UCSD will participate in a nationwide intercollegiate energy-saving competition called ‘Power Down for the Planet.’ Students, faculty and staff can help the environment and win the competition by turning off their computers now through April 17. Based on the highest percentage of on-campus pledges who commit toward computer power management tools, the winning university will be announced on Earth Day, April 22.
‘The competition is part of [UCSD’s] effort as one of the nation’s greenest universities to search for climate-change solutions and environmental sustainability,’ Sustainability Coordinator Maggie Souder said in a statement. ‘Our campus community can make a small change on a daily basis like powering down a computer that reduces power consumption and helps the environment.’
Almost all personal computers support power management, but an estimated 90 percent of desktops currently disable this feature. The use of power-management features can save an average of 603 kilowatts of energy per year.
The ‘Power Down for the Planet’ campaign was designed to help universities save on their energy bills and produce fewer emissions. Student volunteers at UCSD will collect pledges at sign-up tables on Library Walk.