With a few clicks of a button, University employees can now better conserve their computer’s energy usage, reduce University operating expenses and lower carbon emissions.
Facility Services is offering PwrSmart by New Boundaries Technology, an energy conserving program.
The software balances a computer’s energy consumption by controlling power settings, said Denise Newell, co-chair of the IT Power Management Committee, Campus Sustainability manager and facility for Campus Committee for Sustainability.
The software’s monitoring system tracks when a computer is being used and automatically places the system in a low-powered state when it is idle, which reduces the computer’s electrical consumption, Newell said.
She explained a computer running without technology like PwrSmart is like “leaving your refrigerator running without anything in upward.”
Newell explained that if everyone uses the lowest intensive setting, each computer would save about $5 to $8 per computer per year, ultimately enough for the program to pay for itself in about two years.
“We’re really trying to encourage more aggressive participation,” Newell said. “Eight dollars versus $20 is a big