Energy saving through power management in the desktop computer

Abstract

This paper presents a case study on the energy consumption of a desktop computer in the Energy Laboratory of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and shows the potential for energy savings through power management. The power consumption from the computer was measured using the energy analyzer, and recorded through observation. Two methods of power management were tested namely the Reminder Sticker and the software called Advanced Power Management System (APMS). The analysis shows that the first method managed to reduce 29.52% of the mean energy consumption over a week whereas, the second method which had been designed in the market to switch off the computer and peripherals after a user-specified period of inactivity produced reductions in the mean energy consumption of 16.97%.