Typical measures and payback periods*
Consider lifecycle costs.
When making decisions about equipment purchases, consider the full lifecycle costs of the equipment, such as operating costs, maintenance costs, cooling costs and the cost of downtime. Often the high-efficiency models are more reliable and require less maintenance, saving you both money and time.

Download or purchase power management software.
This software controls the power settings on all computers on your network. The Environmental Protection Agency offers a list of available power management software products, along with a guide for implementing this strategy. They also provide technical assistance for companies that need it, including an online savings calculator. See the EPA’s General Technical Overview of Power Management.

Cool your server room.
It may be as simple as clearing out unneeded cable under the server room floor to increase the air flow. Or it may require arranging your server stacks into a “hot aisle/cold aisle” configuration, where the backs of two rows of servers face each other, concentrating the exhausted hot air. Depending on the density of your system, you may consider supplemental cooling with precision air conditioning units located in the hot aisles. When adding any cooling equipment, remember to purchase the most efficient equipment possible.

Purchase ENERGY STAR® equipment.
When replacing outdated office equipment, look for the ENERGY STAR® label. These products are more efficient, produce less heat and are more reliable. For a server room, less exhaust heat also means less demand for air conditioning. For computers, look for the 80 Plus label, indicating a power supply with 80 percent efficiency or greater. The EPA has a number of savings calculators for office equipment: computers, monitors, fax machines, scanners, copiers, etc.

Right-size your monitors.
Larger monitors use more energy. Choose the smallest monitor you can comfortably work with.

Replace CRT monitors with LCD monitors.
Newer LCD monitors use less energy than the old CRT monitors. They also take up less space and help reduce eyestrain for some users.

Choose laptop computers with smart energy features.
Some of the newer laptops use advanced hardware capabilities to reduce power consumption and extend battery life. These include high-efficiency power supplies, lower idle wattage and dual core processors that can independently transition into a low power state.

Network and share printers.
Often one printer is sufficient to serve a number of people. Determine your actual printing needs to right-size your network.

Smarten up your power strips.
Purchase newer, “smart” power strips that can turn off equipment when it is not in use.

• Your equipment is unreliable, difficult to manage or produces unsatisfactory results.
• Your equipment is near the end of its useful life.
  
  

  Typical lifetimes for electronic equipment are:
  Computers	4 years
  Copiers	6 years
  Fax machines	4 years
  Monitors	4 years
  Printers	5 years
  Scanners	4 years