Using a new program dubbed as PC Power Management, the program centrally controls power settings on Windows laptops and desktop computers to cut down on electricity waste. Power profiles are used on every computer of the company so that the usage patterns are screened and it can be decided when to switch off the computers.
The program has the capacity to turn off computer systems that are not being used -or those that are left overnight or on weekends- to save electricity. Users that are away do not have to worry about unsaved files as the system automatically saves open documents before shutting down. Ford’s newly installed program also includes the ability to make sure that all computers linked to the Ford intranet will be able to get software installed at off hours so that networks will not be as congested during work hours.
The new system will be implemented by Ford computers users all over the United States for this month. Other Ford users across the world, on the other hand, aim to follow suit later in the year. According to Ford information technology project supervisor Keith Forte, in the past, around 60 percent of Ford computer users have not turned their PC’s off at the end of the business day, which resulted in lots of wasted energy.
Forte adds that as a result of the new program, interruptions that are caused by software updates will be lessened and PC electricity use will be managed more efficiently. In one of the studies conducted by Software company IE Inc., they found out that that almost half of all employees who use computers at work do not turn off their computers by the end of the day. This has resulted in wasted power from computers amounting to over $2.8 billion in the United States alone.
Ford is famous for its efforts to become a green business. Their green business endeavors included improving energy efficiency in its United States facilities by almost 35 percent starting in 2000. The green business initiative translates to saving the annual electricity use of more than 150,000 households.
In 2008, Ford improved energy efficiency again, this time by 5 percent, which resulted in savings of around %16 million. Ford’s efforts at becoming a green business have earned the company the Energy Star Award for the fifth consecutive year, an award bestowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Energy Star is an international criterion for consumer products’ energy efficiency. Ford produces and distributes automobiles across six continents. Ford brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo.