Power Consumption
I would like to go on the record with some thoughts, just so hopefully I can go back later and realize I predicted this trend.
The biggest environmental issue that has yet to be raised and is the most easily addresses will be a large turning point in computing in the next few years, and that issue is the reduction of power consumed by your computer. The pollution generated as a result of your computer running non-stop is virtually invisible. People think computers are clean, however, those hours of web surfing you're doing may be killing the environment.
There is great opportunity in many different areas when it comes to this problem of power consumption. Many of the solutions are extremely complex and/or are already being implemented, cleaner power sources, replacing CRTs with LCDs, changing daylight savings time to reduce the usage of lights, implementing virtual servers, the list goes on.
The areas that are being missed and are easy (so easy a high schooler with ambition and business savvy could sell old-timers on it) are the easiest to address. Getting users to turn off their computers late at night and getting them to go into standby more often during the work day.
I haven't seen a compelling case made for this yet, and I think a teenager armed with the right information could make a killing going around convincing businesses to turn off their computers at night and implementing group policies and checks to ensure that this is happening. Utilizing devices to measure power consumption will further help illustrate the power saving effects.
Walking through any cube farm at night will show you that this isn't being done. There are lights on everywhere, little green LEDs indicating devices are running, the hum of thousands of case fans.
Leaving your computer on at night is like taking money, throwing it in the toilet, and peeing on it. It costs you money and isn't even fun.
This is one of those cases where there is a direct correlation between saving money and helping the environment, people need to take advantage of it.
The biggest environmental issue that has yet to be raised and is the most easily addresses will be a large turning point in computing in the next few years, and that issue is the reduction of power consumed by your computer. The pollution generated as a result of your computer running non-stop is virtually invisible. People think computers are clean, however, those hours of web surfing you're doing may be killing the environment.
There is great opportunity in many different areas when it comes to this problem of power consumption. Many of the solutions are extremely complex and/or are already being implemented, cleaner power sources, replacing CRTs with LCDs, changing daylight savings time to reduce the usage of lights, implementing virtual servers, the list goes on.
The areas that are being missed and are easy (so easy a high schooler with ambition and business savvy could sell old-timers on it) are the easiest to address. Getting users to turn off their computers late at night and getting them to go into standby more often during the work day.
I haven't seen a compelling case made for this yet, and I think a teenager armed with the right information could make a killing going around convincing businesses to turn off their computers at night and implementing group policies and checks to ensure that this is happening. Utilizing devices to measure power consumption will further help illustrate the power saving effects.
Walking through any cube farm at night will show you that this isn't being done. There are lights on everywhere, little green LEDs indicating devices are running, the hum of thousands of case fans.
Leaving your computer on at night is like taking money, throwing it in the toilet, and peeing on it. It costs you money and isn't even fun.
This is one of those cases where there is a direct correlation between saving money and helping the environment, people need to take advantage of it.
posted by Jeramey @ 4/05/2007 01:17:00 AM
2 Comments:
At April 08, 2007 8:57 PM ,
raster said...
I guess you can also blame us (the folks who created podcasting) because now people need to keep their computers on all night to download podcasts at 2AM.
On thing I have noticed about people who add a Linksys NSLU2 to their network is that many do it for power reasons. It's a low-power device which often takes the place on a large, dedicated server for doing a very simple task. Maybe we'll see more of this.
At April 19, 2007 10:36 PM ,
Bryan said...
Saying that leaving your computer on at night is wasting money is a very simplistic view of things...
My computers work a ton at night, virus scans (which slow things down to much to run during the day), defrags, backups... and on occassion batch processing jobs and that's just on my desktop computers, even more happens on my server.
Granted turning off desktops at companies can do some good (although again often time's during the night is when things are pushed to desktops, etc. the geeks come out at night, but WOL etc. can still allow them to be powered off).
But your overly broad and simplistic view is off... and I'm kinda embarassed that you choose my photo of my home computers to illustrate your post.
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