Green Computer Usage

There’s not just the actual computer usage related electricity consumption, there’s also all the millions of tons of plastic and metal used to create the billions of computers in their various forms now on this planet.

We can all do our bit in lessening our impact and the following are  tips for more earth friendly computing, some of which will also save you cash!

• ►When not in use for extended periods, switch your computer off at the wall to avoid phantom power load consumption.
• ►Have your power saving/management options enabled and properly configured for periods when your computer is temporarily not in use. In Windows, this can be found in Settings/Control Panel/Power Options
• ►During usage, only have your screen as bright as you need it - unneccesarily bright screens really chew the juice
• ►If you’re going to use a screen saver, use a blank (black) screen - animated screen savers just consume electricity unnecessarily.
• ►When buying components and peripheral items, try to choose those that come in the least amount of plastic packaging as possible.
• ►For your next computer, consider a notebook instead of desktop - these use under 50% the electricity of a desktop machine
• ►Do you really need a 22 inch screen? When considering your next screen purchase, balance your wants with your actual needs.
• ►Before purchasing a new computer, consider upgrading the hardware in your current machine. Some extra RAM (memory) or a new hard drive may be all you need to restore life to your current system. According to this site, the energy needed to churn out a new computer is enough to power a system for a decade!
• ►Following on from the above point; it’s not uncommon for Windows to get slower as time goes on. This isn’t necessarily your machine, but software bloat. All the updates, installing and uninstalling of software, applications running in the background that you don’t really need take their toll and basically clog your machine up; seriously impacting on performance, which in turn is more wear and tear on hardware and increase electricity consumption. Consider doing a reinstallation of Windows and your software. A lean machine will sip less electricity and peform much better.
• ►When you do replace your current computer system, donate it rather than bin it if possible. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, e-waste is now the fastest growing aspect of the municipal waste stream. You can find places to donate your computer to on Earth911.org
• ►Consider a refurbished computers for your next purchase. These aren’t dusty old machines that have just been wiped over; often they are display models or recent purchase returns with very little wear and tear that are thoroughly checked before sale, and often have the same guarantee that new units do. You can save a ton of cash this way!