The Recovery Act of 2009 includes a number of measures to increase energy efficiency in the U.S., which many feel is the fastest and cheapest way to address the nation’s energy challenges – from homes to factories and offices. And while the government spends billions to build a better, bigger and smarter electric grid, there are a number of ways that companies and organizations can increase their energy efficiency in the short-term. Let’s consider the commercial airline industry for a moment.

 When killing time at the airport before your flight, have you ever pondered the number of arrival and departure screens you’ve passed between the check-in counter, security and your flight gate? McCarron International Airport in Las Vegas, ranked 14th in the world for passenger traffic in 2007, with nearly 48 million passengers, boasts more than 750 flight information monitors.

Typically, flight information displays are powered by a computer equipped with a video card or a graphics card, which enables the system to power multiple monitors at once.  Both the card and the computer consume energy and emit heat, as wells the display, and contribute to the airports carbon footprint.  And in the heat of the summer in Las Vegas, all of these systems and the millions of passengers require the airport to crank up the AC.

So, theoretically at least, how can these airports save money and increase energy efficiency? Because older computers and graphics cards draw more power and emit more heat, buying smaller more energy efficient PCs and more powerful and energy efficient graphics cards will help reduce energy and cooling costs and reduce carbon emissions.  The new ATI FirePro™ 2450 multi-view graphics card from AMD can power up to four monitors at one time, fits in newer and smaller form factor computers and only sips a cool 18 watts of power – the same amount of electricity as a CFC light bulb.

According to Wikipedia, as of June 2008, there were 49,024 airports in the world with the U.S. having more than any other country – more than 14,000. While not all of these airports are of the caliber of Las Vegas, Denver or Dallas/Fort Worth, each state has at least one large commercial airport. If McCarron alone has 750 displays, the number of displays in this country’s airports alone is mind-boggling.  You have to wonder just how much energy is wasted each day.

The commercial airline industry is just one example of how multiple display technology touches your life. What about:

·         911 emergency data centers

·         Trading floors of the stock and commodity exchanges – most analysts and traders have 2 to 4 displays on their desk

·         Manufacturing assembly lines

·         Power plants

·         The electrical grid

·         Television stations

The next time you are waiting for your flight, I encourage you to consider how much energy could be conserved if a fraction of airports, factories and businesses in the U.S. and the world at large implemented more energy efficient technologies. A little effort would definitely go a long way. 

 Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.

Janet Matsuda is Senior Director, Professional Graphics at AMD.