# Computer Power Management ## expand\_more [](/opex/research/computer-power-management)- May 31, 2017 - [Operational Excellence in Government](/operational-excellence-government) *This resource is part of the Ash Center's [Operational Excellence in Government Project.](/operational-excellence-government)* ## Computer power management defined Reducing the amount of power consumed by computers can lower government costs. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that if all office desktops had power management activated, it could save the United States $2.4 billion in energy bills, equivalent to 26 billion kilowatt hours annually in energy, enough to light all homes in California and New York. Computer power management (CPM) saves energy by setting computers to automatically go into low-energy sleep mode after set periods of inactivity (e.g., 10, 30, or 60 minutes). Monitor power management (MPM) saves electricity costs by putting a computer monitor to sleep automatically after a set period of inactivity. The EPA estimates that only 5 percent of computers have computer power management activated, so there is ample opportunity for government to achieve savings. Under CPM, energy usage goes from 35–70 watts to 2 watts each hour. CPM can save as much as 80 percent of the energy used by computers left on continuously. There is no disruption of productivity because one touch of the mouse or keypad wakes the computer. Agencies that deploy CPM save significant amounts on their power bill without losing any valuable computing power during the workday. In many organizations, computers are left on continuously so software updates and security scans can be completed. One agency using CPM set all computers to wake up at 2 am so that software updates could be installed during off-peak times. ## The benefits of computer power management Beyond the simplicity of implementation, there are multiple benefits of incorporating computer power management into operations, including: - Saving $25–75 per computer annually on energy costs - Cutting electricity used by computers on average by half - Reducing the need for cooling the ambient air - Producing an environmental benefit In an organization with 1,000 computers, implementing computer power management could save $25,000–75,000 in electricity and avoid 350 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. ## Implementing computer power management The costs to implement CPM are minimal in comparison to the benefits CPM provides. Potential costs include additional IT staff time to set up CPM and integrate the new processes with existing operations. The only other cost might be additional software. Some departments choose to invest in commercial CPM software packages, which may offer enhanced features and may be of value for some users. Fees are typically around $3–15 per computer per year. However, there are many free options for incorporating a power management system, including a [built-in Microsoft management tool](https://www.energystar.gov/products/low_carbon_it_campaign/implementation_resources_enterprises/activating_sleep_settings) for Microsoft users and additional options for [Apple users](https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/DeviceDrivers/Conceptual/IOKitFundamentals/PowerMgmt/PowerMgmt.html). The Environmental Protection Agency recommends setting computers to enter “system standby” or “system hibernate” after 30 to 60 minutes of [inactivity](https://www.energystar.gov/products/low_carbon_it_campaign/power_management_computer). This reduces power consumption from as much as 250 watts to 1–3 watts. The EPA recommends monitor to enter sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity. This reduces power consumption from 35–70 watts to less than 2 watts. ## Examples across the US The United States Air Force saves $15 million a year by switching to energy efficient computers and activating the nighttime power shutdown on those machines. While not every government agency is so large, with 500,000 computers across 100 Air Force bases around the world, the savings can be significant at smaller agencies, too. The state of Hawaii, where electricity costs are particularly high, saves $11,000 a year by using computer power management and by purchasing energy-efficient computers. Because saving energy also means less pollution, Hawaii’s power management effort will over three years prevent roughly 70 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and be the equivalent of planting over 14 acres of trees. The Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) in Texas saves $230,000 a year on energy costs now that it has enabled computer and monitor power management on the district’s 7,000 computers. The district implemented the project during summer vacation when it was already doing computer maintenance work. SBISD has enabled power management so that both monitors and computers enter a low-power sleep mode during periods of inactivity. Implementing CPM puts SBISD ahead of many schools and communities in the US as it was the first school district in Texas to implement these changes. ## Carroll County Public School District: Successful implementation of computer power management The Carroll County Public School District in Maryland has implemented CPM and achieved $500,000 in savings. Gary R. Davis, Chief Information Officer at the [Carroll County Public Schools](http://www.carrollk12.org/), led the charge for efficiency initiatives across the county. Carroll County Public Schools pledged to the EPA’s [Energy Star Low Carbon IT campaign](https://www.energystar.gov/products/reduceitenergycosts), which asks organizations to commit to activating sleep settings on their computers using network tools. The school district activated sleep settings on all their computers at once, saving costs and energy. This initiative was implemented in 2013 and the school system has realized over $500,000 in cost savings and cost avoidance with the sleep mode change. The county now has 16,000 computers integrated into its CPM system, so the savings have grown. While the school system had previously taken on HVAC and lighting energy savings, the district also wanted to address computer management. In addition, there were environmentally conscious students who brought the idea of CPM to the administration. When the school system migrated to Windows 7, it made the process of managing power settings through group policy much easier. The district moved forward with plans, and implemented computer power management. The county created and manages a countywide private fiber-optic network, the Carroll County Public Network, which allowed for enhanced remote computer power management capabilities, as well. The county spent many hours researching computer electricity use and CPM to get a baseline before implementation, and then compared energy savings after implementation, which totals 3.7 million kilowatt hours. Reflecting on the implementation of CPM, Davis says, “It’s not that complicated — it makes you wonder why everyone doesn’t do it.” Carroll County Public Schools also engaged in other efforts to increase energy efficiency and cost savings, which include: - Printer consolidation with power-saving mode standards - Data center virtualization and equipment replacement, consolidating 40–50 servers across schools to a central location - Replacing CRT monitors with more energy-efficient LCD monitors, and moving to energy-saving laptops for students - Regularly replacing old computers and keeping inventory fresh These other changes have already created at least $250,000 in cost savings and cost avoidance. ## Keys to Success Gary R. Davis, Carroll County Public School’s Chief Information Officer, and Sharon Minor, the Carroll County Public Schools’ Supervisor of Information Technology, have the following advice for others considering implementing CPM: **Leadership.** “It takes a leader and a visionary to pull people together. If someone has that centralized vision and can get other leaders to take ownership of that vision and buy into it, that’s when you can move forward,” Minor stated. **Appropriate collaboration.** When working with other technology departments across the county, Davis said, “We check our egos at the door. Everybody knows something you don’t and you know something they don’t — and it’s really a collaboration and a team approach. Ask for advice and give advice.” The various IT departments within the county have a loose confederation of efforts and a memorandum of understanding to collaborate when they can but respect not getting involved in other aspects of each other’s work. **Keep the focus.** “There are Board of Education and county government issues, but from a tech perspective, we deal with each other at the IT level and we don’t worry about what’s going on at the political level.” Although not a commonly addressed operational topic, computer power management is a simple strategy that can save thousands of dollars and conserve energy across government departments — benefits that are financial as well as environmental. ### *[Learn more about Data and Information Technology](/opex/research/topic-data-and-information-technology)* ### Topics - [Operational Excellence](/internal:/operational-excellence-government)