Shut Down and Switch Off your Desktop Computer

Why Shut down?

 

With over 3000 ITS managed desktop computers (not to mention all the other Faculty managed computers) at UOW significant resources can be saved by switching off monitors and shutting down desktop computers at the end of every working day and switching off monitors whenever you leave your desk.

ITS managed desktop computers are remotely restarted overnight to allow for patching and updates.  ESI and ITS have been working to change the restart times from 7pm and instead to have them restart at 4am.  Once these new changes have been implemented if you shut down your computer at 5pm your computer will be off for 11 hours and when you shut down on a Friday afternoon they will remain off until the Monday morning at 4am.  The process to change this restart time has commenced but will take some time to roll out across the university.  It is expected to be completed early in 2011. For more information contact ITS desktop support on ext 3000.

The Table below shows the estimated annual savings for 1 computer and for 3000 computers in electricity, carbon emissions and costs if computers and monitors are shut down and switched off

 

Estimated Annual Savings		Kwh Saved#		Co2 kg Saved##		$ Saved ###
Number of desktop computers		1	3000	1	3000	1	3000
Action	Shut down computer and switch off monitor at 5pm every working day for 1 year	500	1509000	535	1614630	$36	$108000
	Switching off a monitor for 1 hour every working day of 1 year	8.2	24552	8.8	26271	$1	$3050

 

#Energy measurements based on readings from a Dell Optiplex GX780 Desktop and monitor is 23" Ultrasharp Wide Screen Flat Panel LCD Monitor.  Electricity savings based on comparing energy consumed by a computer and monitor not shut down at all to the energy consumed when a computer is shut down at 5pm and it remains off until 4am weekdays and remains off over the weekends.
## based on 1kwh electricity (produced in NSW) creates 1.07kg of C02 equivalent taken from http://www.savepower.nsw.gov.au/get-the-facts/power-use-in-nsw.aspx
### Costs calculated based when the electricity is consumed and the relevant peak ($0.126) or off peak ($0.06) rates.

Back to top

Breaking the habit and remembering to shut down

Shutting down your computer and switching off your monitor takes a bit of getting used to if you are not in the habit of doing so.  It takes a while to break habits and to get this new habit into your routine.  Working as a team and supporting fellow staff to make the shift helps make that transition easier.

Here are some ideas on how you can get this into your routine :

• Download these posters and place them around your work area to remind you and other staff

 

Shut down before you leave poster
Off to a meeting? switch off your monitor poster
Leaving the desk? switch off your monitor poster
Off to lunch? switch off your monitor poster

 

• Set a meeting request in Outlook calendar for 4pm everyday for at least 1 month to remind you to shut down your computer before you leave for the day.  If you need advice on how to do this contact ITS or your Faculty IT staff.
• Encourage all staff to get involved in your work area. Raise it at your staff meeting and discuss how many people turned off their monitors before going to the meeting and how many shut down their computers every night.  Set a target of getting a % of staff participation and monitor progress at the next meeting.
• When you send a reminder email for a meeting include a reminder for staff to turn off monitors before they head to the meeting.
• A little incentive goes a long way.  Nominate staff to do a walk around during the lunch break, when there is a staff meeting or after most people have left for the day and get them to leave a chocolate or similar surprise on every persons desk who has their monitors off or their computers shut down when they are not at their desk.  Then send an email to all staff congratulating those that made the effort.

Back to top

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I allowed to shut down my office computer?

Advice for Staff with ITS managed desktop computers:  ITS encourage you to participate and shut down your desktop computers.  If you are unsure how to do so please contact ITS on ext 3000.  
Advice for Staff with non ITS managed desktop computers:  For those with computers not under ITS management it is encouraged that you confirm you can Shut Down with your Faculty IT staff as they can advise of any local arrangements and can assist you if you do not know how.  Restarting your computer should not take long in the morning.  If your computer takes an excessively long time to start up in the morning it is recommended that you contact your Faculty IT staff who may be able to resolve the problem.  

Why is my office desktop computer back on in the morning?

ITS managed desktop computers are remotely switched on during the night to allow for updates to occur.  So when you do shut down your ITS managed desktop computer you will find that it will be back on ready for you to log on in the morning.  For more information contact ITS desktop support on ext 3000.

What about other computers in other areas of campus can I shut those down too?

Look for signage and ask for advice from those that manage the computers in that area to determine if you can shut down.  Please be aware that some computers such as those attached to research equipment must be left on so it is very important that you seek advice.

Back to top