Increase Energy Star savings with Microsoft Active Directory
If you've ever been in an office full of computers, you know the constant heat they can generate. That heat represents energy consumption by the computer—and it causes the office climate control system to work harder to remove that heat from the air. The cost of this energy adds up for state and local government agencies—but it can now be countered with significant long-term savings realized by the adoption of EPA Energy Star-recommended guidelines for computers.
By using the Group Policies built into Microsoft Active Directory to shut down inactive monitors and computers, the Energy Star program estimates that an agency can save between $30-$60 per year per computer—and provide a friendlier environment for their communities. (That savings applies to every Microsoft Windows-based PC your agency has—so to calculate the approximate amount you could be saving, multiply $30-$60 by the number of computers you have.) And with the potential rise in future energy costs, your savings could climb even higher.
States with computer/monitor power management solutions in place
Some states and agencies have already put a computer/monitor power management solution in place. They include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington.
Read a case study: North Thurston County in Washington state (Portable Document Format file, 133 KB)
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