How much energy difference does reducing the monitor brightness really make?

Question

We're told to turn the brightness down to save energy. If I turn the brightness on my laptop screen down a few clicks how much difference is this really going to make? Can you quantify it in some way?

Answer 1

Up to 43% with CRT monitors,  Much less with LCD monitors.  I actually found a whole article specifically on this topic.  Here is the link.

http://savingenergy.wordpress.com/2006/1...

Answer 2

It can save a lot of energy, but I don't know how much. Here are some other ways to save power on your laptop.

Here are a few easy tips that can help you stretch your battery's power:

Choose a power plan that saves power. A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that control how your mobile PC manages power. These settings include power-saving measures, such as switching to a power-saving state when you aren't using your mobile PC. For more information, see Power plans: frequently asked questions.

Reduce display brightness. The display can use more power than any other computer hardware—even more than your hard disk and CPU. Although many mobile PCs are equipped with keys to adjust brightness and other display settings, the way you change the display brightness can differ depending on the mobile PC manufacturer. To learn more about how to dim your display, check the information that came with your mobile PC or go to the manufacturer's website.

Shorten the length of time before Windows turns off the display. When you're not using the mobile PC—even for brief periods of time—you can save power by having Windows turn off the display after a brief period of inactivity.

To choose when Windows turns off the display

Click to open Power Options.

On the Select a power plan page, in the task pane, click Choose when to turn off the display.

On the Change settings for the plan page, next to Turn off the display, choose the display and sleep settings that you want to use when your mobile PC is running on battery and when it's plugged in.

Click Save changes.

Turn off or remove devices that you aren't using. Many universal serial bus (USB) devices use power just by being connected. If you use a USB mouse, you can save power by disconnecting the mouse and using a touch pad or tablet pen. If you use a USB flash drive, unplug it when you're not using it.

Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) cards and integrated wireless devices also use power. If you don't need these devices while you work, turn them off.

These power-saving tips can help you get the most use from a single battery charge and avoid the inconvenience—and the potential embarrassment—of having a dead battery.

Also, good job on getting a laptop! Laptops require less materials and energy to produce than desktops and use a fraction of the electricity to run. If you choose a laptop over a desktop, you'll save an average of 220 kilowatt hours per year and about $20 on your annual electricity bill. If one in 23 households made their next computer purchase a laptop instead of a desktop, the energy saved could keep the lights on for every household in Silicon Valley.

-the deviate