Introduction

Computers are the fastest growing electrical load in the business world. In the last ten years, computer-related energy consumption has increased five-fold. Computer use is now estimated to account for 5 percent of all commercial electrical consumption; if nothing is done to reverse this trend, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that this figure could jump to 10 percent by the year 2000.

Each year more and more computers are purchased and put to use. But it's not just the number of computers which is driving energy consumption upward. The way that we use computers also adds to the increasing energy burden.

Research reveals that most desktop personal computers are not being used the majority of the time they are running. And as many as 30 to 40 percent of the personal computers are left on continuously.

Unfortunately, the University of Tasmania's computer use and energy consumption patterns mirror these international trends. Over the last ten years, computers have transformed the academic and administrative landscape. There are now an estimated 3,200 computers, laser printers and photocopiers at the University of Tasmania, accounting for more than $250,000 of the University's $2.5M electricity costs in 1994. 1 Given our commitment to energy conservation and environmental responsibility, it's time we did something about this growing problem. Annual energy savings of $100,000 or more may be possible.

Why Conserve Energy?

Energy conservation has been called the `least-cost' energy strategy, and for good reason. At the University of Tasmania, energy management and conservation measures are saving thousands of dollars in energy costs annually.

But energy conservation does more than just save money. It reduces environmental and social costs as well.

Energy conservation helps reduce adverse environmental and social impacts associated with energy production and consumption. These can include air pollution, acid rain, global warming, oil spills, water pollution, loss of wilderness and construction of new power plants.

University of Tasmania Energy Situation

In 1994 Mr. C.R. Cleary, Deputy Principal, wrote to heads of departments with the following message:

At recent meetings, Budget and Planning Committee has become increasingly concerned at the high costs of energy usage. At the meeting on 28 June 1994, it noted that there would be a significant overrun of the 1994 energy costs budget which may mean a reduction in the funds available for allocation in 1995.

Summarised in the table below are the costs of energy for 1992 and 1993 and the estimated costs for 1994.

Energy Costs 1992 1993 1994

Electricity $2,096,175 $2,415,630 $2,576,442

Oil & Gas 286,623 273,724 297,389

Total Cost $2,382,798 $2,689,354 $2,873,831

It is alarming to note how the costs have escalated over that period even though changes have been effected to improve the efficiency of the oil fired boilers in Hobart.

Whilst a portion of the increase in energy costs can be related directly to additional building stock (approx. 10%) there remains a substantial increase in usage. Property Services and the Energy Management Committee are working in concert to discover and implement energy efficiencies, however, these efficiencies, which may require capital outlays, will only be realised in the longer term.

The need for immediate savings is urgent and the only way that they can be achieved is through the co-operation of the people who work in University buildings. It is important therefore, that energy conservation be discussed with all members of your department, asking them for their assistance in minimising the costs of energy usage.

Listed below are a number of ways in which staff may be able to help:

Whilst there is a need for security lighting and some pieces of equipment to run overnight, there are many other items which are allowed to operate on a continuous basis and which may not need to do so. For example, individual heaters, exhaust fans, photocopiers, some computers and printers, water urns and office lighting. An active program of turning off non-essential lighting and equipment would assist in reducing energy costs.

It is acknowledged that individual staff member's tolerance to temperature levels varies, however, this variation should not require individual heaters to be used. University buildings have been designed to provide working conditions that not only meet building regulations but also meet industry standards. It has been noted that a number of departments, which occupy buildings with in-built heating systems, have purchased free standing heaters. Use of such heaters should be stopped. Members of staff should be encouraged to wear warmer clothing.

The HEC provides general power to the University on what it called a maximum demand tariff. This is an `energy conservation' tariff which, in essence, means that if the University maintains energy consumption below the maximum demand level, it can purchase electricity at a particular rate. The penalty for exceeding that level, even only for fifteen minutes on just one day, means a much higher unit cost is charged for the whole of that quarter. At this university electrical demand reaches its peak during the mid to late morning period. It would greatly assist in managing the use of electricity and reduce cost if items of equipment which have high loads were not used during the time at which energy use approaches the maximum demand line.

How Much Energy does Your
Computer System Use?

A typical desktop PC system is comprised of the computer itself (the CPU or `box'), a monitor and printer. Your CPU may require anywhere from 50 watts to 150 watts of electric power. Add 50 to 100 watts for a 14 inch colour monitor, proportionately more for larger monitors and less for monochrome. The power requirements of conventional laser printers can be as much as 200 watts while printing and 150 watts just idling.

Thus, a typical PC system can use electricity at the rate of 100 watts or more. At current electric prices, what does this cost the University? That all depends on how the computer system is operated.

First let's take the worst case, continuous operation. Assuming you operate a 100 watt PC system day and night everyday, annual electricity costs would be approximately $88. In contrast, if you operate your system just during conventional business hours, say 40 hours per week, the cost would be about $20. Even if you turn the screen off but leave the PC turned on at night to allow for backups, the annual cost is reduced significantly to $54. 2

Considering the tremendous benefits of computer use, none of the above cost figures may seem like much. But think of what happens when these costs are multiplied by the number of computer users in the University. The dollars add up quickly.

How much can you reduce your computer energy consumption?

Here are some suggestions which may make it possible for you to reduce your computer energy consumption by one third or more--without losing any productivity or the other benefits of your computer system.

Energy Efficient Computing

Some computer equipment is built with power management features. If your computer has these features, make sure they are enabled. But the most basic energy conservation strategy for any type of equipment is: `Turn it off whenever possible'. This applies to computers as much as it does to lights:

Turn off your computer and/or peripherals when they are not in use. A modest amount of turning computer equipment on and off will not harm the equipment.

Don't run computers continuously (unless they are in use continuously). Also, if possible, don't run your computer all the hours you are in your office.

Look for ways to reduce the amount of time your computer is on without adversely affecting your productivity.

Some Specific Suggestions

Break the habit of turning on all your computer equipment as soon as you enter the office each day. Turn on each piece of equipment only when you intend to start using it.
If practical, informally group your computer activities and try to do them during one or two parts of the day, leaving the computer off at other times
Don't turn on your printer unless you are ready to print. This especially applies to laser printers since they consume a considerable amount of electricity even while idling.
If for some reason you must leave your computer (CPU) on while you are not actively working on it, turn off your monitor to reduce energy consumption. (If you utilise this energy conservation strategy, don't forget that your computer is on! Be sure to turn it off too when you can.)
Turn off your entire computer system (CPU, monitor and printer) when you go to lunch or will be out of the office for a meeting or errand. Rebooting when you resume computer work usually just takes a minute. 3
Don't use a `power strip' master switch (which turns on all equipment at once) if you don't require all of your equipment all of the time you are working on your computer. For example, you may not need your printer immediately -- so why turn it on?
Be an energy educator and gently remind your co-workers and colleagues to save energy by changing their computer habits. Circulate this booklet among the other members of your office or department. Gain support of your supervisor and set up a brief meeting to discuss how to implement energy saving strategies.

While the energy saving suggestions listed above are appropriate for many campus personal computer users, some of the suggestions may be inappropriate for certain computer applications or work situations. When in doubt, discuss possible energy conservation measures with your colleagues, supervisor or computer support person to determine which steps can be taken without harming computer operation or productivity.

You CAN Turn Your Computer Off!

It is commonly thought that a computer's life is shortened by turning it on and off. This belief has led some people to leave their computers on all the time. Others are reluctant to switch their computers on and off a few times during their work day, even though they are only using this equipment for a fraction of that time.

Most experts agree that turning PC equipment off at night or a few times a day will not appreciably affect its useful life. 10 Electronic equipment life is a function of operating hours and heat. Both these factors are reduced when equipment is switched off. Concerning hard drive reliability, modern drives are designed and tested to operate reliably for many thousands of hours including thousands of on/off cycles.

Thus, you CAN turn off your computer (and monitor and printer)! The inconvenience of waiting a minute or less for a computer to reboot 3 or peripheral to come back on line is trivial compared to the energy savings which can be achieved by keeping computer equipment off when not in use.

Okay, there are times when you can't or shouldn't turn off your equipment - such as when computers are left on for overnight backups or where printers such as Laser Pro's or 16/600's seem to lose their zone settings if you turn them off. Monitors, however can always be turned off when not in active use.

All About Screen Savers

`Screen saver' programs may save the phosphors in your monitor screen but they are not effective energy savers. A screen saver which displays moving images causes your monitor to consume almost as much electricity as it does when in active use. These screen saver programs also involve system interaction with your CPU which results in additional energy consumption. A blank screen saver is slightly better but even that only reduces monitor energy consumption by a few percent.

The best screen saver is also the best energy saver, i.e. turn off your monitor when you are not using it. This step also eliminates concern about exposure to any electromagnetic radiation emanating from the monitor.

As computers with power management functions become more common (see section on `Energy Star Computers'), the use of screen saver programs with moving images may become even more problematic since these programs may prevent computers from entering a `sleep mode' and thus saving energy. 4

Green Computing

You can take a giant step toward environmentally responsible or `green computing' by conserving energy with your computer. But green computing involves other important steps as well. These pertain to paper use, toner cartridges and purchasing decisions when considering new computer equipment.

Whatever Happened to the Paperless Office?!

How to Reduce Paper Waste

Rather than creating a paperless office, computer use has vastly increased paper consumption and paper waste. Here are some suggestions for reducing that waste:

Print as little as possible. Review and modify documents on the screen. Minimise the number of hard copies and paper drafts your make.
Use E-mail whenever possible and avoid needless printing of E-mail
messages.
Send faxes directly from your computer to eliminate the need for hard copy.
On larger documents, use smaller font sizes (consistent with readability) to save paper.
If your printer prints a test page whenever it is turned on, disable this unnecessary feature.
Recycle waste paper.
Before recycling paper which has print on only one side, set it aside for use in printing drafts.
Consider the relative cost of buying and using recycled paper in your printers and copiers. Try a small quantity first and check results. From an environmental point of view, the best recycled paper is 100 percent recycled with a high `post-consumer' content and is either not de-inked or is bleached without chlorine. When documents are copied, use double-sided copying whenever possible. When general information-type documents must be shared within an office, try circulating them instead of making an individual copy for each person.

Energy Star Equipment

Thanks to the USA's Environmental Protection Agency, it's easier than ever to buy a computer system that is easy on energy.

The EPA has signed partnership agreements with multinational computer manufacturers (such as Apple) to produce a new generation of energy efficient personal computers using some of the technology previously common only in battery-powered portable notebook computers. These new PCs are being sold under the `Energy Star' logo in the USA, Australia, and elsewhere.

Energy Star computers, monitors and printers automatically `power-down' to a low power state when they are not being used. Efficiency gains are achieved without any sacrifice in computing performance -- though there can be problems using Energy Star computers (with their sleep mode enabled) as file servers or in networks.5 If you intend to buy an Energy Star computer for a networking application, be sure to check with the manufacturer to see if the computer you have in mind is `network friendly' and tested or certified for the particular kind of network you are using.

The EPA estimates that providing computers with a `sleep mode' reduces their energy use by 60 to 70 percent.

In the USA, President Bill Clinton issued an Executive order in April 1993 which required that all federal agency purchases of microcomputers, monitors and printers must meet the Energy Star energy efficiency performance standards.

Our recommendation: if you need a new computer, monitor or printer, consider purchasing equipment bearing the `Energy Star' logo.

Energy Star office equipment is becoming more readily available and cost-competitive.

When shopping for office equipment, look for low wattage models that have power management features which can stay operational irrespective of the software you are using6. Also, when you receive your Energy Star computer, check to make sure its power management features are enabled. If they are not, be sure to enable them!7

Other Purchasing Considerations

Once they are available, consider buying `Green Computers.' Several computer equipment manufacturers are currently developing PCs which are not only highly energy efficient but are also manufactured in a resource efficient and less-polluting manner and are designed and built for eventual recycling. 8
Buy a monitor only as large as you really need. While windowing system users may prefer larger monitors (which can better display more windows simultaneously), it's important to realise that a 17 inch monitor uses 40 percent more energy than a 14 inch monitor when each is in an active mode.
Buy only as much monitor resolution as you need. Higher resolution monitors use more energy.
Consider purchasing a monochrome monitor. They use about 50 percent less energy than a colour monitor. Some computing work does require a colour monitor.
Consider an inkjet printer. These printers are slower than laser printers but use 80 to 90 percent less energy.
Consider printer sharing.
Consider purchasing retrofit power management devices which power down computer equipment when not actively in use. 9
For laser printers, specify low or no ozone emissions to maintain indoor air quality.

Green Computing... it computes!

Your choices will make a world of difference.

Protecting Yourself from Electromagnetic Pollution

Like your television at home, the electronic components of a CRT (cathode ray tube) computer monitor generate several types of radiation. According to Steven Anzovin in `The Green PC', recent research has focused primarily on the potentially harmful effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields. But, to date, no correlation has been proven to exist between PC-generated low-frequency electromagnetic fields and the health of PC workers. Anzovin states that in general we don't know enough about the biological effects of ELF emissions to know if they are safe or not. Given this uncertainty, he argues for prudence and suggests limiting exposure. This can be accomplished in a number of ways:

Keep your distance. Radiation intensity decreases with the square of the distance. Hence, emissions two feet from the screen are 75 percent less than they would be at one foot from the screen.
Don't regularly sit to the side or in the back of a monitor. Electromagnetic radiation emission levels are stronger there than in the front of the monitor.
Turn off your monitor whenever possible. When it's off, it's not emitting any radiation!
Use a smaller monitor, consistent with your needs. Smaller monitors emit less radiation.
Use a monochrome monitor. Emissions from black and white monitors are about 50 percent of those from colour monitors.
When buying a monitor, consider specifying one with low emissions. Neither Australia or the United States currently have a standard for monitor emissions. You may wish to specify the MPR 2 standard of the Swedish National Board for Measurement and Testing. Manufacturers whose monitors meet or exceed this standard will advertise this fact.

There is controversy over the effectiveness of screen radiation shields. They may not be effective in blocking low emissions.

Note: Some of the methods of limiting exposure are identical to the energy conserving steps suggested in this booklet.

Footnotes

The University has an estimated 1850 Macintoshes, 900 PCs, 50 Unix computers, 300 laser printers and 120 photocopiers. If all of this equipment was running 24 hours per day all year long, Table A below shows that the yearly electricity cost would be approximately $286,000. In contrast, if the VDUs, photocopiers and laser printers were all turned off at night and on weekends, the electricity cost would be $171,000 -- a savings of over $100,000.
The actual costs and savings are more difficult to determine, due to the fact that some equipment is already turned off when not in use and other equipment is of the newer energy saving design.
Office equipment uses power at different rates, depending on its design and whether it is operating, in standby mode or turned off. To calculate total energy use it is necessary to determine the proportion of time spent in each mode of operation. Truly accurate estimates of energy use would require detailed engineering measurements of electrical use by different types of equipment, combined with a comprehensive inventory of equipment and survey of actual operational and energy saving practices by users.
Some of the electrical cost is offset by the fact that the heat generated by computer equipment helps heat campus buildings during the winter months. However, this heat may cause greater air conditioning costs in the summer.
Assumes no benefit or penalty to campus heating or cooling costs. See footnote 1.
Rebooting may take a little longer if your computer runs through a diagnostics or virus checker program each time it boots. But even this delay may be acceptable, especially if you perform some other task while your computer is booting.
Some manufacturers are advertising screen saver programs compatible with the sleep mode of Energy Star computers.
This problem is being addressed by computer manufacturers and may be resolved in the near future. For the time being, buyers should protect themselves by either avoiding Energy Star computer for file server/networking applications or insisting that manufacturers provide evidence of compatibility with these functions.
Manufacturers may achieve compliance with Energy Star standards in a variety of ways. Apparently, some solutions, i.e. those more dependent on software than involving modifications of computer hardware, may utilise power management features which can work only when the computer is using certain computer software or programs (but not all programs).
If you find it difficult to enable the power management features of your new Energy Star computer, monitor or printer, call the manufacturer and ask for help.
Higher prices for `green computers' may initially be a barrier to their purchase but over time their prices will come down and they will become cost competitive. Computers bearing the Energy Star logo are already cost competitive.
These devices can be applied to CPUs, monitors and printers. They may be inappropriate for file server/networking applications. They are also not appropriate for a PC which is likely to be replaced soon (preferably by an Energy Star computer) or one which has relatively short operating hours because the user normally turns it off when it is not in use.
As per `Guide to Energy Efficient Office Equipment' by the American Council for the Energy Efficient Economy (1993). This report was prepared under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office Technology Efficiency Consortium which is comprised of office equipment manufacturers, electric utilities, government agencies, researchers and public interest groups.

References:

'Energy-Efficient, Environment-Friendly Office Equipment,' Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, Department of Environmental Protection, Western Australia 1994. Tel. (09) 321 1477.

'The Better Buying, Better World Strategy - Environmental Purchasing Policy,' Australian Department of Administrative Services, 1992. Tel. (02) 275-3568

'Energy Efficient Office Technology,' Cyane B. Dandridge, 1994 Masters thesis in Building Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

'Energy Efficient Microcomputers: Guidelines on Acquisition, Management and Use,' U.S. General Service Administration, 1993.

Energy Star Computer Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (6202J), Washington, D.C. 20460. Tel. (202) 233-9114.

'The Green Machine', PC Magazine, May 25, 1993.

'The Green PC: Making Choices that Make a Difference,' Steve Anzovin, 1993.

'Green PCs: These Power Savers Are Sprouting Up Like Weeds,' Patrick Marshall, 'InfoWorld,' January 31, 1994.

'Guide to Energy-Efficient Office Equipment,' American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, 1993. Tel. (501) 549-9914.

'What an Energy Efficient Computer Can Do,' Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, 1993. Tel. (303) 927-3851.

For More Information

For more information about campus energy conservation activities, contact Property Services on (002) 20 2791.

For information on ergonomic and health issues pertaining to computer use, contact the University Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator, Rob Riddell on (002) 20 7535.

This document was adapted (with permission) by Steven Bittinger from text originally produced by Walter Simpson at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York. Artwork was by Lucinda Hunnam.

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