These purchasing criteria exclude non-standard workstations and specific-function platforms. The purchasing criteria are based on availability of PCs and servers that meet the program criteria at a price the member company considers reasonable, while also fulfilling the member’s business needs and allowing them to work with their supplier(s) of choice.
If you are unable to meet the program criteria but still want to participate, please contact us at
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to discuss how we can work together to set a timeline and purchasing plan for your individual circumstances. There’s something in it for you, too. Even at modestly higher prices, more efficient computing systems will pay for themselves in reduced energy costs. For example, a savings of just 20–30 watts in power consumption translates to a savings of 60 kWh per year for a desktop system that is on 2,000 hours per year (40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year). At $0.12/kWh, this translates into a savings of $7.20 in direct energy costs. Factoring in the savings on air-conditioning costs, the total savings is approximately $10/year. At a cost premium of less than $20 for PCs and less than $–30 for servers, this additional efficiency will pay for itself in 2–3 years. Systems that remain turned on all the time typically pay for themselves within the first year of use. The savings for servers will typically be significantly higher than for desktops, resulting in a much shorter payback period. Join us and make a pledge to computer efficiency
And that’s just the beginning Today’s computers, such as desktops and notebooks, also have many power-saving capabilities built into them. Examples are the “sleep” and “hibernate” modes that can significantly reduce the amount of energy consumed during inactive states. When these capabilities are utilized during periods of inactivity, it reduces the overall amount of energy consumed by up to 60%. This translates to a savings of $11-15 per system per year at an energy rate of $0.0885/kWh. Factoring in the additional savings on air-conditioning costs, the total savings could be as much as $18-26/year.
In addition, products that meet or exceed the efficiency standards of the Initiative will qualify for existing utility rebates under the 80 PLUS program and the ENERGY STAR program. These rebates can partially or completely offset the cost difference. We will work with utilities and regulators to make these rebates available to all purchasers of high-efficiency computers and to enhance the rebates for systems that exhibit the highest levels of efficiency.
For companies who have committed to carbon reduction or neutrality, the Initiative has the added benefit of helping to reduce the number of carbon offsets they’ll need to buy. Employing aggressive power management on 1,000 PCs can save approximately 118.26 tons CO2 per year. At a cost of $19.42 per carbon credit, that results in an annual savings of $2,297 in carbon offset costs. These changes are among the most immediate actions companies can take to make a real impact on both the environment and their bottom lines. Membership in the Climate Savers Computing Initiative also gives companies an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and work with visionary organizations such as Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft and World Wildlife Fund. And your leadership will pave the way for more companies and individuals to follow, so that together, we can achieve our goal of reducing computer power consumption by 50 percent by 2010. That represents a 54-million-ton reduction in global CO2 emissions from the operation of computers – which is equivalent to taking 11 million cars off the road. | 
