Energy-saving initiatives to save Dell $5.8 million per year

Dell expects to save an estimated $5.8 million a year as a result of power-saving initiatives and building upgrades in its facilities worldwide. The company, which sources more than 25 percent of its global energy needs from renewable sources, is also piloting solar projects on select campuses as well.

By the end of 2009, Dell expects to cut its global power use by around 48 million kilowatt hours per year, enough energy to power more than 4,000 average American homes for one year.

It will accomplish this through a combination of building upgrades, power management strategies and IT solutions, including:

• PC power-down: Dell installed 1E NightWatchman® and SMSWakeUp™ software on 50,000 of its desktop and notebook computers to reduce energy waste by turning off computers overnight.
• Lighting: Dell has replaced three-bulb T8 fluorescent lights and incandescent bulbs with two-bulb T5 fluorescents. They’re also piloting the use of energy-efficient light-emitting diode LED lights in the elevators.
• Building automation: Dell expects to achieve around $1.5 million in annual energy savings by automatically turning off lighting and air conditioning systems during non-peak operational hours.