting them down puts added stress on the machine.
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Contrary to popular belief, leaving computers on is not good for the equipment. In fact, turning it off overnight and on weekends can actually extend the life of your equipment.
Myth # 6: It takes a long time boot up every morning.
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Although it may seem like a long time to wait when you are staring at the screen, it only takes 1-2 minutes for your computer to boot up. Please use this time to check your voice mail or conduct other tasks.
