Take Computer & Lab Action!

Computers

Three easy steps to success

You can achieve significant computer energy savings by taking these simple steps.

1. Turn It Off Turn Me Off

Contrary to what you may have heard, turning your computer off when you're done using it is not bad for its hardware. In fact, shutting down may even extend the life of your computer due to reduced heat stress and mechanical wear. If your printer, scanner, speakers or other peripherals aren't networked, why not keep them turned off until you need them?

Switching off is an easy thing to do. It's remembering to switch off that is often the stumbling block. Stick a note to your monitor now to remind yourself to switch off at the end of the day or work session. Or ask us to send one of our "Turn me off" stickers to you. They're free to anyone with a Harvard mailing address!

2. Enable power management, especially for monitors

Many people believe that their screensaver saves energy. This is not the case. A utility called "power management" saves energy. When enabled, it puts your computer and monitor into a low-power mode after a certain period of inactivity. Also known as "standby," "sleep" or "hibernation," this low-power mode consumes 15-25% of the energy (or less!) that would be consumed in normal mode. Because CRT monitors can use two-thirds of the total energy of the computer system, it's especially important to enable power management for your monitor.

A simple way to enable power management is to download our software, but you can also set it up manually by following these easy instructions!

Power Options

3. Buy energy efficient equipment

Consult our purchasing guide before you buy your next computer. Remember: Flat-panel monitors, laptops and equipment bearing the "Energy Star" label go a long way toward saving energy, especially if you remember to shutdown and enable power management!

Take your green computing a step further!

Minimize printing

Manufacturing one pound of office paper consumes 12 cubic inches of pulpwood, 13.5 gallons of water, 10.5 kWh of electricity and .3 pounds air pollutants. These guidelines will help you to minimize the amount of paper you send through your printer.

Consider your computer's lifecycle footprint

Like anything else, manufacturing computers consumes energy and natural resources, and it releases toxic chemicals into the environment. Computer components, especially CRT monitors, contain hazardous materials and must be disposed of properly. To reduce the environmental impacts of your computer use, recycle your computer and its components (including laptop batteries). For more information about end-of-life options for your old computer, click here.

Share this information with your friends

Half the battle is getting the word out! Help dispel the widely held misconceptions about shutting down and screensavers by sharing the information on this website with your friends and co-workers. Remind them to shutdown and help install power management on their computers.

If you want to educate a whole bunch of people at once, coordinate a Computer Energy Reduction Cartoon (CERtoon) exhibition in your FAS workplace. It's free and fun!

Alone again?

Labs

It is estimated that laboratories consume between four and five times the enerfy of a typical commercial space per square foot. In addition, cleanrooms consume 10-100 times the nergy, depending on the classification. As a result, laboratories make up 25% of FAS buildings by square foot but account for 50% of utility costs.

The reason for this is that laboratories are typically supplied with 100% outside air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at between 4 - 15 air changes per hour. This outdoor air must be heated or cooled to acceptable occupant levels. In the Boston climate, this amounts to very intense energy use in these spaces. Beyond the enormous heating and cooling load demanded by laboratories, they are also often host to considerable plug load related to high energy use equipment such as autoclaves, freezers, fume hoods, etc.

While there are a whole host of environmental impacts resulting from laboratories, climate change is perhaps the most critical of these.

Below are a few simple steps that lab users can take to reduce the energy load of their workspace.

  • Shut the sash on your fume hood.      

The average fume hood uses 3 ½ times the energy of a house in a year! Keeping the sash closed when you’re not using the hood is always safest for you, and can reduce energy use by 30-60%*.

  • Use energy efficient equipment. 

Look for the most efficient option available when replacing lab equipment, and contact the Green Campus Initiative if you would like assistance. For common items like refrigerators and office equipment, always ask for ENERGY STAR models (www.energystar.gov).

  • Wait until you have full loads to run equipment such as glass washers and autoclaves.
  • If you are too hot or too cold, let your building manager know.    

Facilities staff will find the best way to reduce energy waste from  inefficient heating or cooling. Please don’t open windows in a controlled temp environment.

  • Turn off non-essential lab equipment.

Contact your Lab Manager or PI to determine what equipment can be safely turned off, and make it a policy to turn off certain equipment every night.

  • Use Compact Fluorescent lights                                                   

If you have task lights in your lab, replace any screw-in incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents and reduce energy use by 30-60%. The bulb also lasts much longer.

fumehoods