Computer energy saving tips

Computers and monitors have evolved. In the past, screen savers were installed and computers were left on all of the time; however, newer monitors do not suffer from burn-in or permanent etching like the old kind. With that in mind, here are a few energy saving tips for monitors and computers:

• Configure your monitor to turn off after 20 minutes (or less) of inactivity, and your hard drive to turn off after 30 minutes of inactivity.
• Shut down your computer, monitor and printer or set them to standby mode when you leave the office for more than two hours.
• Screensavers are not energy savers; they continually use the monitor at full power.
• If you buy a new computer, consider a laptop if possible. Laptops use less energy than a desktop and are suitable for most people, unless you do a lot of typing.
• Consider a flat panel. They use only 1/3 the energy, some as little as 30W or 1W on standby.
• Windows ME and Windows 2000 have a system hibernate feature, which performs a save before it shuts down. When reactivated, everything is restored exactly. In Windows XP go to Control Panel and then Power Option Properties to set preferences.

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