Green ComputingSchool of Humanities

www.nottingham.ac.uk/humanities

Put your PC to sleep

Go to the Start menu and proceed as if you were to shut Ò down your PC.

From the drop down menu, choose either ‘Standby’ or Ò ‘Hibernate’. This will immediately put the computer to sleep.

Automatic PC Power Options

From the Start menu go to the ‘Control Panel’ and Ò choose ‘Power Options

Customize the settings in the Power Schemes tab according to Ò

the suggested guidelines for PCs:

Turn off Monitor: 5 minutes

Turn off hard disks: Never (Standby does this automatically)

System Standby: 20 minutes

Add the Green School logo to your email signature

In Outlook, go to ‘Tools’ in and choose ‘Options’ Ò

Select the ‘Mail Format’ tab and access the ‘Signatures’ Ò properties

Choose ‘New’ below the ‘Signatures to edit’ text box Ò

Name the signature and edit it afterwards Ò

You can copy/paste the Green School logo directly from the Ò website into the signature

Hibernation or Standby?When the PC is in standby mode, it still maintains a fast state of readiness and is using power. This is often recommended for desktop computers but not for laptop as you’re risking losing any data that hasn’t been saved when the power (batteries) run out. When putting the computer into hibernation, it is not suing any power and saves all open data. The advantage is that it a new start-up restores all files and settings as they were when the computer was put into hibernation.

Print double-sided by default

Go to the Start menu and choose ‘Settings’ Ò

Choose ‘Printers and Faxes’ and right-click on main Ò printer

Select ‘Printer Preferences’ and choose the ‘Finishing’ Ò tab

Check ‘Print on Both Sides’ and click ‘Apply’ to set as Ò default

You can uncheck this setting for individual jobs if necessary:

Go to Print > Properties and choose ‘Finishing’ Ò

Set narrow document margins

In Word choose ‘Page Layout’ and choose the ‘Narrow’ Ò option

Remote Access option

Instead of leaving your PC on while you’re working from home or elsewhere, try to make use of the University’s ‘My Files’ service.

MyFiles is a service which allows you access to your University filestore (Z:Drive) from anywhere via a web page. With this service you can download a file to open on your computer, work on it (provided you have a compatible application installed), then upload it back to your Z:Drive.

You can access MyFiles at myfiles.nottingham.ac.uk or from the link on the Portal.

The growing use of computers on campus has caused a dramatic increase in energy consumption, putting negative pressure on the University’s budget and the environment.

Each year, more and more computers are purchased and put to use, but it’s not just the number of computers that is driving energy consumption upward. The way that we use computers also adds to the increasing energy burden.

How much energy does your computer system use?

The typical personal computer (PC) system is comprised of the computer itself (the CPU), a monitor, and a printer. Your CPU requires approximately 100 watts of electrical power. Add 50-150 watts for a 15-17 inch monitor, proportionately more for larger monitors. Conventional laser printers use as much as 100 watts or more when printing, though much less if in “sleep mode.” Ink jet printers use as little as 12 watts while printing and 5 watts while idling.

Green Computing

In this section you will find some information and tested suggestions that make it possible for you to reduce your computer energy consumption and to cut down on your use of paper.

The common misconception that a computer’s life is shortened by turning it on and off has led some to leave computers on all the time. Others are reluctant to switch their computerson and off a couple times during their workday despite only using this equipment for a fraction of that time.

Desktop computers are designed to protect the internal circuitry from power damage from on/off switching. Turning PC equipment off at night or on and off a few times a day will not appreciably affect its useful life.

Mythbuster: Screen savers save no energy

If screen saver images appear on your monitor for more than 5 minutes, you are wasting energy. Screen saver programmes may save the phosphors in your monitor screen, but this is not really a concern with newer monitors, especially LCD screens.

A screen saver that displays moving images causes your monitor to consume as much as electricity as it does when in active use. These screen saver programmes also involve system interaction with your CPU that results in additional energy consumption. A blank screen saver is slightly better but even that only reduces monitor energy consumption by a few percent.

Did you know?Leaving a monitor on overnight wastes enough energy to laser print 800 A4 pages.

Yes, you can! 5 Quick Tips

If possible, break the habit of turning on all Ò your computer equipment as soon as you enter the office each day.

Avoid using the switch on a powerstrip to Ò turn on all your equipment.

If you use a laser printer, don’t turn your Ò printer on until you are ready to print.

Turn off your entire computer system (CPU, Ò monitor and printer) or at least your monitor and printer when you go to lunch or will be out of office for a meeting or an errand.

Turn off all office appliances at night and on Ò weekends.