Reference document offers guidelines and recommendations to achieve Standby (S3) state reliability

London & New York, February 23, 2010, 1E and the Climate Savers Computing Initiative announce the release of the Power Management Systems Design Guide that addresses general design principles for making power management faster and more reliable.

Climate Savers Computing is a global nonprofit committed to reducing IT related energy consumption. The Power Management Systems Design Guide, available at www.climatesaverscomputing.org, addresses specific reliability challenges of sleep state standby (S3) technology and offers instructions on how to build energy-efficient, power-managed client platforms that will result in a positive user experience. Members of the Climate Savers Computing Power Management Workgroup, which is comprised of technology industry leaders, collaborated and led the development of the new design guide that aligns with power management standards.

“On average, 40 percent of office energy use is attributable to desktop PCs, most of which can be turned off at night or when not in use. In the US alone, more than $2.8 billion of PC power is being wasted every year. At 1E, we are committed to enabling organizations to reduce costs and carbon footprint by automating this process and are fully supportive of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative and the Power Management System Design Guide,” says Sumir Karayi, CEO, 1E.

Members of Climate Savers Computing have identified and removed obstacles to the adoption of power management in the desktop and notebook computer marketplace. Technical barriers addressed in the Power Management Systems Design Guide include networking protocol and hardware and software latencies – the solutions adhere to the forthcoming Ecma Network Proxy Standard.

“Climate Savers Computing allows technology competitors to collaborate to build industry-wide efforts that positively impact both technology and behavior,” said Pat Tiernan, executive director of Climate Savers Computing. “By offering solutions to various technical issues, we hope the design guide will lead to an increased deployment of computer power management across the board, with improved designs leading to greater consumer adoption.”

Adopting power management can generate computing energy savings up to 60 percent without impacting productivity or performance. Implementing power management allows a desktop or laptop to quickly transition in and out of a lower energy state, consuming as little as three to five watts of power versus more than 50 watts when left in the Idle state.

“The Power Management Design Guide provides a platform-level, reliable power management solution blueprint for client OEMs, ODMs, component manufacturers and SW developers. Release of the guide is also synergistic with the upcoming release of Ecma’s Network Proxy Standard,” said Lorie Wigle, president of Climate Savers Computing. “Together the two efforts will accelerate the industry adoption of networked power management. The guide is a strong demonstration of the IT industry collaborating on standards and specifications in order to collectively move the industry toward greater energy efficiency.”

The design guidelines are recommended by Climate Savers Computing to make power management faster by improving a computer’s Sleep reliability and reducing latencies during Sleep and Resume cycles. Specific areas addressed in the Power Management Systems Design Guide include:

  • S3 User Experience, Wake Mode and Latency
  • System Recommendations for S3 Reliability
  • Windows Logo Program Overview
  • Network Proxy Ecma TC32-TG21 Standard
  • ENERGY STAR v5.0
  • General Design Principles for S3 Associated Hardware
  • System Manufacturer Recommendations
  • Implementing Power Management for USB Devices
  • Reliability Testing and Tools for S3

Climate Savers Computing recognizes that the PC and the global information and communications technology industry account for approximately 2 percent of global CO2 emissions. As such, the organization considers computer energy consumption an appropriate and necessary target for energy conservation strategies.

About Climate Savers Computing Initiative

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a nonprofit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organizations dedicated to reducing the energy consumption of computers. More than 550 companies and organizations have joined the Initiative since its launch in June 2007, and thousands of individuals have pledged their support. The Initiative is led by CSC, Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Microsoft and World Wildlife Fund. Sponsors include 1E, Acer Inc., Faronics, Fujitsu Limited, Hitachi Ltd., Lenovo, NEC Corporation, Symantec and Verdiem Corporation. For more information and to pledge your support, visit https://www.climatesaverscomputing.org.

Climate Savers® is a trademark or registered trademark of WWF, the international conservation organization. Used under license.