Save and Go Green: Computer Energy Saving
A few months ago, after discussing ways to save energy with some people at work, a co-worker said that he unplugs his computer at night to save on energy. I had never thought of just simply unplugging your computer to save additional energy. This is probably a pretty common question most people would like to know, but don’t really know the true answer to. I wasn’t totally sure myself so I looked into how much energy do our computers use and ways to save money on cutting their energy usage.
Computer Energy Use
I never realized that computer use as much energy as they do, especially desktop computers. PCs alone can consume anywhere from 50 - 250 watts of energy!!! The monitor itself also consumes tons of energy, with a traditional CRT monitor consuming more than newer LCD monitors. Laptops on the other hand use far less energy at around 45 watts and are way more energy efficient than your average desktop computer. In order to get a better idea of how much it would cost to run your computer, I crunched some numbers and determined how much it would cost to run.
I first want to preface the numbers I calculated with some basic definitions and assumptions I made. I found a great definition on Wikipedia that sums up how a kilowatt-hour is calculated:
If a 100 watt light bulb is turned on for one hour, the energy used is 100 watt-hours or 0.1 kilowatt-hour
Most energy companies charge customers on a kilowatt-hour basis, making it an important number in my calculations. There are several assumptions I will be making throughout the rest of this article used for my calculations:
- The computer is in use for 2 hours a day for 7 days a week.
- Each value displayed is in kilowatt-hours, unless specified with a dollar sign.
- The cost of electricity is $0.12 per kilowatt-hour.
24/7 Computer Energy Usage
| Watts Used | Day | Week | Month | Year | Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop Computer | 120 | 2.88 | 20.22 | 87.6 | 1051.2 | $126.14 |
| Laptop | 45 | 1.13 | 7.9 | 34.22 | 410.63 | $49.28 |
| Old CRT Monitor | 80 | 1.92 | 13.48 | 58.4 | 700.8 | $84.10 |
| LCD Monitor | 35 | 0.84 | 5.9 | 25.55 | 306.6 | $36.79 |
As you can see from the above table, a desktop computer with a LCD monitor running 24/7 can cost you over $160 per year. That’s a huge number considering most desktop computers can cost as little as double that amount. This not only has a major affect on your wallet, but also has a huge impact on the environment. There is no need to waste that much energy when the average person only uses their home computer a few hours a day.
Let’s see how much you can save by simply setting the sleep or standby functionality on your computer.
Energy Saving: Sleeping Computer
| Watts Used | Day | Week | Month | Year | Year Cost | Year Savings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Computer | 6 | 0.37 | 2.61 | 11.32 | 135.78 | $16.29 | $109.85 |
| Sleeping Laptop | 1 | 0.11 | 0.79 | 3.41 | 40.88 | $4.91 | $44.37 |
| Sleeping CRT Monitor | 5 | 0.27 | 1.9 | 8.21 | 98.55 | $11.83 | $72.27 |
| Sleeping LCD Monitor | 3 | 0.14 | 0.95 | 4.14 | 49.64 | $5.96 | $30.84 |
By simply turning the sleep functionality on your computer and monitor, that $160 above goes down to only $20 per year.
Setting the sleep functionality on your computer is a great idea, but should only be used if you forget to turn off your computer. The best way to really save money on computer energy use is to turn off and unplug your computer when not in use. Even if you turn your computer off or allow it to sleep, it still is using a slight amount of energy. Though the energy difference is small, it can really add up if you allow your computer to sleep instead of turning it off.
Energy Saving: Turning Off/Unplugging Computer
| Watts Used | Day | Week | Month | Year | Year Cost | Year Savings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turned Off Computer | 3 | 0.31 | 2.15 | 9.31 | 111.69 | $13.40 | $112.74 |
| Unplugged Computer | 0 | 0.24 | 1.68 | 7.3 | 87.6 | $10.51 | $115.63 |
| Unplugged Laptop | 0 | 0.09 | 0.63 | 2.74 | 32.85 | $3.94 | $45.33 |
| Unplugged CRT Monitor | 0 | 0.16 | 1.12 | 4.87 | 58.4 | $7.01 | $77.09 |
| Unplugged LCD Monitor | 0 | 0.07 | 0.49 | 2.13 | 25.55 | $3.07 | $33.73 |
You can save even more money by unplugging your computer whenever you are not using it. Not just that, you will be using less than 1/10th of the amount of energy that you would be using if you keep your computer running at all times.
Save Energy on Computer Accessories
You can save additional energy on top of what you can save on your computer. Think about all the accessories you can have for you computer. Most people have common accessories like printers, modems, routers, speakers and many others. The table below shows the cost to run various computer accessories.
24/7 Computer Accessory Energy Usage
| Watts Used | Day | Week | Month | Year | Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Inkjet Printer | 50 | 0.15 | 1.02 | 4.44 | 53.29 | $6.39 |
| Home Multi-function Printer | 30 | 0.32 | 2.23 | 9.64 | 115.71 | $13.89 |
| Cable Modem | 9 | 0.22 | 1.52 | 6.57 | 78.84 | $9.46 |
| Router | 5 | 0.12 | 0.84 | 3.65 | 43.8 | $5.26 |
The printer is one of the larger energy users of of all computer accessories. All-in-one printers in particular use much more energy than traditional printers because they have much more functionality. Many accessories including your router and modem are not able to go into standby and therefore are running at all times. Even though they use far less energy that a computer, it still makes a difference to turn them off or unplug them when you are not using them.
Energy Saving: Computer Accessories
| Day | Week | Month | Year | Year Cost | Year Savings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Inkjet Printer | 0.05 | 0.35 | 1.52 | 18.25 | $2.19 | $4.20 |
| Home Multi-function Printer | 0.08 | 0.54 | 2.34 | 28.11 | $3.37 | $10.51 |
| Cable Modem | 0.02 | 0.13 | 0.55 | 6.57 | $0.79 | $3.77 |
| Router | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.3 | 3.65 | $0.44 | $9.02 |
Easy Ways to Save
One very easy way to save money is to ensure that you set the sleep functionality on your computer. This can be easily done on a Windows machine by:
- Under the Start Menu go to your Control Panel.
- Under the Control Panel, click on Power Options.
- Click on the Power Schemes tab to be able to set all of your power settings.
Under the tab I described above, you can set the amount of time your computer is inactive before it will go into standby ( or sleep ). You monitor can also automatically be turned off through this menu as well. Sorry to Mac and Linux users, but it should be pretty simple to find out how to set these settings on your machine.
One extremely easy way to make sure you computer and its accessories are all turned off is to use a power cord. I have my computer, monitor and any accessories plugged into one power cord. When I am completely finished using my computer, I simply switch off the entire strip. It’s really that simple and it makes it extremely easy to ensure that computer and its accessories are using absolutely no power.
If you are in need have to use a computer all the time, you could try using a laptop instead of a traditional desktop and monitor combination. Not only does the laptop use 1/3 of the energy, but they are much more portable and takes up less room. It can be hard to use a laptop all the time, so you could also look into buying a more energy efficient computer. Many of these computers use the same amount of energy as a laptop, but are as powerful as a traditional desktop computer.
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles
I used to use a plastic nalgene water bottle on a daily basis at work. It would always leave a horrible taste in water after I would wash it. I did some research on it and realized that nalgene bottles can be extremely dangerous, so I stopped using it immediately. I was using a mug at work for a while, but I would walk half way across my building just to get a small mug of water. After searching some online, I found a stainless steel water bottle made by Klean Kanteen.
About Klean Kanteen
Klean Kanteen is an independent company that first developed their stainless steel water bottle in 2004. They started because they were extremely alarmed at the growing amount of plastic bottles found in landfills and oceans across our country. They decided to use stainless steel because it last for an extremely long time, is much more durable and doesn’t have an odor. Stainless steel is also much safer than Aluminum as it does not require to be lined in order drink from.
This company went above and beyond and are using 100% recyclable stainless steel. In order to prevent having to line the bottle, the steel used in their water bottles is high grade food processing quality. This makes it extremely safe as well as easy to clean.
Not Made in America?
I searched long an hard all over the internet to find a safe and eco friendly water bottle and was unable to find one that is made in America. I by no means find anything wrong with products made outside of our country, but I always like to check before buying. I found a good explanation on their site as to why they produce their water bottles in China:
The Klean Kanteen is made “responsibly” in China because one of our founding principles was to produce an economically priced high quality stainless steel bottle as an alternative to plastic and lined metal containers therefore promoting healthy living with respect for the environment.
It seems like the biggest problem they were facing that it was tough to produce these bottles close to home with out having a much higher cost. It is refreshing to see that they continually are visiting their manufacturing facilities to ensure that their quality standards are meet.
My Experience
I purchased the plain 27 ounce stainless steel bottle because it seemed like the best size for me. After owning it for just over 2 weeks now, I have to say I am extremely happy with this water bottle. I read the many positive reviews, but never thought I would be this satisfied with their product. The water has no awful taste like other bottles I use nor does it smell funky. I as even able to put it into the dishwasher with no problems. It’s also really light weight and could probably be used when running or riding a bike. Even though the water bottle looks like a thermos, it doesn’t have any insulation and extremely hot beverages should not be put into it.
If you are like me and fed up with plastic bottles that give your beverages a weird taste and are hard to clean, check out these stainless steel water bottles. They have several sizes ranging from 12 - 40 ounces as well as a variety of colors shown in the above picture. I am getting my fiance the pink one after telling her how much I love this water bottle.
This Week in News: August 21st
Local Green News
Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, has proposed a plan to completely change how the skylines and shores of the city would look. The plan involves building wind mills throughout the city in an effort to produce nearly 10% of the city’s power within 10 years. Though this wind energy plan is still in it’s early stages, it looks to be extremely promising. Bloomberg has already hired private firms and investors to study the financial feasibility and locations as to where the wind turbines can be built. There are many coastal areas that are extremely windy that would be perfect for this plan. Hopefully Bloomberg’s alternative energy plan comes to fruition and New York City can meet it’s renewable energy goal.
He later evoked the image of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, saying he imagined it one day “powered by an ocean wind farm.”
Photo by ProjectedImages.
Water Bottle Ban
The city of London, Ontario just passed a ban on the sale of bottle water with it’s city. The Canadian city is pushing for water fountains to be used instead of expensive and polluting water bottles.
We were selling bottled water for 1.75 dollars per liter right next to a public drinking fountain that dispensed water for less than an eighth of a cent (per liter)
The ban received an overwhelming 14-3 vote despite heavy lobbying from the beverage industry. Other major Canadian cities are also considering a similar ban including Vancouver and Ottawa. It’s great to see that a city is taking a stand against a product that is generally unnecessary. I am a little mixed on this decision though as I think people should be educated on the harmful effects that bottling water has on the environment instead of just banning the product.
Government
The Australian government released a 1600-page environmental effects study (EES) on the construction of a controversial $3.1 billion desalination plant. Even though the study says the plant will have no long-term affects on the environment, 1.4 million tons of greenhouse gases will be emitted during its construction. The government has pledged to purchase carbon credits to offset part of the emissions from the project. Even with the government support there will still be over 70,000 tons of carbon emissions still offset each year. Another concern about the plant is it could negatively affect the wildlife in the area, possibly putting several species and coral reef in great danger. The plant will be fully operational by 2011. As of right now, only 10% of the plant’s energy will be required to come from alternative energy sources. Hopefully that percentage will go way up to reduce some of the negative effects this plant will have on the environment.
Green Bonds For Renewable Energy Technology
I never thought that the push for alternative energy sources would be so hard in Canada. Apparently, many companies in Canada have had trouble getting funding to push for renewable energy like wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal. A government funded organization called Action Canada Fellows has recognized this problem and thinks that Canada should be a renewable energy giant. They are proposing that Green Bonds be issued in order for Canada to accomplish this goal.
How do Green Bonds work?
These Green bonds will be government-backed bonds that can help increase the production of alternative energy. This makes the bonds as safe as any traditional government bond. The government will issues these bonds and allow private companies to bid on them. Any company that borrows money earned through the bonds will have to show how they are reducing carbon offsets in an economical way. Since there is a risk to default with some of the companies, the tax payers will have to cover the difference to ensure they are paid in full. Even with the government shelling out some money for this program, it is still far cheaper than providing subsidies for alternate energy growth.
What companies will get the money?
The green bonds will go towards funding companies that are not necessarily researching any new technologies, but purchasing existing technologies to build an infrastructure for renewable energy. The main problem for many of these companies is that they are finding it difficult to get funding.
So for example if I want to build a coal plant, compared to a bio-gas plant, and I went to the bank and borrowed money for the coal plant, they will lend me money at prime, assuming I am a good company. But funding a bio-gas plant or a tidal generation plant, that’s going to be about 18 per cent, because they’re just not familiar with it.
Banks aren’t familiar with many of these alternative energy sources and are unwilling to take a risk on them.
Who can buy one?
The biggest benefit to this program is the fact that it gets the citizens involved in the fighter for a cleaner source of energy. Buying a green bond will allow people to make a difference. It will also educate many people on just how many different renewable energy sources we currently have available. Another huge advantage to the buying these government bonds. The energy sector is extremely risky to invest in, including alternate energy. This makes these bonds a steal as it allows people to not only make a difference but not feel like they will lose all of their money in doing so. If the bonds are accepted by the Canadian government, it is predicted that tens of billions of dollars could be raised.
Europe has already started to use green bonds and now hopefully Canada will be the next country. If this can be successful in Canada as well, why couldn’t this be a viable option in other countries, like America? We’ll have to wait and see if something like this is picked up by other countries.
This Week in News: August 14th
Government
The New Zealand government announced a proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation yesterday. This proposal would help achieve the government’s goal of 90% of the country’s total energy usage from renewable energy sources. Environment Minister Trevor Mallard said about the policy:
We’ve always said that our 90 percent renewable target does not require damming every river and putting wind turbines on every ridge line
Currently, the Resource Management Act (RMA) does not take into account the environmental damages caused by setting up the infrastructure for renewable energy sources. This plan will force local officials to take these types of long-term damages into account before setting up any alternative energy sources. Eliminating forest or hurting local animals should not be compromised for get clean energy. What I like most about the goals of the New Zealand government is that they are staying away from any sources that are not renewable or dangerous like nuclear power.
Green Building
In local news, the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board announced that the Ecology department must rewrite storm water control policies. The regulations will enforce that new buildings must use low-impact development or LID techniques. Environmentalist are praising these regulations because they are one of the few places in the country to enforce storm water runoff policies. The idea behind LID is it filters much of the pollution out of rainwater runoff through the soil.
Solar Energy
The state of Gujarat in western India announced that is is planning on building one of the world’s largest solar power arrays. The project is projected to produce a total of 5 GW of solar energy that is expected to cost around $5 billion. A U.S. company Clinton Foundation has been in talks to provide the major pieces to produce this large project. State officials are quotes as to saying that this could greatly reduce the cost of energy.
New Type of Green Home: Fab Tree Hab
Ever dreamed of living in a tree house, but as you got older realized that they are only for kids? Now there is prototype of a tree house that could revolutionize the home building process. This new green home is called the Fab Tree Hab and was created by three architects of out MIT, Mitchell Joachim, Lara Greden and Javier Arbona.
Photo from Mitchell Joachim of Terreform.
History of Green Home
The idea behind the Fab Tree Hab derived from the fact that building designs currently being used failed to fall in the category of truly being sustainable. Even though many architects try to design buildings that are considered green, they are still unnatural to the environment. The idea behind this new type of home is to allow your home to coexist with nature. The walls and exterior of the house allow for people and animals to derive nutrients from it and every piece of the home is completely natural.
The Design
The basic design is based off of a principal called pleaching:
Pleaching is a method of weaving together tree branches to form living archways, lattices, or screens.
The Fab Tree Hab would be produced by first starting a flexible tree at it’s youth, like the ficus. Since the ficus hardens as it gets older, it could be formed into a structure and then would get hard. This is how the basic framework of the home would begin. As the tree gets older it would grow into a tree structure as in the picture above. Along the way, soil and plants would be embedded into the weaved structure to provide for animals and provide insulation.
The interior of the home would be comprised of a clay and straw mixture to provide further structure and insulation to the green home. The windows are made of a soy based plastic and the entire house is heated and cooled naturally. These homes have a completely different look on the outside, but are almost identical inside to existing homes.
One really cool concept of this house is the water cycle throughout the house. Water used in the house is collected from rain water on the roof. The water then cycles throughout the house depending on what you are using the water for. For example, the water from your sink would be the first place for the water to go, then it would circulate for use in the toilet. After the water has completely been used by the homeowner, it drains to get filtered and enters a pond. It will then either evaporate into the atmosphere or soak into the soil.
See the video below of Mitchell Joachim going further in depth about the design of the tree home:
A longer version of this video is available at Scribe Media.
Looking Ahead
Even though the the principals behind this new green home are nothing new, it is difficult to actually produce these houses in a short period of time. Also, As Mitchell Joachim describes at the end of the above video, most areas have regulations that would not allow for a tree house like this to currently be built. The sheet size of the tree would be much larger than allowed. Another big problem would be getting the masses to buy green homes like these because of the way in which they are built.
This idea just gets me really excited. To think that a home can work with the earth and still be a livable home. Who knows of these green homes will ever be more than just a prototype. My hope is that builders begin to incorporate some of the principals that make this house sustainable into new buildings.
Sustainable Bamboo Kitchen and Dinnerware
Later last week, I went to a local vineyard along with my fiancee and some friends. Every week the vineyard has local farms musicians and food demonstrations.
A seafood restaurant was serving samples of oysters. I was excited to see that when I went to grab a plate and fork, that they were all made of bamboo. On the back of the plate was the name of the company, Bambu.
Bambu has a range of bamboo made products including plates, utensils, cutting boards and even cutlery. All of their products are made from bamboo organic, meaning that is sustainably harvested and free of fertilizers or pesticides. They even use environmentally friendly packaging. The cardboard used is made from recyclable fibers and soy-based ink is used for the printing.
The biggest problem with Bambu products is the price. I wanted to get an idea of how much some of their products cost and I was able to find that each plate costs about $.80 per plate and under a dollar for a set of utensils. That is pretty steep considering that they are disposable products. I asked the chef about the plates and he said that he got a pretty good discount when buying in large quantities. If you are serious about getting rid of plastic disposable products, these are the way to go.
