Not a Techie? Tips for Getting Your CPM Project Off the Ground

IT departments may resist having to roll out computer power management for a variety of reasons — some valid and some less so. Selling the project is a lot easier with ENERGY STAR in your corner. Here's how most organizations have succeeded in making computer power management a reality.

Tip #1. Calculate Your Savings

A savings estimate will allow you to present the benefits of a power management effort to 1) Management or facilities personnel interested in dollar savings; or 2) Corporate sustainability personnel interested in greenhouse gas reductions. If you can answer these three basic questions, you can get a sound estimate of your savings:

• What is the approximate number of computers and monitors in your organization THAT NEED to be power managed? (Most organization already have sleep setting activated on monitors but not on computers. Check setting on your computers by following these instructions.)
• What percentage of these computers are laptops?
• Do people generally leave their computers on at night? (Savings will be high for companies with 100 percent of their computers left on at night, much lower for those that do not.)

With this information:

• Go to the ENERGY STAR power management savings calculator and estimate your savings.
• Review typical costs of power management efforts.

Or contact us for help with calculating your savings.

Tip #2. Make a Few Friends

Build a coalition of support for power managing computers. In addition to savings, computer power management provides the following benefits:

• Enhances data security by reducing the chance that valuable personal information is displayed on an unattended PC;
• Boosts worker productivity by eliminating the daily wait for computers to boot up;
• Helps the environment. Saving energy reduces air pollution associated with the burning of fossil fuels, and ultimately lowers the risk of global warming.

Each of these benefits will appeal to different people in your organization: talk to your colleagues in finance, facilities (they probably pay the energy bills!), security, HR, sustainability, and environmental affairs about them. (Read how employees of the US Dept. of Energy built a broad coalition for power management (207KB).) Now you're ready to approach your IT department.

Tip #3. Tap Free Technical Expert from ENERGY STAR

You probably cannot address all your IT department's questions and concerns about computer power management. If so, do not worry. ENERGY STAR can provide you with a technical expert to help you and your IT colleagues get comfortable with computer power management. Our technical experts have helped hundreds of organizations like yours, and their advice can save your colleagues days of work they might otherwise spend researching and testing solutions.

Just take these two simple steps:

1. Take the ENERGY STAR Low Carbon IT Power Management Pledge first.
2. Contact us to set up a 30 to 60-minute conference call with an ENERGY STAR technical support expert.

Tip #4. Call Your Utility Representative

Contact your utility representative to see if incentives are available for power management. Be sure to talk to your utility company before starting your project to ensure you will be eligible for any rebates — often these are not available if your project is already underway.