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Hopefully by now, people know that CFL bulbs, the twisty ones, are great for the environment. It typically is the first green step that people take if they are trying to save energy and become more friendly to the planet. However, in almost every case where you need to replace or upgrade something, you can be green. For example, right now I have a big and loud desktop computer. It is so loud that I don’t want to use it and instead use my laptop since it is quiet and saves electricity. On the flip side though, I love watching movies using a computer and browsing the internet from a large TV screen is nice every now and then, so I would love to use my desktop as a multimedia unit. However because of the noise factor it is not the best thing to have running when I am watching a movie.

With this in mind I have looked into upgrading the case and power supply to eliminate noisy fans. So what does this have to do with being green?

If you didn’t know, power supplies manage the electricity going in and being used by your computer and so it is important in controlling the amount of energy wasted. Common power supplies are inefficient since your computer may only need 100 Watts, but the power supply uses much more than that. 80 Plus is a fairly new certification given to power supplies used in computers, requiring 80% or more energy efficiency. I would hope that this would have been a smart thing to put into any power supply but it is cheaper to manufacture power supplies that are not efficient.

In addition, computer casing often contains hazardous materials like lead but luckily there is a certification for that also. RoHS certification restricts toxic substances from being used in all kinds of electronics, including computer cases. Toxic substances, other than not being the greatest thing to have around you, are a real problem when it comes time to discard electronics that contain them. They sit in landfills eventually leak into ground water, poisoning sources that plants, animals and people use.

Now that I know what to look for, 80 Plus and RoHS, I can make a smart upgrade that saves my electric bill, gives me a system that I will enjoy and leaves the environment in better shape than if I would have bought something else. Remember, you can make the planet happy and you happy at the same time by finding green alternatives of the things you want and need.

Related links: Find computer recycling (Earth 911), Build a Green PC (ExtremeTech)