The DSI Blog

The Green 'Ecobutton' - A Great Energy Saving Gadget

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Two blog posts in a row about a major "green" topic - saving energy. This topic will only get more popular as time goes on. We thought we'd share a simple and clever gadget that is easy to use in our daily lives. The 'ecobutton' acts as a strong visual reminder to prompt you to save electricity each time your computer is going to be left idle.

Following is information taken from their website:
The ecobutton is illuminated and sits on your desktop next to your keyboard and connects to your computer via a USB cable. Each time you take a break, a long phone call, go to a meeting etc. you simply press the ecobutton and your computer is put into the most efficient energy saving mode available - the company calls it the "ecomode".

People generally do not like turning off their computers due to the time it takes to restart (particularly when the "hibernate" mode is used). However, with the ecobutton, simply pressing any key on your keyboard (some computers require a momentary press of the power button) your computer instantly returns to where you left off.

It does even more...each time your computer is put into the
"ecomode" the ecobutton software records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved by using the ecobutton. Over time this can add up to a lot of $ saved (especially if you have many computers running in an office) and you can use this data to help reduce your carbon footprint as well as your energy bills.

The company is located in England, and their shipping charge to send to the USA is very reasonable. You can read more about it and purchase at ecobutton's website: http://www.eco-button.com/usa/A3.10.about.htm

For more information about how you can "green" the electronics in your home and some useful links to USGBC's LEED rating system and NAHB's Green Build program, check out DSI's "green electronic design" page. We are doing our part to make custom audio video and home automation installation as energy-efficient and "green" as possible!