Computer off at Night to Save Energy

by Noel Laam

As In a recent routine health and security check of on-campus computers (as some of you might be aware), we found that a large number, over 3,000 at least, of PCs were turned on after office hours and left running overnight. This gives rise to two issues. First, PCs left running unattended overnight will easily become the targets for illegal activities, such as hacking, virus spreading, spamming etc. and this in turn poses potential threats to the University. Second, these PCs consume considerable amount of electricity at night, which implies a significant amount of money spent. This is a sheer waste of energy and money and must be stopped, especially when the University is in an increasingly tight financial situation.

We are now working on some ways to save energy, and in the meantime, you can help on this by ensuring your PCs are switched off when leaving office, especially during weekends, long holidays or vacations. Your cooperation will be much appreciated.