Energy Star Computer Systems fall short of intended savings

by Bernd Nurnberger
power user and electronics engineer

Playful screen savers on 80% of office computers prevent activation of the energy saving circuits. Users, administrators and system vendors can help to realize the intended savings by changing a few basic settings. Start here to see how.

The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Overview

A worldwide success it has become, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pollution Preventer program for computers. You can find its label on almost every brand of computer and monitor, even on pocketbook-sized portables. The blue and green Earth with the amber star means that part of the price you pay goes for small pieces of circuitry that sense when there is no activity on the computer. After a few minutes of sitting idle, these high-tech tools shut down the screen and most of the computer's circuitry goes to sleep, ready to spring to action at the touch of a key.

What's wrong?

The basic idea is technically cool, but easily foiled by the users of graphic operating systems like Windows, who evidently enjoy the screen savers. Who has not played with them? Screen savers are fun, so much that users pay for some. However, the screen savers disable most of the energy savers. Audits in numerous factories and offices reveal large numbers of computers, when idling, display gaudy animations. Even in companies that design and make monitors and computers, their own monitors proudly display the Energy Star and - never go to sleep. The intended environmental pollution savings do not materialize.

How much do you want to save today?

A typical CRT monitor consumes 100 Watts or more. Add 50 Watts for extra cooling in spring, summer and fall. Heating in winter is more efficiently accomplished by methods other than using electric devices. With 1.5 hours idle on an average working day the monitor could be sleeping an estimated 400 hours per year. Your savings: 60kWh, maybe12 dollars. Multiply this by millions of monitors and you see the importance of the Energy Star features being active and laid to waste by screen savers alone. More could be saved if you switch off the monitor (not the computer) when you leave your desk. Modern monitors and their picture tubes do not suffer from switching the way old TVs did.

In short

Why are the colorful screen savers antagonistic to energy saving? Most monitors shut down only when the computer sends a black, blank screen. What can you do about it? Join the awareness campaign. (It's FREE). Place these virtual stickers on the computers of millions of users. Insert a link to this page in yours or forward a link by e-mail. Pictures speak louder than words. You may send these pictures (but ask the receiver before emailing, they are about 60 kB).

The pictures show how to set blank screen.

Select an awareness ad.	Windows 95/NT
	Windows 3.1
	Windows 3.1 Japanese

Copy the button.
Right-click on the image and save it.

Just do it. Today.

Users	Whatever your system, please select the screen saver Blank Screen using the Control Panel, Display or Desktop Settings or the like. Get assistance, if necessary, from your dealer, a power user, or ask your local computer user group or your office system administrator.
System Vendors, Dealers, System Administrators	Please insert a page in the user manuals that explains the environmental impact of selecting screen savers. Copy this page or a part of it if you like. Request improvement from the designers of operating systems. To send a clear message, remove the screen savers other than Blank Screen from graphical operating systems like the various incarnations of Microsoft Windows.
Operating system designers	Microsoft and others, please make Blank Screen or None the default and add to the screen saver selection a pop-up window that cautions about the disabling of energy saving when using other screen savers. (See below)
EPA Energy Star Committee	Please specify in the requirements for Energy Star marking that computer systems with pre-installed graphical user interfaces qualify only if they provide as a first choice only 2 screen savers: None (the default) and Blank Screen. All other screen savers shall be accessible only through a cautionary note that briefly explains the environmental impact. The documentation (paper and on-line) for computers, monitors and operating systems shall present the same information.

Will this work? Only if you do your part, set a good example and set your screen saver to black, blank screen.

Thank you. (It's FREE!)

Oh, and let others know about this, please.

The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency. I wish they do.