Office of Environmental Affairs

Office of Environmental Affairs
Tulane University, 104 Alcee Fortier Hall
New Orleans, LA 70118

Enabling Your Computer's Energy Saving Features

We estimate that there are over 6,000 computers in use on the Uptown campus. If you take a few minutes to enable the the power management features on your computer, it could save $25-$75 in electricity costs--and many pounds of greenhouse gas emissions--every year.

EPA recommends setting computers to enter system standby or hibernate after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity. To save even more, set monitors to enter sleep mode after 5 to 20 minutes of inactivity. The lower the setting, the more energy you save. If you require 24/7 remote access to your desktops (such as for overnight backups), you should only enable the power management for the monitor.

Windows 2000 and XP users can upload EZ_Wizard now
This nifty software from ENERGY STAR quickly enables your PC's power management features.

In Macintosh Operating Systems

Click on the apple symbol in the upper left of your screen
Go to "System Preferences" and select "Energy Saver"
Click on the "Sleep" and “Options” buttons. This allows you to select the length of time your computer sits idle before it puts the display and/or the hard disk to sleep. Choose a short duration of time for your display (5-10 minutes), longer for your hard drive.
Next, Click on the " Schedule" button. This allows you to set the time your computer wakes in the morning and goes to sleep at the end of your work day.
Laptops give additional choices depending on whether they are running off of battery or are plugged in. They allow the user to set them up so they either favor “performance” or “Battery Life”.

Manually Enabling Power Management
Click here for ENERGY STAR's manual instructions for enabling power management features in Windows 2000, Windows XP, VISTA, and Mac.

Further Help
For technical questions about your computer's power management features, call the Help Desk at 862-8888.

And you can do more

Make sure your screen saver is disabled.
Turn off you computer at the end of the day. Some operating systems allow you to schedule shut-downs, so your computer will shut off at night and turn back in the morning before you arrive. (Check with your department's computer operations specialist to ensure that your computer is not accessed at night.)
Print double-sided. Many laser printers give you this option. Look for the Preferences button in the Print box.
Recycle your computer and electronics.