What does a laptop workstation use in power per year?
Much less than people think. A typical laptop+monitor station runs 50-100 W in use. At 8 hours daily that lands around 80-150 kWh per year.
Try this first
- 1Laptop in use: 15-40 W. External monitor: 25-60 W (more at 4K and high brightness). Dock plus USB peripherals: 5-15 W.
- 2Estimate 80 W average over 8 hours, 220 workdays: about 140 kWh per person per year. Use your provider's current rate for euro figures.
- 3Plug monitor and dock into a switchable strip. Standby adds up: 5 W standby per desk = 40 kWh per year.
- 4Drop monitor brightness to 50-60%. Saves power and eyes. Factory 100% is overkill indoors.
When to bring us in
For energy reporting, ESG, or a payback calculation on laptop replacement we have a small model with measured numbers.
See also
- Should we buy or lease laptops as a 5-person company?Both work. Lease is predictable but pricier over the term; buying needs cash and your own depreciation. The difference is mostly admin.
- Is buying refurbished smart or asking for trouble?For office work fine, if from a serious vendor with warranty and a clean OS install. The trap is shady marketplace listings.
- How much RAM and SSD for office work in 2026?Rule of thumb for knowledge work: 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD as a comfortable minimum. 8 GB already feels tight; 32 GB is for heavy tools.
None of the above fits?
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