Reducing Computer Energy Use

Greetings from the Department of Climate Change's Labeling Workshop for Computers and Monitors, in Sydney. The new minister, Peter Garrett, is considering making the US energy star standards mandatory for computer and monitors sold from October 2009. There is a Fact Sheet and Technical Report available on the proposal. At the workshop are people from the Australian Government, Choice magazine, NEC, UNISYS, Australian Seniors Computing Club Association, Dell, Apple, HP, LG, and myself from the ACS.

The Minimum Energy Performance Standard would apply to corporate, private and government computer purchases. Energy rating labels similar to those on consumer appliances would be attached to computers.

The workshop has heard from the consumer's association, the government people and the consultants. Later we will hear what the computer company people have to say. I will be providing the lunch time talk at the workshop and proposing that a new category of "thin client" desk top computers of 25 Watts or less be added to the standard.

ps: I managed to get to the workshop on a bus, using a web based travel plan.