Mass. sleep-mode policy for computers to reduce carbon emissions

By Globe Staff

Massachusetts officials say they have found a simple way to save $2 million a year and reduce carbon emissions by more than 5,000 tons annually: turn off computers that aren't being used.

The state announced today that it has issued a new computer power management policy that calls for tens of thousands of state computers to be shut down or switched to "sleep" mode when not being used.

"We're excited to release workstation energy standards that will help agencies achieve immediate efficiencies and save money," Anne Margulies, chief information officer at the Division of Information Technology, which worked on the policy, said in a statement. "Although the energy saved for each PC seems like a small step, they add up to big savings for the Commonwealth."

The new policy requires that most computer monitors go into sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity and be turned off whenever the workstation is off or in standby mode. It also bans screen savers. Most computers will also have to be set to sleep mode after being idle 30 minutes and shut off during nonbusiness hours.

About 80 percent of the executive branch's approximately 40,000 computers will be affected. The remainder will be exempt because they are used for critical purposes such as public safety or traffic monitoring, state officials said. Officials said they believed Massachusetts is the first state to go so far in power management for its computers.

The new policy is expected to cut carbon emissions by an amount equal to driving 925 cars or providing electricity to 669 homes for one year.

Nationally, office equipment accounts for up to 10 percent of electricity use in commercial buildings, said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles.

He said shutting the equipment off when not in use could reduce their energy drain by 95 percent. And he said the state could save even more if state colleges and universities and nonexecutive branch agencies joined in.