New power management strategies for personal computers and other office equipment

Book · Wed Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:55504

Stickney, B L; Lovins, A B

Computers, printers, and other office equipment represent an attractive target for cost-effective savings of electricity by utilities and their customers. Office equipment is one of the fastest-growing electric loads, now drawing directly about 6 percent of commercial sector electricity and an even larger share in office buildings. About 30 to 40 percent of US microcomputers and printers are left on all night and all weekend; recent research in Canada indicates that such machines are idle for roughly 90 percent of the time they are on. The simple strategy of turning off idle equipment could yield tremendous savings when applied to the 35 million desk top computers in the US today. Moreover, there are significant savings to be captured by new after market products that can be programmed to shut off equipment automatically at set times or after set intervals of inactivity. This report profiles corporate programs for shutting off idle equipment and examines several new products that can be retrofitted to desk top computers. These products can be programmed by the user to shut off idle computers and/or accessories such as printers and monitors. Field measurements show 60 percent savings in computer energy and 80 percent monitor savings in one building.

• OSTI ID: 55504
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
COMPUTER OUTPUT DEVICES
DESIGN
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
MICROPROCESSORS
OFFICE BUILDINGS
RETROFITTING
SHUTDOWN