How Dell Is Dimming Costs With a Power-saving Strategy

Dell is now on the same page as other super tech titans, such as IBM, in launching energy saving initiatives for both cost savings and in a quest to be a more environmentally friendly vendor.

The PC maker hopes to save about $5.8 million a year thanks to building modifications, new power management solutions and technology efforts that will also foster renewable energy options.

Dell, which states it now uses renewable sources for a quarter of its global energy needs, is heading up pilot solar projects on several campuses, according to an August press release, and plans to slice global power use by 48 million kilowatt hours annually by the end of this year.

It's plugged in power management and power-down software systems on 50,000 internal desktops and notebooks. This alone has saved Dell about 40 percent in energy costs, which is about $1.8 million.

The tech leader has also been switching out lots of light bulbs, replacing three-bulb T8 fluorescents with two-bulb options in office setting and manufacturing areas. Out in the parking lots, it's now using pulse-start ballasts that need less power to run, and it's even trying out lower energy lights in elevators.

In the heating and cooling segment of operations, it's dropped in devices to even control electric motor operations on fans and pumps as well as variable air volume units to move air to certain areas when needed to keep room temperature.

Just a little attention to turning lights off during non-peak hours, and keeping thermostats and water heaters on more energy-efficient levels will save Dell $1.5 million this year.

Clearly my mother was way ahead of her time 30 years ago when she would track my brother and me through the house turning lights off whenever she could.