Green UPS Reduces Standby Power

APC has introduced a new uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which shuts down power to connected peripherals when a computer goes into sleep mode.

Like other UPS' APC's Back-UPS ES 750 provides battery backup power and surge protection to a computer. Unlike them it has new master/controlled outlets, which reduce energy consumption by automatically shutting down power to unused peripherals, such as printers, scanners and speakers when the host computer is shut down or in sleep mode.

Joe Loberti, APC-MGE's SVP for home and distributed systems, said: "The electronics in this unit are meticulously engineered to minimise impact on the environment and maximise efficiency, consuming up to five times less power in normal operation than other available solutions – saving consumers money on their electric bill."

The master outlet monitors the current drawn by the host computer. If it drops down to levels indicating sleep mode or shut-down then it will automatically shut-down power to the controlled outlets, which consume power even when the computer is off. APC claims that, by cutting power to these so-called 'dark loads,' its new UPS can provide a combined savings of $40 (£20 at ordinary conversion rates) per year on average as compared with competitors’ models.

The Back-UPS ES 750 has ten outlets, all of which provide surge protection with five of them also providing battery backup. It has a capacity of 450 watts and provides up to 70 minutes of run time, depending on the load. It also offers coax and telephone or Ethernet protection ensuring surges and spikes do not travel through data lines. A data port enables communication with APC’s PowerChute Personal Edition software, which automatically powers down the computer system in the event of an extended power outage.

APC says its new UPS is also more energy-efficient than other UPS products. It complies with RoHS regulations and uses less copper and other raw materials in manufacture. The packaging is made from recycled material.

It will take two and a half years for the new UPS to pay for itself in terms of saved power as its recommended retail price is $99.99 (£50.00) in North America.

Source:techworld.com/green-it/news/index.cfm?newsid=11188#commentsform
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US to Require Agencies to Buy Green Hardware

The US government plans to require federal agencies to buy green PCs and computer monitors that are energy efficient and include reduced levels of toxic chemicals — a requirement that likely will affect corporate users as well because of the government's massive buying power.

The Department of Defense, NASA and the General Services Administration jointly detailed an interim rule on the new purchasing requirements in a notice published in the Federal Register on December 26, and they are accepting comments on the proposal through to February 25. The new rule formalises the use within the government of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), which some agencies and private sector companies have already adopted.

EPEAT is a three-tiered rating system developed by the Green Electronics Council in Portland, Oregon. Under EPEAT, qualifying desktop systems, laptops and monitors are awarded gold, silver and bronze ratings based on how well they meet 51 environmental criteria, such as ease of disassembly and the lack of paints or coatings that aren't compatible with recycling or reuse.

Products are required to conform to 23 of the criteria to get a bronze rating. Earning a silver or gold designation is dependent on meeting more stringent EPEAT standards, such as having 90% of the materials in a system be reusable or recyclable, or using batteries that are free of lead, cadmium and mercury.

The federal government has a total installed base of 6.7 million desktops and laptops across civilian and military agencies, and it buys about 2.2 million new systems annually, according to Shawn McCarthy, research director for government vendor programs at market research firm IDC.

Because the government is such a large user, PC vendors will be hustling to comply with the new federal rule, McCarthy says. And since the vendors don't make PCs specifically for government users, he said, "you will see spillover into other sectors, much as you did once the government pushed Energy Star compliance back in the mid-1990s." Energy Star is an energy efficiency rating system for various products.

Last January, President Bush signed an executive order requiring EPEAT compliance within the government.

Only a few vendors have earned gold EPEAT ratings thus far. For instance, Dell has six products with gold ratings and 72 at the silver level. Hewlett-Packard has earned a gold rating for one desktop system, plus 73 silver ratings, while Apple has 17 products that meet the requirements for a silver.

A number of major agencies are already using EPEAT, including NASA, the EPA and the Department of Homeland Security, and some private-sector companies have adopted it as well.

The arrival of EPEAT as a purchasing standard isn't a surprise to hardware vendors. Wayne Rifer, EPEAT operations manager at the Green Electronics Council, said the group includes PC makers that were involved in the development of the rating system.

A big reason why the vendors took part in developing a standard designed for national adoption was concern that various state governments might adopt their own environmental rules governing electronics purchases. "That is a very strong motivator — probably the core motivator for them to be engaged," Rifer says.

He also thinks vendors will seek more silver and gold ratings than bronze ones. Achieving gold is "pretty tough". But since the middle of last year, he says, PC makers have been producing products that are eligible for gold ratings, which must be verified by the council's EPEAT team.

One bare-minimum EPEAT requirement would put the US on par with a directive on the restriction of hazardous substances that took effect across the European Union last July. The directive, known by the acronym RoHS, bars electronics products that include lead, mercury, cadmium and some other substances from being imported into EU member countries.

Source:computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/mgmt/D902F33699DA1A7CCC2573D400031C0B
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D-Link Turns Green With Power-Saving Switches

Networking vendor D-Link claims its new range of 'green' Ethernet switches, which intelligently minimise power usage by up to 80 per cent, could be a massive hit for VARs selling into environmentally conscious corporations and markets such as education and government.

It showcased two products in its range, a five-port gigabit switch and an eight-port version, at the British Education Training Technology (Bett) show in London on 9 January. Higher-end products, 16- and 24-port gigabit switches, are expected to be launched in February.

The devices save energy by supplying only what is needed to power up the length of wire to which they are connected, explained Kevin Wen, D-Link’s European president. The switches’ in-built intelligence also enables them to power down if they detect that the device they are connected to is switched off.

"Most people in SMEs and schools want to save on electricity usage, but they dare not touch a comms box, as they do not know what it does. These boxes make the decisions for them,” said Wen. “These could be an easy sell to the growing numbers of environmentally conscious technology buyers."

Lloyd Everard, director of infrastructure at systems integrator SAS Group, said: “The green Ethernet technology were welcomed by the SAS Group. They are receiving significant interest from companies consciously looking to cut their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

"D-Link has stolen a lead by being the first to market. Better still, there’s no price premium," he said.

D-Link exclusively revealed to CRN plans to develop a Partner Plus channel programme.
"Our higher-end products could open up a new range of sales opportunities for high-end systems integrators and specialist VARs," said Chris Davies, D-Link’s general manager for the UK and Ireland.

"We need more specialist partners who can integrate the products into diverse networking infrastructures and management systems."
Launch details were unavailable at the time of press.

Source:vnunet.com/crn/news/2207569/link-turns-green-power-saving-3750101
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Lenovo Launches Free Recycling Service

Computing giant Lenovo has announced a free computer recycling service in mainland China.

Lenovo's recycling service is available to users of Lenovo brand laptop computers, desktop computers and servers, as well as ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCenter desktop computers.

Lenovo says that both business and individual clients can send those types of computers to Lenovo's recycling sites across the country, or they can ask Lenovo's staff to come fetch the devices from their homes or offices. Lenovo will entrust a third party to process and dispose of these collected computers according to relevant Chinese laws and environmental rules, and it will undertake all the relevant cost involved during this process.

Chen Shaopeng, senior vice president of Lenovo Group, says that the free recycling service they plan in China is another major step that they have made in environmental protection and it shows Lenovo's responsible attitude towards the society and environment.

Free recycling services have drawn great attention from the world's PC leaders, and Dell has already initiated a free recycling service in China for its customers.

Source:chinacsr.com
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Lenovo PCs Get Green Thumbs-Up

Lenovo says that its line of ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkVision monitors have received high ratings from EPEAT, a procurement tool funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to help purchasers evaluate PCs based on environmental attributes.

The EPEAT tool indicates that Lenovo not only met "green computer" standards, but also met requirements beyond the baseline measurements of environmentally safe PCs. A total of 42 Lenovo PCs were rated by EPEAT, indicating the breadth of environmentally friendly products available from Lenovo.

The ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkCentre desktops received an overall "EPEAT Silver" rating, indicating that Lenovo PCs met all criteria for healthy environmental performance, plus implemented optional activities beyond the minimum requirements.

Criteria that Lenovo met include manufacturing PCs with reduced levels of cadmium, lead and mercury to better protect human health and the environment. Lenovo PCs are also energy efficient, which reduces emissions of climate changing greenhouse gases. Lenovo also offers safe recycling options for the products.

EPEAT also highlighted that Lenovo has demonstrated a corporate environmental policy consistent with ISO 14001, the standard from International Organization for Standardization that sets guidelines for businesses to improve environmental management, and has managed the provision of product take-back service and auditing of recycling vendors.

"Lenovo consistently meets or exceeds applicable environmental regulations globally, and our environmental policy requires us to develop, manufacture, and market products that are energy efficient, protect the environment, and can be reused, recycled or disposed of safely," said Deepak Advani, chief marketing officer for Lenovo. "Representatives from state and local government, the electronics industry, manufacturers, academia environmentalists, and purchasers, developed the EPEAT tool, and we see it as a useful tool for the measurement of PC environmental performance."

Lenovo sets environmental goals for locations and products annually. These objectives and targets are established and driven in association with the management of significant environmental aspects. Lenovo's goals for 2007 cover recycling, energy consumption, and paper usage for manufacturing sites. For products, Lenovo's goals focus on energy efficiency, design for recycling and reuse, use of recycled materials and environmentally preferable finishes, among others.

"Lenovo's EPEAT Silver products demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment," said Jeff Omelchuck, executive director of EPEAT. "As a voluntary performance standard, EPEAT is a powerful tool for purchasers and creates a clear set of rules for the manufacturers to follow to meet the environmental demands of customers."

Source: chinacsr.com/2006/09/19/743-lenovo-pcs-get-green-thumbs-up/
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Use a Laptop to Save Energy

Laptops are more environmental friendly than desktop. It consumes five times less electricity.

Desktop computer usually uses around 130 watts while a laptop only uses around 15 watts. If you buy a desktop, get an LCD screen. Enable the power management function on your computer.

So if you are planning on getting a new computer you should consider a laptop instead of a desktop computer.

Other good things are that laptops are smaller and use less packaging, meaning less transport and storage space needed.

Source: TOI
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Gadget Geeks Go Green

There was enough new technology unveiled at the CES technology showcase in Las Vegas last week to make gadget geeks green with envy.

Funnily enough, the major selling point of some of the new gadgets is that they too are green.

For years, the makers of TVs, DVD players, projectors and home theatre systems have fallen over themselves to pack more features into their products, make them smaller, lighter, easier to use, more impressive to look at and listen to.

But - with the exception of mobile phones, music players and laptops, where battery life determines how long a gadget can be used when it is not plugged into the grid - power consumption has never been an issue worthy of much consideration.

How things change. The best new gadget at CES as voted by the major technology website CNet.com, was the new Eco TV from Dutch electronics maker Philips.

It's a flat-screen, 42-inch LCD display that's capable of high-definition images.

That puts it smack in the middle of the market. Philips' technology allows viewers to dim the LCD's backlight panel, saving power and, in many cases, enhancing the picture as contrast is improved.

The Eco TV also has a built-in sensor that measures the ambient lighting in your room and adjusts the backlight panel to give you the best picture.

If there's lots of glare on the screen during the day, it will crank up the power to give a brighter picture. With a reasonable US$1399 price tag, the extra features don't exactly command a premium, either.

As TV makers feel the pressure to come up with less power-sapping displays, the mobile phone industry is going one further. Hundreds of millions of phones are sold around the world each year and many will only have a two-year lifespan.

Most mobile operators run recycling programmes to collect old phones, which are often refurbished and shipped to developing countries. But millions still end up in landfills.

Nokia, the biggest mobile maker, knows the political heat this creates and responded at CES with a new version of an old classic - the 3110 Evolve. The new handset is made from 50 per cent renewable bio-materials.

The packaging uses 60 per cent recycled materials. Its phone charger uses 95 per cent less power than standard guidelines.

"Charge your battery with a clear conscience," Nokia promises. Then there's the Green Plug, an ingenious contraption that's sure to ride the green wave.

It's a USB hub that's capable of charging all your devices, eliminating the need to carry bulky power adapters and power cables. Each device needs an adaptor to plug into the powered USB slots.

The hub switches off when the device plugged in is fully powered.

Green Plug is licensing its technology with the hopes that electronics makers will adapt it into their hardware design.

I hope they're successful, as the Green Plug will save power, and make recharging your gadgets easier. That's the crux of it. Consumers will only buy into the green movement if green products cost less to run and are easier to use.

Most won't be guilt-tripped into switching their loyalties based on whether a gadget is made from recycled materials.

We like the fancy packaging, the slick finish and the weighty feel of top-notch materials in our hands. But give us something that will take a sliver off the power bill, and remove the growing clutter of incompatible wires and plugs and connectors, and we'll be putting our green hats on before you know it.

Source: www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10486552
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