Hacking down on video game energy use

Individual gamers and console makers could significantly reduce energy use from video games, according to study that identified the Nintendo Wii as the industry's most efficient "juice sipper."

Gamers waste a lot of energy simply because they don't turn their machines off when they're not playing, according to environmental advocacy group the National Resources Defense Council and consulting firm Ecos. The analysis, published last week, found that turning off machines when idle could save gamers $100 a year.

Estimated energy usage from different consoles, with comparisons between people who turn off games when idle and those that don't.

(Credit: NRDC and Ecos)

The authors said the industry should adopt automatic power-down features and make it easier for consumers to locate these features. Idle machines consume nearly as much energy as when machines are turned on.

The XBox 360, for example, has a power-down feature, but it's turned off by default and is hard to activate because its buried deep in the menus. (For instructions on how to find existing power-down features, click here.)

In terms of energy consumption, Microsoft's XBox 360 is in the middle of the pack, consuming 119 watts in active mode, more than many desktop PCs.

The Nintendo Wii, meanwhile, consumes just 16 watts--less than most laptops--and the Sony PlayStation 3 burns through 150 watts in play mode. PlayStation 3 can update its software to add a power-management feature, but it's disabled by default, too.

The NRDC and Ecos recommend that gamers take the sensible step of turning their machines off (and saving where they are in the game) when they're not using them, a move that would lower their electricity bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It also recommends that the next generation of video game machines have power-management features built in, such as an auto-save feature, a "sleep" button on the console, and automatic power-down after three hours of inactivity.

Energy-efficiency efforts in the computing industry, such as Climate Savers consortium, resulted in more standardized parts and measurements in things like as power supplies.

The study's authors estimate that taking similar steps in the gaming industry would cut the U.S. electricity bill by more than $1 billion per year as well as avoid 11 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and avoid seven million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Because about 40 percent of U.S. homes have video games, the numbers on energy usage add up. The NRDC and Eco estimated that gamers consume roughly as much electricity in a year as the city of San Diego.

[GlennW007]

wow what a difference between the systems. I'd also like to know if the energy figures include the screen? Then you could do a cost of operation comparison.

[oassaf]

When they shut down does it mean, just shutting off the system by (on a PS3) pressing the PS button and going turn off system, or going the step further and actually shutting it off via the power switch on the back?

[carlhage]

The report is great but proposed solutions, not. Mandated minimum effiency standards encourage device manufacturers to be as wasteful as possible still meeting the mandated minimum (and encourage manufacturers to fight the standards). A better solution is to require an energy consumption label in units relating to $-- preferrably $ per 10-year life. Would you but a video game or TV if it has an energy label of $1800? It worked great for refrigerators, and could work well for all plug-in devices. It would encourage competition and innovation to do better than the minimum.

[stealthxxxxxx]

as i hobby gamer on pc and 360 i have to say i would not mind a more energy efficient way, but pulling my PC windows xp outta standby, is almost as time consuming as booting it back up, i usually just leave it on. and my 360 sometimes gets left on, i noticed the screen goes dim and it does enter its own powersave mode

[ivaskaj]

I agree... make the machines shut down automatically. Then when people come back they will have to wait 5 years for their games to re-load, and might reconsider playing. People may actually venture outside their house again and get some *gasp* exercise... holy ****!!!! Just imagine it... a country where people aren't sickly-pale and morbidly obese. It would be great. **** video games and the televisions necessary to run them; the country was far better off 40 years ago before we got these things.

[faboumen]

Agrarian society sucks, too. Civilization was much better off back when people had to hunt animals and gather their own food, rather than just sit around and pay someone to grow it for them.

[faboumen]

Who leaves their 360 on when they're not using it? You don't even have to get up to turn it off, and it doesn't serve any practical purpose when not being actively used.

[nb2000nb]

I guess it costs to have good graphics and a good physics engine

[UITD]

Oh please. Dont start with this green **** now. People have about had enough of this green crap. 1/2 the people I know wont watch the weather channel anymore because of their obvious slant toward the pro-global warming BS. Its a hoax and al gore has sold the sheep another lemon. Probably doesnt help that corrupt GE is behind NBC and their recent acquisition of the weather channel. And now the firing of those OCM's that didnt sign the "I believe in global warming" documents.. This, along with the obama win, is yet another string of fleecings going back to the JFK murder and beyond.

[findconsolegames]

Different story but I have just bought a LG DVD HDD recorder - when on standby it is something like 3 watts, compared to 25 when on.

Thought that was quite good

Dave

http://www.findconsolegames.com

[matthewbulat]

Consider using a remote controlled power board. This can be connected to the gaming machine, sound system, TV, DVD player etc. Individual buttons (4) control individual power points. Price is about $40 AUD. Reduce your standby energy consumption a great deal. Do you want to find out how much its costing you? I have a review of a power point energy meter at link
http://www.matthewb.id.au/index.php?view=article&catid=6:energy-efficiency&id=25:power-point-energy-meter-review&option=com_content&Itemid=8
These cost about $30 AUD. Also consider the extra cooling costs from machines running all the time.
Australia households has a average standby power consumption of $80 per year. This can be almost eliminated with best practices.

Regards
Matthew Bulat
http://www.matthewb.id.au/