By Gemma Simpson, 26 July 2007 12:29
NEWS
Staffordshire County Council has developed software that detects and turns off idle PCs and could cut £40,000 per year off the authority's energy bill.
The software will scan all of the council's 8,000 computers and automatically switch off any left on outside office hours.
Peter Kear, who developed the computer programme and is team leader for Staffordshire ICT Desktop Support, told silicon.com this software differs from other power-savings tools because the PC is actually turned off, and not left in hibernation mode.
The software was written as part of a wider project to improve the council's patch management processes and should be installed throughout the county by September.
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Kear said the machines needed to shut down every day, not just go into hibernation, as part of the patch installation process. The energy-saving software evolved from this requirement.
An automated email service that informs employees when their machines have had to be switched off by the software has also been developed and should be added to the system soon.
Kear said the council wants to educate people to switch off their machines and not have them rely on the software to do it instead.
By encouraging people to turn off their PCs, they are also more likely to switch off their other hardware, such as monitors, which the current system cannot shut down, he added.
The software runs on a schedule, routinely looking for and turning off any PCs left on between 8pm and 8am on weekdays and throughout weekends. It also produces a series of graphs including how many machines are on, how many were switched off and the associated energy savings from turning them off.
Mick Clarke, the county council's cabinet member for organisation and performance said the authority is Staffordshire's largest user of computers. The "ingenious software" is a simple and effective way of cutting the council's carbon footprint and saving cash, he said.
A recent report found employees who leave their PCs on overnight are costing their companies around £70 per year.
Comments
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1. Jerry K
There is an easier way, certainly for a new site. For many years, my company has used a "big switch" at the front door, which is switched off at the end of the day. A separate "24-hour" mains circuit is used for emergency lighting, server room, faxes, security systems, the fridge and so on but ALL user PCs, ALL lighting and non-essential equipment are off when there is no-one in the building. This should be considered standard practice IMHO for all work places not used 24/7. Implementation is relatively inexpensive; savings are considerable; and the green savings are measurable, even when set against carbon cost of manufactured goods and materials required - a claim which can not often be substantiated.