Perma/TECH/Green Computing

Green ComputingGreen Computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. The global use of computing resources and smart devices continues to grow dramatically. There are opportunities to reduce the ecological footprint of computing through careful selection of hardware and improved computer network designs. Here, in Open Book of Permaculture you can share your knowledge - proven ideas and practical insights to help develop a manual on this topic. Actions you can take Buy and use a low power desktop or a laptop computer (40-90 watts) rather a higher power desktop (e.g. 300 watts). Find out the normal operating power (watts) required. The maximum power supply (up to 1kW in some modern gaming PCs) is not as important as the normal operating power, but note that power supply efficiency generally peaks at about 50-75% load. Idle state represents 69 to 97% of total annual energy use, even if power management is enabled. Computer power supplies are generally about 70–75% efficient;to produce 75 W of DC output they require 100 W of AC input and dissipate the remaining 25 W in heat. Higher-quality power supplies can be over 80% efficient; higher energy efficiency uses less power directly, and requires less power to cool as well. As of 2007, 93% efficient power supplies are available. Thin clients can use only 4 to 8 watts of power at the desktop as the processing is done by a server Use a small mobile device such as and Android phone in place of a desktop or laptop. For desktops, buy a low power central processing unit (CPU). This reduces both power consumption and cooling requirements. Buy hardware from manufacturers that have a hardware recycling scheme, and recycle your old computer equipment rather than sending it to landfill Turn your computer and monitor off at the power point when you are not using it – even when notionally off a computer can draw considerable power. This off power can exceed the power used when on if the computer is used intermittently. Enable hibernation using the power management settings. Standby does not save as much power Replace your CRT screen with an LCD screen. Keep your PC or laptop for at least 5 years. If you’re leasing, shift to a 5 year period. This reduces resource and energy consumption associated with the manufacture and distribution of PCs by 40%, compared to replacing PCs every 3 years which is current corporate practice. Avoid an unnecessary operating system version upgrade which requires a hardware upgrade. Use Linux (such as Ubuntu), which requires less resources than many other operating systems on an older computer as a spare or a file server. As of version 2.6.21, the Linux kernel went tickless, and no longer has a fixed 1000Hz timer tick. The result (in theory) is huge power savings because the CPU stays in low power mode for longer periods during system idle. Use power management software to find programs that are misbehaving while your computer is idle. What to avoid Cheap PC cases often have low quality power supplies that are inefficient at converting incoming electricity for use within the system. Computer games consoles are not optimised to reduce power consumption. Games consoles – of which 62 million of various brands were sold in 2007 – use large amounts of electricity for high power graphics and sounds. A personal computer setup for gaming with a powerful processor and video cards can have a power supply with a peak load *Don’t leave your computer turned on when it is not being used. Shut it down or hibernate it. Note that some systems still use power when on standby. Corporates and businesses Use server virtualisation to aggregate multiple under-utilised servers onto more energy efficient server infrastructure. Use blade servers instead of rack or standalone servers to reduce power consumption. Specify low energy consumption level in Request for Tender documents. Shift to 5 year desktop and laptop leases. Measure your data centre power usage. Use server and/or web-based applications where possible to extend desktop service life and reduce desktop software maintenance. Establish policies governing the acquisition, usage and disposal of computer hardware to minimise energy consumption and environmental impact. Sources Initial version of this article copied from https://greenlivingpedia.org/green_computing/ Published June 13, 2015