Free software cuts PC energy ise

Remember the EcoButton? Well, there’s an upgraded version of a similar save-energy-via-PC-sleep-mode concept that isn’t made of plasti-crap. A new free software program has been developed by Verdiem that will help cut PC energy use by allowing users to schedule when their computer goes into sleep mode.

Called -- rather unoriginally -- Edison, it’s basically a free version of their SURVEYOR software program. A user can decide when their home and work PC slips to sleep so it consumes far less energy. While my computer use tends to be, well, constant, and I shut it down when I head for bed, something like this wouldn’t do much for computer-dependent people like me.

But I’m guessing that for people who know exactly when their computer won’t be in use for short enough durations that a full shut down doesn’t make sense, like lunch or dinner hours, then this program could be handy. I blindly hope that people wouldn’t need this for night use, and that they actually shut down their computers at night, but…

The software will also allow users to schedule when to shut down the screen and hard drive, and it lets users see how much electricity, CO2 emissions, and money they’re saving through their use of the software.

PCs can be responsible for as much as 10% of a home’s energy bill, and one estimate places Verdiem’s software as saving about 410 kilowatt hours a year, which translates to a few bucks a month (a little less -- or more realistic -- than the savings projected by 1E and their similar software).

Saving $2-3 per month really isn’t bad for just loading up free software and putting the PC to sleep. It even runs on Windows Vista (gasp!).

Via cnet; Photo via Verdiem