In keeping with our campus-wide efforts to save energy, the Information Resources Help Desk suggests the following for office computer equipment.

- shut down your computer and monitor before you go home each day. This simple   step will result in the greatest savings.
- shut down computers, monitors and printers on weekends and holidays, vacations,   etc.
- power off the monitor when you are away from the desk for meetings or lunch.

The older style CRT or "picture tube" monitors consume much more energy than the newer LCD or "flat panel" monitors. Please pay particular attention to these in your work area. Also, note that the use of a screensaver does nothing to conserve energy. In fact, a screensaver may waste energy if it prevents the monitor from going to sleep when the computer is idle.

Both the Windows and Mac operating systems allow users to customize power options through the Control Panel (PC) or System Preferences (Mac). The Help Desk recommends setting only the monitor/display to turn off after a user selected period of inactivity. Setting the hard disk or computer to sleep during the regular workday saves little energy and can actually cause problems.

Thanks for doing your part to reduce computer energy consumption.