Climate Savers Computing Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a nonprofit group of consumers, businesses and conservation organizations dedicated to promoting smart technologies that can improve the power efficiency and reduce the energy consumption of computers. Formed in 2007, it is based in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

.

Participating manufacturers commit to producing products that meet specified power-efficiency targets, and members commit to purchasing power-efficient computing products.

By 2010, the initiative seeks to reduce energy consumption by computers by 50 percent and reduce global emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons a year.

Goal

The goal of the new environmental effort is to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...

 emissions by setting targets for energy-efficient computers and components, and promoting the adoption of energy-efficient computers and power management tools globally.

The typical desktop PC wastes more than half of the power it draws from a power outlet. Servers typically waste 30-40% of the power they consume. This energy is wasted as heat. As a result, offices, homes, and data centers have increased demands on air conditioning which in turn increases energy requirements and associated costs.

By increasing the effectiveness of power-management features in computers as well as implementing these features and aggressive power-management policies, the average business desktop can save 60% of the electricity consumed, with no compromise to productivity. These results combat climate change and cut costs. With individual member and company participation, this effort may lead to a 50% reduction in power consumption by computers by 2010, and committed participants could collectively save $5.5 billion in energy costs and 54 million tons of
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...

 emissions a year. That is the equivalent of taking 11 million cars off the road every year.

Participants in the Climate Savers Computing Initiative represent both the demand and supply side of the computer industry, including computer manufacturers and chip makers, as well as environmental groups, energy companies, retailers, government agencies and more. Members of the initiative include Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...

, Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...

, EDS
EDS
- Education :* Educational specialist , a terminal academic degree in the U.S.* Episcopal Divinity School, an Episcopal Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts* Evansville Day School, an independent college-prep school in Evansville, Indiana- Politics :...

, the United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA), Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...

, Lenovo, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company , commonly known as PG&E, is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border...

 (PG&E), World Wildlife Fund and others.

Specifications

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative operates in a manner similar to the U.S. Government’s Energy Star
Energy Star
Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted...

 program. It is intended to promote both the deployment of existing technologies and investment in new energy-efficiency technologies. The Energy Star 4.0 standard for desktops, laptops, and workstations, which took effect in July 2007, requires power supplies to be at least 80 percent efficient
80 PLUS
80 PLUS is an initiative to promote energy efficiency in computer power supply units . It certifies products that have more than 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load, and a power factor of 0.9 or greater at 100% load....

 for most of their load range. In addition, it puts limits on the energy used by devices when inactive and requires systems to be shipped with power management features enabled.

PCs

The Initiative starts with the 2007 Energy Star requirements for desktops, laptops and workstations (including monitors), and gradually increases the efficiency requirements over the next four years, as follows:
  1. From July 2007 through June 2008, PCs must meet the Energy Star requirements. This means 80 percent minimum efficiency for the power supply unit (PSU) at 20 percent, 50 percent, and 100 percent of rated output, a power factor of at least 0.9 at 100 percent of rated output, and meeting the maximum power requirements in standby, sleep, and idle modes.
  2. From July 2008 through June 2009 the standard increases to 85 percent minimum efficiency for the PSU at 50 percent of rated output (and 82 percent minimum efficiency at 20 percent and 100 percent of rated output). Equivalent to 80 PLUS
    80 PLUS
    80 PLUS is an initiative to promote energy efficiency in computer power supply units . It certifies products that have more than 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load, and a power factor of 0.9 or greater at 100% load....

    Bronze level.
  3. From July 2009 through June 2010, the standard increases to 88 percent minimum efficiency for the PSU at 50 percent of rated output (and 85 percent minimum efficiency at 20 percent and 100 percent of rated output). Equivalent to 80 PLUS Silver level.
  4. From July 2010 through June 2011, the standard increases to 90 percent minimum efficiency for the PSU at 50 percent of rated output (and 87 percent minimum efficiency at 20 percent and 100 percent of rated output). Equivalent to 80 PLUS Gold level.

Servers

In addition, the Initiative sets the following high-efficiency targets for volume servers (1U/2U single- and dual-socket servers):
  1. From July 2007 through June 2008, volume servers must have 85 percent minimum efficiency for the power supply unit (PSU) at 50 percent of rated output (and 81 percent minimum efficiency at 20 percent and 100 percent of rated output), and power factor of at least 0.9 at 100 percent of rated output.
  2. From July 2008 through June 2009 the standard increases to 89 percent minimum efficiency for the PSU at 50 percent of rated output (and 85 percent minimum efficiency at 20 percent and 100 percent of rated output).
  3. From July 2009 through June 2010, the standard increases to 92 percent minimum efficiency for the PSU at 50 percent of rated output (and 88 percent minimum efficiency at 20 percent and 100 percent of rated output.

External links

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