Tips for Greener Computing
There are two really good reasons to practice green computing: It saves you money, and--bit by bit--it helps save the planet. It's a major win-win. Here are just a few of the little things you can do to make a big difference.
Thu, April 23, 2009
Macworld — There are two really good reasons to practice green computing: It saves you money, and--bit by bit--it helps save the planet. It's a major win-win. Here are just a few of the little things you can do to make a big difference.
If energy conservation is your top priority, your next computer should be a laptop. Notebooks are by nature stingy with energy because they're designed to run off of a battery for hours. The MacBook Air consumes just 13 watts when idling with the monitor on; that's less than some compact fluorescent light bulbs. (For more on energy consumption, see "The Power Office".)
The MacBook Pro takes hardware efficiency further by offering two graphics processors. For heavy graphic lifting, you can choose the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT (which requires more juice), but for everyday tasks, stick with the default Nvidia GeForce 9400M (which uses less power). To make the choice, go to System Preferences: Energy Saver and, under Graphics, choose Better Battery Life (for the 9400M) or Higher Performance (for the 9600M GT).
Energy Saver and Beyond
All new Macs ship with OS X's Energy Saver feature turned on. According to Apple, a Mac uses about 77 percent less energy in this low-power mode than when it's running at full power. You can save more by customizing Energy Saver in System Preferences, and third-party energy utilities can help you save still more.
Faronics' US$14 Power Save Mac analyzes your computer use to determine when the Mac can take advantage of downtime to reduce power consumption. It's specially designed for networks; the savings on multiple machines can add up.
Dragon Systems' $29 Power Manager 3 saves energy by automatically turning your computer off when you're not using it, and then starting it back up when you'll need it. Energy Saver has a function for this, but Power Manager offers greater flexibility and more off and on times. Dragon also makes a free widget called Energy Schedule, which you can use to see upcoming shutdowns and restarts--even if you don't use Power Manager.
Pick Peripherals Carefully
Monitors, printers, and external hard drives can suck up as much power as, or more power than, your computer if you're not careful.
When you shop for peripherals, look for the Energy Star designation. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, and it sets energy-efficiency standards. Products must meet a variety of guidelines to be deemed Energy Star-compliant--for instance, computer peripherals must have a low-power sleep mode that kicks in after a period of inactivity. Monitors and printers can be Energy Star-compliant; for hard drives, seek Energy Star power adapters.
