Prasanth Menta Prasanna MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Eliot L. Siegel MD, Abstract Co-Author: Research grant, General Electric Company Speakers Bureau, Siemens AG Board of Directors, Carestream Health, Inc Research grant, XYBIX Systems, Inc Research grant, Steelcase, Inc Research grant, Anthro Corp Research grant, RedRick Technologies Inc Research grant, Evolved Technologies Corporation Research grant, Barco nv Research grant, Intel Corporation Research grant, Dell Inc Research grant, Herman Miller, Inc Research grant, Virtual Radiology Research grant, Anatomical Travelogue, Inc Medical Advisory Board, Fovia, Inc Medical Advisory Board, Vital Images Medical Advisory Board, McKesson Corporation Medical Advisory Board, Carestream Health, Inc Medical Advisory Board, Bayer AG Research, TeraRecon, Inc Medical Advisory Board, Bracco Group Researcher, Bracco Group Medical Advisory Board, Merge Healthcare Incorporated Medical Advisory Board, Microsoft Corporation Researcher, Microsoft Corporation

Amy Kunce ARRT, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To determine energy use and cost of our various diagnostic monitors and workstations, calculate potential savings to the VA Radiology Department, and provide an estimation method of computer energy use and cost with in the rest of the hospital.

We assessed various workstations and monitors throughout our department to assess energy and money expense, by plugging them into a Kill-a-Watt electricity meter (Kill A Watt P4400, www.p3international.com). We monitored energy usage both during active and standby states.

We found our monitors to range in electricity use from 0.16 to 1.29 kWh, costing approximately $ 0.01 to $ 0.14 per hour ($0.11/kWh) for 8 hours usage. Our monitors used 0.03 to 2.56 kWh, costing approximately $ 0.01 to $ 0.28 per hour on over night standby (16 hours). Our workstations used 1.25 to 2.1 kWh for 8 hours of usage, costing $ 0.14 to $ 0.23 per hour. In standby, workstations used 0.53 to 4.32 kWh and cost $ 0.06 to $ 0.48 per hour. Of note, the monetary cost of electricity used in our calculations does not include any additional taxes or fees.  While these daily numbers seem small, one monitor left on 24/7 would annually use from 49.5 to 1399.84 kWh and cost $5.45 to $153.98. A single workstation left on 24/7 would use 455.65 to 2322.11 kWh and cost from $59.91 to $255.43. Across our department for the computers and monitors we tested, left on 24/7 would use atleast 40,189.97 kWh and cost $4420.90. If computers were shut down at the end of the day, our department would use atleast 10261.68 kWh, costing only $1128.78, thereby saving the department 29928.29 kWh and $3292.11.

Leaving work stations and monitors on 24/7 is a large waste of resources, as machines are mostly idle.  While computers in the rest of the hospital may not use as much energy as our workstations do, we can estimate their energy consumption and cost. Radiology is at the forefront of technology in medicine with our use of computers and scanning equipment. In an age where cost reduction and energy savings are necessary, reducing power consumption in Radiology with the simple step of turning machines off at the end of the day, if implemented hospital wide, will lead to cost savings institution wide.

Radiology and hospital wide, energy and cost savings, by simply turning off machines at the end of the day.

Prasanna, P, Siegel, E, Kunce, A, Greening Radiology.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11012965.html