Computers and other information technology devices are said to use around $8 billion worth of energy in the United States each year. One of the latest trends that companies are using to offset this use of energy is cloud computing. This enables large companies to be environmentally friendly by using fewer computer processors and by increasing their overall utilization. However, for individuals and small companies, the use of cloud computing providers is simply not economically efficient. But there are many green options available for them as well. A “green” computer is one of the good options. They are built to consume less energy, and therefore emit less carbon, than regular models. Many green computers are also manufactured in more environmentally conscious ways. Purchasing a green computer will help consumers reduce the amount of electricity they use, as well as preserve the environment. After realizing the benefits that green computers present, many consumers wonder how they can choose a more environmentally friendly option. Fortunately, it’s surprisingly easy. Many manufacturers are choosing to produce energy efficient computers. Consumers simply need to know how to find them.
How to Find a “Green” Computer
When looking for an energy efficient computer, the easiest bit of advice is to avoid large desktop computers with huge Central Processing Units. On average, laptops consume one-fifth the energy of a desktop.Consumers that dislike laptops will want shop for more petite desktops. Manufacturers like Apple, Shuttle, and AOpen make smaller desktops that use less energy than other options. Also keep the size of the monitor in mind. A smaller monitor will require less energy. To ensure that you are choosing the “greenest” option, look for LCD monitors that pass the Energy Star rating criteria.
The US EPA Energy Star program is a program that carefully evaluates and rates electronics based on their energy efficiency. The Energy Star guidelines have recently been updated so that only 25% of the computers in the United States will earn a Energy Star badge. In the past, around 80% of all computers earned this stamp of approval. When shopping for a green computer, make sure to choose a product that has earned this badge. This says that the product is extremely energy efficient, even in sleep mode.
How to Avoid Computers Made with Hazardous Materials
The greenest computers are not only energy efficient, they also contain fewer hazardous materials. To find greener models, look for computers that have been approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after being evaluated by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT.
EPEAT gives computers a rating of Gold, Silver, and Bronze after evaluating them on 51 different aspects. If a computer earns a Gold rating, consumers can be sure that they are purchasing a computer that is environmentally friendly and contains little hazardous material. Choosing EPEAT approved computers will help to minimize the amount of toxic waste and conserve energy. For a list of approved computers, consumers can visit the EPEAT website for a comprehensive list of ratings.
Choosing a green computer does take more effort than simply walking into a store and choosing the first attractive model. However, the effort is well worth it. The more people willing to “go green,” the greater the impact on the environment.
This article was written by Kelly Austin from HigherSalary.com. Visit her site for information about the average computer information systems salary and pay information for other popular careers.
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I just bought an HP and instead of having one of the traditional Energy Star stickers somewhere on the body of the computer, it had an icon for “Digital Energy Star” certification. Interesting, because someone buying the computer, or just looking at it physically, wouldn’t be able to see that!
I bought a green power supply for my computer, AND a western digital green drive. Energy efficiency for the win!
Making a green computer really depends what you are going to be doing with the computer… Something like an intel atom can be down as low as something like 10-20W I believe, but its not something you’ll want to run anything heavy on because it just wont have the processing power.
Comparatively, an i7 with speedstep could be efficient if that’s what you need from a computer, since it will turn the clock speed down while not using the power. It really does depend though.Cooling is another way you can save energy, since fans can use something like 6W a piece, they can add up fast, larger heat sinks with less fans are more expensive, but will use less energy.
Then of course you have your low power hard drives, efficient power supplies and such. It can all be important stuff to consider for industrial computers
Pete, thanks for the comment. Seems like what you are get at is the variation in what is defined as “green” depending on the technology used and what you will be using the technology for; some options may be more expensive but greener, while others may be green but slow down the performance of the product, etc. It goes back to the concept of trade-offs.