… little things you can do to make a big difference
Common Computer Myths
| Myth: Turning off my computer is bad for my computer. | Myth: Turning your computer off uses more energy than leaving it on. | Myth: Screen savers save energy | Myth: Network connections are lost when a PC goes into low-power/sleep mode. |
| Truth: Computers are now designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles. This is considerably more cycles than the average user will initiate in the computer’s 3-5 year life span. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory states that modern hard disks are not affected by frequent shut-downs and that equipment may actually last longer because mechanical wear and heat stress are reduced. | Truth: The surge of power used by a CPU to boot up is far less than the energy used by the unit when left on for over 3 minutes. One computer left on 24 hours a day will cost $115 in electricity bills a year and dumps 1,500 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. Plus, a tree absorbs between 3-15 lbs of CO2 each year. That means that 100-500 trees would be needed to offset the yearly emissions of one computer left on all the time. | Truth: Screen savers were originally designed to help protect the lifespan of monochrome monitors which are now technologically obsolete. Most screen savers do not save energy unless they actually turn off the screen or, in the case of laptops, turn off the backlight. | Truth: Newer computers are designed to sleep on networks to prevent loss of data or connection. CPU’s with Wake on LAN (WOL) technology built-in to network cards can be left in sleep mode overnight to wake-up and receive data packets sent to the unit. |
In addition to the initiatives outlined in this document, there are lots of little things that we can do to make a big difference in our impact on the environment. Some of these things include:
- Again, the biggest thing is turning off all equipment when you leave for the day – computers, monitors, copiers, printers, fax machines, etc.
- Print in Economode when you can – this saves toner by printing lighter on paper
- Print duplex – this saves paper
- Buy refurbished ink cartridges and toner when possible
- Review your document on the screen instead of printing a draft. If you must print a draft, use the blank back side of used sheets. It may be possible to keep once-used paper in an extra tray in your printer.
- Don’t use screensavers - Instead of saving energy, screen savers that display moving images actually cause your monitor to consume almost as much electricity as during active use. Since these programs involve interactions with the CPU, they require even further energy consumption. Even a blank screen saver only reduces monitor energy consumption by a small amount. The best screen saver is no screen saver at all--turn off your monitor when you are not using it.
- Only buy a monitor as large as you really need. Although a large monitor might seem more attractive, you should remember that a 19-inch monitor uses 40% more energy than a 17-inch monitor. Also, the higher the resolution you buy, the more energy it needs.
What is the impact?
Turn off peripherals when not in use......Can reduce daily energy usage by 6.7%
Turn off monitors when not in use.........Can reduce daily energy usage by 24.5%
Turn off computers when not in use......Can reduce daily energy usage by 62.3%
What can I do at home?
- Buy EnergyStar appliances and equipment
- Turn off computers and appliances (like air conditioners, televisions, radios) when not in use
- Use recycled paper (through Office Depot’s ink cartridge recycling program, for every ink cartridge you bring in to recycle they will give you a ream of recycled paper – you may never have to buy paper again!)
- Bring in your old computers, cell phones, pagers, palm pilots cell phones and batteries to be reused or recycled
Are there things that you are doing that make a difference that aren’t listed here? We’d love to hear about them! Send an email to dlh19@cornell.edu and let us know.