Sustainable use of IT equipment
On this page you find general recommendations on how you should use your IT equipment, to extend its life and to reduce energy consumption, which contributes to more sustainable use.
Basically, KTH's platform computers are set to low energy consumption. Even so, there are additional settings you can make to reduce energy consumption and other things you can do to increase the lifespan of your IT equipment. We have collected these tips on this page.
If you need help with a specific setting, please contact us at
KTH IT-Support
and we will be happy to help.
Recommendations for computer use
Energy saving tips
- Turn off displays, docking stations and computers completely when you are not using them, such as overnight.
- Feel free to unplug all types of chargers from wall sockets when they are not in use as they draw some power even if your device is not connected to the charger, or have them and other equipment connected to a power box with an on and off button so you can put the power box in "off mode" to cut off power to all connected devices.
- Feel free to unplug all types of chargers from wall sockets when they are not in use as they draw some power even if your device is not connected to the charger, or have them and other equipment connected to a power box with an on and off button so you can put the power box in "off mode" to cut off power to all connected devices.
Use power saving mode instead of screen saver
Reduce the brightness of the computer's screen if possible when in use. You will save energy and wear and tear on the screen and your eyes at the same time. There are plenty of different applications to calibrate these settings.
Close applications you are not using on your computer, and make sure you cut down on the number of active tabs in that browser. In this way, a computer's general energy consumption is reduced, and the battery lasts longer on a laptop computer.
Reduce your camera's image resolution in digital meetings or turn off the camera completely if you do not need to be seen in a meeting.
Servers - Those employees who have some kind of computer server that they manage themselves are advised to contact the IT department to find solutions to move over to a virtual server. There are safety, fire and energy reasons for this.
General sustainability tips
Equipment connected to your computer or docking station is very sensitive. One should handle connections with care. Cables should not be bent or askew when connected, doing so risks damaging the cable itself or the port (USB-C connectors with docking stations are extra sensitive).
When transporting a laptop, it's better to turn off the computer completely instead of just closing the lid on it. In that way, computer components become de-energized and wear reduces.
Do not use a laptop on surfaces that make it too hot. Also make sure that the computer's fans have space (they are usually at the bottom on the backside on a laptop) so that they can work well and thus cool down the computer. There are also cooling pads that don't run on electricity that you can have under the computer (the fans still need their space anyway). All this reduces the wear and tear on components and the computer's energy consumption.
Recycling of computers and mobile devices. At KTH, we send units that meet recycling criteria to a procured third-party company. In this way, we contribute to the durability of equipment so that it can be reused instead of being scrapped directly. Read more about the routine for this in the following PDF document (document is in Swedish): Universitetsgemensam rutin för utrangering av stöldbegärlig ITutrustning, AV-utrustning och mobiler (pdf 213 kB)
Recommendations for use of mobile devices
Use battery saver mode when recommended
- Close apps and services like location services and such that are not used at the moment on your mobile phone so that they are not used unnecessarily in the background.
- Adjust the brightness of the screen to limit energy consumption and not irritate your eyes and disturb your sleep (if used in the evening).
- Charge the battery more often because it has been shown that it is worse for the battery when it is at maximum charge and absolutely do not charge the mobile phone overnight as it wears the most on the battery.
- Today's mobile phones have a long lifespan. Consider whether you have to buy a new phone or you can use the one you have for a longer period of time.
- Unplug the power box from the wall outlet when not in use to charge your device, as it draws some power even when your device is not plugged in.