Wasting power?

Question

why do so many companies, schools, and public offices leave lights, computers, etc. on all the time?

is it really that hard to just turn off the switch before leaving?

it doesn't make sense to needlessly waste electricity especially, when no one is using it.

Answer 1

I've asked the same question to my employers and building managers at more than a few locations. I think you might be shocked at some of the answers I have gotten:

"We don't pay for electricity; it is just part of our rent"

"We leave the lights on to make it look like we are working late"

"The building looks impressive lit up at night"

"The computers last longer if they are left on all the time"

"Higher electric bills get a bigger discount"

"We do it for security reasons"

"We just install all energy efficient lights/computers. Why bother to turn them off now?"

The rumors that computers normally die on power up are an Old Wives Tale. A modern computer is no more likely to fail from a cold start up as it is to fail when left on 24/7. Hard drives are without a doubt more likely to fail when left on 24/7 thus the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) rating. Sleep mode in Vista and OS X is reliable and a great way to quickly start and stop and PC or laptop without actually turning it off.

I've tried to get companies, stores, schools to conserve power in the past but overall it has been an exercise in futility.

For example in one company, I centralized all the data storage and backups to one server. Previously 45 computers were left on 24/7 to back up the data on each PC and it took over 50 hours to back everything up. The switch cut backup time to less than 10 hours and only used 3% of the power of leaving all 45 computers on.

By switching to a 5 day 10 hour PC powered on schedule with two weeks’ vacation, the electric cost would have dropped from $21K/year to less than $6K/year and a 71% reduction is power consumption. And remember that is just 45 computers in one company.

Someone is paying for that extra cost but finding that person and getting them to care is very hard.

Overall, it will have to get much more expensive to pay for electricity before people will change things. Gas had to increase 100% in price before people started to think about changing their habits.

Answer 2

Public offices leave their computers on so they can recieve 'vital security patches'.  Nonsense if you ask me.

Answer 3

They must have a reason, because that energy costs money and if the companies had no reason to leave those things on they would definitely turn them off as a cost saving measure. I know the elementary school near my house is totally dark at night. Many offices have people working round the clock though. Computers can do work when nobody is there, and often do. Programs may run automatically over night or whatever.

Answer 4

Most failure of electronics occurs in the turn on sequence.

Answer 5

I think I love you.  This country has used all

our wonderful inventions that make life easy

in a very callous and uncaring way.  

  We let the water just run and run while washing our face.  We water our lawns with

excessuve gallons of water and then let it

run down the gutter.

  We wash the car and then lay the hose down and let the water run.

  We buy and eat and throw away much of it.

I don't guess anybody bought one of those

mega trucks that gets about 7 MPG, or a

super sized van for the kids and all the neighbors?

  How about the air trips to wherever? and all that new clothes, just because the style

went out last week?

  Even baby.  Have you ever added up all

that junk that baby supposedly needs?

  Even the dog.  that dog gets the best of

food, a super sized bed, goes to the groomer once/week and to the vet ...how much?

  what I'm trying to say is we all have been

living in luxury and uncaring about how the

rest of the world is trying to survive.

  I sometimes get very disgusted with the

way people WASTE.

  Well my friends...All that make-up and clothes and movies and electronic gadgets

and hot cars and 5 credit cards, are all

about to be only a memory.

  The fast and loose living just got reined

in and we had all better find ways to stop

unnecessary spending and think about this

earth that we all live on, and how to take care of it.  We can't go buy a new earth,

we must take care of this one, OR...........

Answer 6

It doesn't make sense is right but they just do you can't stop everything. Making petitions and having people sign them can help those problems. I guess you can ask the places to do that and help the environment. Go Green Y'all!