Technology
Written by Alma Anonas-Carpio / correspondent
Tuesday, 07 July 2009 02:17

GREEN information technology should not just be a corporate initiative, it is an initiative all personal computer (PC) users can and should adopt. This is the gist of Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) Power to Change project.

The initiative helps users realize the impact of shutting down idle PCs, as HP uses this campaign to encourage PC users around the world to change their behavior in support of the environment.

The campaign also encourages users to download a new desktop widget that tracks the cumulative energy savings associated with participants turning off their idle PCs when these machines are not in use.

HP researchers estimated that if 100,000 PC users shut down their work computers at the end of each day, the energy savings they would generate could total over 2,680 kilowatt-hours, based on the energy savings estimate taken from a benchmark study conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories in 2004 and United Kingdom Energy Saving Trust in 2007.

Extrapolating on the same study, the HP researchers estimate that, by shutting down idle workstations PC daily, the same number of computer users can cut their companies’ carbon emission by a total of over 3,500 pounds per day— equivalent to eliminating more than 105 cars from the road each day.

The Power To Change widget is available for download across the world and is compatible with both Macintosh and Windows operating systems. With the widget, computer users can watch and explore the energy savings the campaign generates through the power of behavioral change.

“Power To Change is the manifestation of HP’s long-held philosophy that industry leadership is about an ongoing contribution to society,” HP Americas sustainability executive John Frey said in a press statement. “With Power To Change, individuals and organizations can make a small environmental commitment that has the potential for a large impact on addressing sustainability challenges today.”

Power To Change is launching across all three HP regions—Asia-Pacific and Japan; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and the Americas. It is also available in five languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

HP also said it offers a broad portfolio of energy-efficient PCs for consumers and businesses—from enterprise-ready notebooks and thin clients, to innovative touch-enabled PCs and slim, powerful desktop PCs.

The company also reported it has exceeded the goal set in January 2008 to reduce the energy consumption of its volume desktop and notebook PC families by 25 percent by 2010, a full 18 months ahead of schedule.

Having achieved that goal, HP has set a new goal: It intends to save 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity by 2011 by implementing a variety of product design strategies to reduce energy consumption in its volume PCs.

Through power-efficient PC design, HP expects to save enough electricity to power 90,000 homes for an entire year.

* Published by BusinessMirror