Saving energy by using a laptop

15 July 2008

Changing your computer from a PC to a laptop can save a considerable amount of energy, according to a recent CHOICE magazine article¹.

CHOICE calculated that even the heaviest user of power among the laptops they tested would use 155kWh a year with running costs² of $23.19, compared to running a standard desktop PC using 771 kWh/year and costing $155.63.

The cheapest laptop they tested came in at 56kWh/year usage, or $8.37 to run.

The article did not breakdown the comparative manufacturing energy costs.

From our own experience, if you are running computers for your business 24/7, a laptop can significantly cut your electricity costs, especially for small scale servers that need to be accessible at all times.

Putting other devices such as routers and printers on a timer switch for non-working periods can also save you power and money.

Footnotes

1. Source: www.choice.com.au Article on Multimedia Laptops - Security/Energy - June 2008.
2. Running costs may vary depending on your energy supplier and location.