How green is my PC?

Posted on 16 Jan 2009 at 15:58

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Eco worriers

'Green IT' is an idea that's begun to take hold in the last few years, as people wake up to the fact that the world's increasing numbers of computers are not only using scarily large amounts of energy, but are also made using materials and processes that can be directly damaging to the environment. US and EU regulators have moved quickly to remove the most dangerous substances from new products, resulting in some computers and peripherals being redesigned and others discontinued.

Greenpeace has been campaigning on the issue since 2005, though it hasn't always seemed to pick the right targets. In 2006 it launched an attack on Apple for using toxic materials in its products, despite the company having one of the better records in the industry on cleaning up its manufacturing. Greenpeace was criticised for picking Apple because of its high profile rather than any lack of commitment to the environment, but was later able to claim credit when the company removed PVC and brominated flame resistant components from its hardware.

In fact, just about every technology maker is working to reduce the damage its products do to the environment. When it comes to new products, there's a lot that can be done: refining the design of components can make them more energy efficient as well as reducing the use of undesirable substances and the pollution from manufacturing processes. This means a PC specification providing a given level of performance will tend to get 'greener' year by year, and with careful selection of parts a manufacturer can maximise the effect.

We've seen this in action in systems from the likes of VeryPC (www.very-pc.co.uk), the Sheffield-based system builder that's made environmental innovation its main focus, designing PCs that run on comparatively tiny wattages. VeryPC try to minimise their environmental impact in other ways, too, and were recognised for their efforts in the 2008 Green IT Expo Awards. Making their system boxes physically smaller reduces the quantity of raw materials used to produce them, and plastic is replaced where possible with more easily recycled materials, both in hardware and packaging.

Peripherals also get more efficient as new technologies are introduced. The switch from CRT to LCD monitors is a good example. Today's PC monitors are pretty efficient, with a typical 22 inch screen consuming around 35 watts - less than half what would have been used by the smaller CRT screens that were the norm a few years ago. If you're still using a CRT, and especially if it's a big one, switching to an LCD monitor could bring significant energy savings.

Of course, as with any replacement purchase, the improved energy efficiency of the new model has to be offset against the energy used in producing it and the environmental impact of disposing of the old one. However, CRTs deteriorate relatively quickly, and if yours is more than five years old it probably is time to think about replacing it in any case, since it'll be suffering reduced contrast and loss of focus, which could cause eyestrain.

Less is more

How do you know which products to choose for the best energy efficiency? There are a number of rating schemes, though they focus on PCs less than other electrical goods. Energy Star is an initiative of the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to promote and label energy efficient products. It's also been adopted by the European Commission, so you'll find Energy Star logos on many computer products.