How much energy does my computer consume?

Estimates vary, depending on the type of computer and the peripheral devices attached to it. The typical desktop PC consumes 65-250 watts of electricity, while the typical monitor consumes 35-80 watts.

If you are in an office environment, technology-relatedequipment makes up for ~9%-15% of your office's total output.

By reducing your consumption in this area, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars in wasted energy expenses, plus extend the life of your valuable equipment.

Will turning on my screensaver save energy?

No. Your monitor is still actively using power. Only suspending or turning off the monitor will effect its energy consumption.

Won't frequent shutdowns wear out my hard drive?

This was once a common assumption, but it has been disproved by studies which show the opposite. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory staff concluded the following:

"[T]he belief that frequent shutdowns are harmful persists from the days when hard disks did not automatically park their heads when shut off; frequent on-off cycling could damage such hard disks. Conventional wisdom, however, has not kept pace with the rapid technological change in the computer industry. Modern hard disks are not significantly affected by frequent shut-downs. Shutting down computers at night and on weekends saves significant energy without affecting the performance, and may increase (rather than decrease) the operating lifetime of the equipment."