Aug

You have the power to do a world of good

On Friday, August 26, 2011, tens of thousands of people will participate in Power IT Down Day, a program aimed at saving energy by turning off power-using devices when they are not needed. The money saved by the program—$60,000 last year—will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

While the Smithsonian supports the program and believes our participation will convince others to join, our team in the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been working to help us reduce energy use every day. For example, NightWatchman, a power management information technology application, has been implemented at SI and is currently installed on more than 90 percent of staff computers.

The projected cost savings on the SI electric bill by employing NightWatchman only during typical work hours of 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. is more than $100,000 a year.

How you can help?

Go to the Power IT Down website and sign up.
Power down your PC on Aug. 26 before you leave work. Add to the savings by turning off other energy-using devices, such as fans, heaters, lights, fax machines, etc.
Encourage your family and friends to also turn off power-using devices when not needed.

Facebook Page: Power IT Down FB.