I am often asked by customers whether their Windows 7 Power Settings are Energy Star compliant.
The recommendations for Windows clients are:
- Computers must enter system standby or hibernate after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity.
- Monitors must enter sleep mode after 5 to 20 minutes of inactivity
Windows 7 by default comes with 3 Power Plans. High Performance, Balanced (default) and Power Saver. If you have enabled the Balanced or Power Saver power plan then you are using the recommended Energy Star power settings.
| Power Scheme | Standby / Hibernate (Battery / Plugged in) | Monitor sleep mode (Battery / Plugged in) |
| Balanced | 15 / 30 minutes | 5 / 10 minutes |
| Power Saver | 10 / 15 minutes | 2 / 5 minutes |
| High Performance | Never / Never | 10 / 15 |
Additional Information
Power Policy Configuration and Deployment in Windows
Manually activating power management in Windows 7