Computers, printers, monitors and other electronics use energy. Power management involves changing the settings on your electronics so that they consume less energy. Some examples of ways to save energy are the following:
- Reduce your computer's idle time.
- Shut down instead of logging off.
- Unplug electronics when not in use.
For more information about how to change your computer's power settings, visit one of the following Knowledgebase articles or ask your department's technical staff member for assistance.
KU Knowledgebase Articles on Power Management:
Additional Resources for Department Technical Staff:
The EPA has actually provided a great set of tools, from the calculator that will tell you how much power (and money!) you are saving, to a Group Policy Object to automatically set power settings across your Active Directory organizational units, to online training that will empower you to change your power settings in any environment. Please see the EPA's Implementation Resources page for more information.
How do I know any of these tools will work?
Just read some of the many success stories.
- University of Wisconsin
- Yale University
- State of Hawaii
- Fusion Trade Inc.
- North Thurston Public Schools
What's in it for my department?
Aside from cost savings and more security? EPA accreditation! After completing the change and mailing in your pledge to Power manage your computer, you can be added to the Low Carbon IT campaign roster, sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency.
What are some of the 'gotchas?'
Some programs interrupt Hibernation, and if left open they will disallow this mode to enable. Sometimes hibernation will occur while documents are open on network drives, resulting in file locking. Best practice for users is to shut down any application they are not actively working on before leaving their desks. You may want to change power settings network interface cards(NIC) and universal serial bus(USB) ports, depending on specific instances of issues with devices or network connectivity.