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NRDC Concerned by Console Power Consumption
Videogame consoles in the U.S. consume as much electricity every year as the entire city of San Diego. This is the summary of an investigation undertaken by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) on the energy use of game consoles.
The NRDC’s study is founded on two estimates. The first being that over 40 percent of all homes in the United States contain at least one videogame console, and the second being that half of all users leave their consoles on indefinitely. With these guestimates, the NRDC supposes that consoles consume 16 billion KWh per year.
Of that figure, the NRDC calculates that this overuse of power annually results in more than 7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This too is based on an assumption that these consoles are directly connected to power sources which emit carbon dioxide, such as coal-fire power facilities, and not renewable or nuclear facilities.
The study also pinpoints the power consumption of the three nextgen TV consoles, noting that the Wii uses an average of just 16 watts when active; a mere fraction of what the 360 (119 watts) and the PS3 (150 watts) consume when running a game. The report adds that the 360 is provided with an auto power-down option, but criticizes the feature for being disabled by default and “buried deep in the system menu.” The study also points out that in October Sony introduced a power management feature via a firmware update, “but it too is disabled by default.”
The report believes that the incorporation of more focused and user-friendly power management features could make a gigantic cut in energy consumption. In fact, of the NRDC’s estimated US consumption rate of 16 billion KWh/year, power management features could drop this figure as low as 5 billion KWh/year.
The report calls for all parties within the game industry to work together and rollout a campaign which would educate people on the power consumption of consoles. It also has provided some simple steps that it wants the industry to take on board, such as a more thorough incorporation of a power-down feature in consoles, a ‘sleep button’ on controllers, as well as incorporating the most efficient processors and power supplies.
The NRDC’s full report can be found here [large pdf].
A smaller fact-sheet summary of the report can be found here [pdf].
Source: NRDC via Ars Technica
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I dont think consoles are left on indefinetly, especially not 360s withe their faliure rate! I turn mine off when im done playing and so does everyone i know so who knows how they came up with that stat.
Ridiculous. Why don't they bother about TVs? I wonder how much power does all TVs consume?
Why should consoles be diferent then TVs? They both have the same porpuse : entertainment.
Who leaves on their consoles indefinitely anyhow? Is the estimate of 40% of all video game users, especially PS3 and 360 ones, leaving their consoles on legitimate? I sure don't.
Also, think for a moment of the power consumption of these two devices: 15w for the Wii in operation, or the equivalent of... one small nightlight. And the massive powerwasters the PS3 and 360? Two whole lightbulbs!
TWO!
You better turn those things off before you pollute the world, Freddy Polluter. Of course, compared with, say, leaving the AC on, or that giant TV you use, or the massive cooling rig on your hepped-up PC, it's nothing.
So, yeah. Don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave the house, and turn off your systems, and you're doing okay. No need to panic or dive into dramatics.
Thankfully Microsoft incorporate advanced technology into the Xbox 360 to make sure you don't leave it on indefinately - its called the RROD...
Ah...I remember the days of learning to manage electricity, my father would confiscate my machines from me if I left them on, as well as use my allowance money to pay the extra electric bill.
Countries, especially the US could do well in this area if only it had better education about energy saving, a government bonus for households with lower power usage, and better parenting to boot.
I can't wait to make my kids cry when I teach them about saving energy! :)
PS: I am kind of shocked by the responses thus far to this article, please tell me you guys are joking, please.
I think you guys are missing the point.
They are not telling you to do anything, they are not even saying to play for a certain amount of time.
Just giving you info about the high energy consumption of this machines, and saying that the big manufacturers should be a bit more proactive in trying to reduce this consumption.
It also tries to inform the player, to be a bit more mindfull of how they manage their consoles. That is IT, if you want to wear leather trousers that's your choice, just dont think that because you sound like you dont care about energy consumption, global crisis or whatever it makes you sound good.
As soon as I read this:
"results in more than 7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year."
I knew it was just some BS study to try and strongarm carbon credit money for the global warming hysteria machine.
I guess I could go back to mother nature's bosom, living in the woods, collecting berries and roots, dress in leather clothing made from animals I had to hunt myself. Oh wait, then PETA would sue me, so screw this plan and build me another nuclear power plant for my PS4.
I'm sorry but assuming that half of all gamers leave their consoles on indefinitely is going a little too far. I think it is very important for the US to become more power-conservative, but making assumptions that are clearly wrong isn't the right way to go about it. Gamers are already continually attacked by politicians and the like, so putting out another study villainizing us is only going to get you hated and flamed.
People need to try to understand the issue a little better before they start throwing figures at us.