Build a Clean, 'Green' Machine

Many modern disk drives, such as Samsung's SpinPoint series, feature a power-saving mode. Samsung also offers an additional specialized power control method to suspend disk activity during any prolonged idle intervals. When fully supported by the OS, several levels of suspend-to-disk functionality are possible (for more, see the Advanced Power Configuration Interface (ACPI) section below). In fact, the SpinPoint drive depicted below can cut its power consumption to less than 10 percent of normal levels:

While most disk drives offer one or more suspend modes, forthcoming hybrid drive technologies hint at even better power-saving strategies. They will marry the low-power properties of flash storage and the operation of disk hardware. For example, Samsung's Hybrid Hard Drive (HHD), set to debut in 2007, will help extend battery-life for laptop users by as much as an additional half-hour. The drive also promises to improve overall responsiveness during boot-up and restore operations, thanks to larger on-board cache and reduced dependence upon spinning platters to recall recently accessed data. Microsoft is reported to have such technology listed as a requirement for its upcoming Windows Vista operating system.

Monitors

Most of the heat waste produced by computer components may be attributed to common CRT monitors, with their immense size and component weight, compared with lighter, more energy-friendly LCD displays. Energy Star-compliant monitors can reach low-power states from 15 watts operational to 8 watts after idle periods. They reportedly consume 90 percent less electricity than monitors that lack such power-management capabilities. Viewsonic, to name just one supplier, offers several Energy Star compliant monitors, such as this one:

Screen savers and background tasks tend to interrupt and even prohibit suspend states, so a green PC's power profile should exclude any activity that may prevent a CPU or display from hibernating. For qualifying monitors, see the official Monitors Product List provided by Energy Star (Excel spreadsheet download)..

Printers and Fax Machines

For every printer, there's an individualized energy-usage pattern based on the number and appearance of features that serve a variety of purposes. Energy Star-compliant units throttle power consumption between 10 watts and 100 watts following a predefined period of inactivity—typically from 5 to 90 minutes. Printers certified as Energy Star-compliant are said to use 60 percent less energy than non-compliant devices, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And the majority of ink-jet printers meet certification criteria using inherently energy efficient designs without requiring assistance from power-management regimes.

Larger, more complex (and more energy-consumptive) laser printers typically include such capabilities to help them manage their larger energy budgets equally effectively. For example, Dell's 3100cn model printer is environmentally friendly and visually striking:

For more information, see Energy Star's official Printer, Faxes and Mailing Machines Products List (Excel spreadsheet download).

Copiers and Scanners

Copiers and scanners that lack power-management features can overuse electrical energy that goes largely wasted. Energy Star-compliant scanners may enter sleep modes using only 12 watts of power following 15 minute periods of inactivity. Studies show such regimes can save upwards of 50 percent of the electrical costs associated with similar, but unregulated devices. Canon, to name just one supplier, makes several energy-efficient copier models; here's a look at the company's model C210:

For more information on related compliant products, go to Energy Star's Copiers Product List, as well as their Scanners Product List (Excel spreadsheet download).

There's also a class of machines jokingly called "hydras," after the mythical multiheaded beast, but more properly termed "multifunction devices." These combine the capabilities of printers, faxes, scanners, and sometimes more. Like the other machines mentioned here, they can be prodigious consumers of electricity; this make Energy Star-compliant versions of such multifunction devices every bit as desirable as their single-function counterparts. For more information, go to Energy Star's page on Multifuction Devices.