A new power-saving device has been launched in Malta by Innovative Solutions of Mosta to help reduce the power consumption of computers. The so-called ecobutton is a small device that you attach to your computer which saves energy by powering down the machine when not in use. Unfortunately this device works only with Microsoft Windows 2000, XP or Vista.
The idea is not new; actually there are basic power-saving features built-in the most popular operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux. However, for those who don't know how to fiddle with the computer settings, or don't have the time or patience to do so, the ecobutton comes in very handy, at a price of €20.
The ecobutton is an intelligent and easy-to-use gadget. It is illuminated and sits on the table or desktop next to the keyboard. It connects to the computer via a USB cable and makes the PC go into deep sleep when the button is clicked. A small application is downloaded from www.eco-button.com. In the application, the price of electricity is entered, as well as the monitor type and size. These figures would equate to the user's savings. Each time users take a short or long break, take a phone call or go for a meeting, they simply press the ecobutton and the computer is put into the most efficient energy-saving mode available.
There is also an additional bonus as each time your computer is put into "ecomode" the clever ecobutton software records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved by using the ecobutton. Over time, this can add up to quite a lot, not to mention the awareness it creates towards saving energy and our environment.
i-Tech was given the opportunity to test the ecobutton. It worked! The button emitted a green light, which was not annoying, and we found it very easy to press once we knew we were going to go away from the PC for a length of time.
To test it before leaving the desktop computer, we left an open web browser, a movie playing, Windows updates installing, and a long file being downloaded. When we were back and resumed from ecomode by pressing any key on the keyboard, the web browser was still open, the movie had continued to play, the installation of updates had continued and the file continued to be downloaded at a good rate. Yet the ecobutton software prompted us with a screen showing how much money and C02 we had saved in the few minutes we were away.
On different occasions i-Tech has reported how computers and related equipment do consume energy and there are simple steps to take to help reduce this consumption without decreasing productivity or enjoyment. The ecobutton is yet another initiative that helps us do so.
A single monitor left switched on overnight can use the same energy as a laser printer producing 800 A4 printed copies. A business having 100 PC stations can save approximately €6,000 annually if its computers are switched on ecobotton's "ecomode" for three hours a day, according to the suppliers of the device.
Switching the computer off completely remains the best way to save energy when you are not using a computer for a long time.