Gadgets are a growing and ever more integrated piece of our daily lives. At home, I have a laptop in use all day, by either my wife or myself. Then, we have an iPad that needs charging every couple of days. My wife and I each have a cell phone, and our entertainment centre has a cable modem, game console, HD PVR, wifi hub, network connected hard drive, and a my thermostat gateway.
Add to that cameras and the never ending stream of kids toys that need batteries.
Where to start to reduce these growing energy loads?
How about with the back-to-school deals that are so relevant this time of year. Junior may need a computer for all those assignments, essays and, inescapably, games and apps. Some suggestions:
- By a laptop instead of a desktop. It will use 50+% less power than a desktop.
- Look for Energy Star certification (check here if in doubt)
- Look for EPEAT (a rating for how green an electronic device is) and compare.
- Responsibly recycle your old computer (if getting rid of an old clunker). Many cities have programs to keep these hazardous material containing devices out of landfills).
- Use all the power saving settings to have the battery last longer.
For example, I am metering this Macbook while it’s charging at only 35 watts. Compare that to my old (not Energy Star certified) laptop at 100 watts. The battery lasts longer, and I sacrifice nothing in performance.
Ask your IT department at work if they follow these guidelines for purchasing as well. Your energy manager, accountant, or whoever is paying the electric bill will notice a difference!
Some other great ideas for the back to school list here, including some specific suggestions as to which laptop might be the greenest.
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