When we talk about being environmentally responsible, almost all of us turn off the lights when we leave the room, and shut off the faucet when we brush our teeth. If we’re lucky, we can carpool, go solar, or buy local. But why stop there? What’s preventing us from bringing this line of thinking into the office, no matter what your job?Working for a company that is committed to corporate responsibility makes it easier - you know that issues such as water conservation and waste reduction are being addressed. But Intel engineers are taking it one step further.
“There is a lot more we can do”, insists software engineer Bob Steigerwald, who along with the rest of his team, focus their energy (pun intended) on innovative solutions that take advantage of ‘downtime’ periods to impose low power states and reduce energy use. Their energy-saving solutions are chronicled in the book “Energy Aware Computing” - a new release by Bob, Chris Lucero, Chakravarthy Akella, and Abhishek Agrawal. “The techniques in the book may seem like they make a small difference, but computers are ubiquitous now, so the aggregate effect is big,” says Bob.
If you’re a software engineer, or are lucky enough to have one in your life, we are offering a limited number of copies of “Energy Aware Computing” at no cost. The first 100 people to email us their name and mailing address can score a copy. Intel is committed to protecting your privacy - we will not use your personal information for any other purpose, and once the book has been sent out, we will delete your information. For more information, please see our online privacy notice.
And while you’re waiting for your copy, check out this list of what you can start doing now to reduce your computer’s energy use.
- Make your computer go to sleep when not in use
- Use a balanced energy profile instead of “Performance”
- Buy Energy Star* rated PCs
And, for the engineers:
- Design with energy-efficiency as a high priority
- Measure and compare your solutions against others and strive for best in class
- Market your successes to build awareness
Questions, thoughts? Leave a comment.
Linda is passionate about sustainability and corporate responsibility. She manages communications for Intel's Public Affairs and Sustainability organization. She graduated from the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies.