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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2006
CONTACT: Gordon Ovenshine
724-738-4854
gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu
SRU to save thousands with new PC monitor
energy settings
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University expects to save more than $27,000
annually in electricity costs by activating sleep mode settings on
2,000 faculty and staff computer monitors. The work will be done
before the beginning of spring semester. The University’s
Energy Conservation Committee, formed by President Robert Smith,
approved the plan as its first energy conservation
measure.
“Conservation and
use of alternative sources of energy are a part of our
mission,” Smith said. “We have all lived through a
steady stream of energy price increases, severe-weather energy
shortages and debate on energy-supply technologies. Installing
shutdown mechanisms on computers is an easy and painless way to
conserve.”
The Energy Star settings,
usable on Windows-based PCs, shuts the monitor down after one hour
of no use according to John Press, systems specialist for
information technology, at SRU. The screen goes blank and the power
button light switches from green to amber.
To turn the monitor back
on, the user simply clicks the spacebar or moves the mouse, Press
said. Sleep mode does not disable the system.
Press said the power
management plan reduces monitors’ electric consumption 67
percent. The Energy Star settings are expected to lower the
University’s estimated annual electric usage for computer
monitors from $41,792 to $13,831, Press said.
The primary savings will
occur overnight, Press said, noting studies have shown that only
35 percent of computer users turn their monitors off for
weeknights and weekends. He also expects multi-shift environments
where workers or students share computers to benefit.
Press said the
University’s information technology department can install
the energy settings from its Maltby offices, without having to work
on each computer. Employees returning to campus from break in early
January will find the settings on their computer.
These settings help SRU
join in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Department of Energy joint Energy Star program working to save
money and protect the environment through energy efficient products
and practices.
“Everything we do
is going to be done in the interest of better power usage,”
said Press, who is a member of the Energy Conservation
Committee.
“SRU will
continue to explore other conservation measures such as windmill
and solar energy, not just because they save money, but because we
have a responsibility to current and future generations, and to the
ecosystem in general,” Smith said.
SlipperyRock University is
Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university.
Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive
learning experience that intentionally combines academic
instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities
that make a positive difference in their lives.
#PN, PgN
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