Ford Rolls Out PC Power Management Program

Ford Motor Co. estimates it will save $1.2 million annually on power costs alone and reduce its carbon footprint by an estimated 16,000 to 25,000 metric tons annually by implementing a new PC Power Management program.

Under the program, the power settings on Windows laptops and desktop computers will be centrally controlled to reduce energy waste and optimize software updates. In addition, by shutting down its computer systems when not in use, especially overnight and on weekends, it will further reduce energy use, according to the company.

A "Power Profile" will be developed which allows each PC in the company to monitor its usage patterns and determine when it can be turned off. If the user is working late, he or she will be alerted of the approaching power down and given the opportunity to delay it. In addition, the PC is able to detect when a Microsoft Office product is active and is able to save open documents before shutting down in case the user is not present.

The power-saving program is being rolled out at Ford facilities across the U.S. this month. It will be migrated to Ford operations around the world later in the year.

Ford developed its PC Power Management system with NightWatchman software from software developer 1E. In the U.S., nearly half of all employees who use computers at work waste $2.8 billion every year powering 108 million unused PCs, according to 1E research.

1Es software has also been used by AT&T and Verizon to cut their energy consumption.