Green Computing Tips:

Computers have fast become one of the largest consumers of electricity on college campuses across the country. The EPA has estimated that using the ‘sleep mode’ on equipped computers nationwide would reduce their energy use by 60% to 70%. This could save enough electricity each year to power Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, cut electric bills by $2 billion, and reduce CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 5 million cars. If the Colby community turned its printers and computers off overnight and on weekends, over $42,000 would be saved annually.
What Can You Do?

1. Turn off your computer! A modest amount of turning on and off will not harm the equipment. Leaving it on all night and all weekend wastes energy. If the computer will be idle for more than 16 minutes, it would consume less energy to turn it off and on again - this does not damage the computer or shorten its lifespan.
2. Group your computer activities and try to do them during one or two parts of the day, leaving the computer off at other times. Break the habit of switching the machine on every morning.
3. Turn the monitor off. Screen savers consume as much electricity as the monitor does when in active use.
4. Buy only “Energy Star” computers and accessories. What’s Energy Star? Visit - www.energystar.gov/products
5. Set your computer to ‘sleep’ or ‘stand by’ when not in use for a certain period of time. Consult your control panel for setting options.
6. Don’t turn your printer on until you are ready to print. Printers consume energy even when idling.

According to the Associated Press, more than 315 million computers will become obsolete by 2004. Colby donates all its functional machines to area schools and charities. Broken units are handled as hazardous waste and are recycled accordingly. To explore ways to get rid of your computer without throwing it away visit:
www.colby.edu/info.tech/green/directories.html.

For more information about energy saving tips for your computer go to the ITS website.