Your Most Pressing Questions Answered

Q: How does CO₂ Saver work?

A: CO₂ Saver is a lightweight application that runs in Windows. It adjusts your Windows power settings so that your computer, monitor and hard drive consume less electricity when you're not actively using them. It calculates how much power is saved, and converts it into pounds of CO₂ emissions prevented by having the toolbar installed. You see the amount of CO₂ saved by yourself and all toolbar users together. The bottom line? The more energy we can all save, the less negative environmental impact we'll have. Read more on our "How it Works" page.

Q: What makes CO₂ so important?

A: When a computer is running, energy providers supplying power to it are burning fossil fuels and emitting harmful Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. Although CO₂ is a normal component of the atmosphere, elevated levels of it are likely to cause future climate change (global warming). Although there are other types of emissions from burning fossil fuels, CO₂ makes up over 99.6% of emissions by weight.

Still curious? Some other things you might want to know.

Q: What computer types and platforms are supported?

A: CO₂ Saver supports only Windows XP and Windows Vista at this time. We're aware of the enormous demand by users of other platforms, and we intend to hook you up in the future. CO₂ Saver runs on both laptop and desktop machines. It is not intended to be used on servers.

Q: How exactly do you calculate how much energy CO₂ Saver saves?

A: Because each computer is different, we currently use averages. CO₂ Saver detects the type of computer you're using (for example, desktop vs. laptop) and uses that information to help calculate how much energy it normally uses (and how much the program will save). In the Options menu under "Computer Details," you have the ability to enter more information about your computer and monitor(s) so this can be taken into account, as power consumption also varies widely across monitor types and sizes. In the future, we plan to allow more precise measurements, and we're working on those features now.

Q: I use renewable energy, such as wind power. Does it still apply?

A: Yes! If your electricity comes from the power grid, then CO₂ Saver still reduces the demand for energy from fossil fuels by the same amount, even if you are part of a "Green Energy" program. That's because all grid users get their power from the same power plant or series of plants (some of which may be renewable generation facilities). Green energy programs let you pay for the supply of renewable power production (such as wind and biomass) and these sources also reduce the demand on plants using fossil fuels.

Q: Which search engines can I select for the web search box?

A: Snap.com, Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Ask.com, and A9. You can choose a different search engine any time from the Options menu under the "Settings" tab.

Q: CO₂ Saver hides behind my other Windows. How can I change this?

A: If you want CO₂ Saver to always remain on top of your other windows, you can change this by clicking on "Options" in CO₂ Saver, then clicking the "Settings" tab, and then selecting the "Keep on top of all other windows" box.

Q: What happens when I close or minimize CO₂ Saver?

A: When you minimize CO₂ Saver by clicking the "minimize" button that is next to the "X" button, it disappears from your screen but continues to run in the background, so that it will turn on its power saving features when your computer is idle. You can make CO₂ Saver appear again by clicking on the green "life saver" icon in the Windows taskbar near your clock in the lower right corner of your screen. If you close CO₂ Saver by either clicking the close "X" button or right-clicking the "life saver" icon and choosing "Exit," CO₂ Saver's power saving features will be turned off until you run the program again.

Q: How can I uninstall CO₂ Saver?

A: It's simple. First, close the application by clicking the "X" button in the upper right corner when it's expanded (when the web search box is shown). Then go to your Windows Control Panel and double-click 'Add or Remove Programs'. Find and select "CO₂ Saver Toolbar" and click the Change/Remove button. The application will be uninstalled.