The idea
Many Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices — like IP phones, badge readers, access points and cameras — remain fully powered 24/7, regardless of whether anyone is actually using them. While some are critical, many others serve non-essential functions during nights and weekends. This creates a perfect scenario for silent energy waste.
By identifying these devices and applying time-based shutdown policies, organizations can reduce off-hours power consumption without sacrificing performance or availability during the day.
Why it matters
In most office and education environments, the workday ends well before the network does. Devices that sit idle overnight continue to consume energy — often without any meaningful function. This unnecessary baseline consumption can account for up to 40% of total IT energy use in certain organizations.
Over time, this results in:
- Higher energy bills
- Increased emissions
- Wear on hardware that doesn’t need to be running
- Missed opportunities for smarter automation
Turning off devices when they’re not needed is one of the easiest ways to lower energy waste — with zero hardware upgrades.
What you can do
- Identify PoE ports connected to non-critical devices (e.g., desk phones, meeting room equipment, access points in closed areas).
- Define working-hour schedules (e.g., 8am–6pm, Mon–Fri) that reflect your actual operations.
- Set automatic shutdown windows outside of those hours.
- Coordinate with end users or department leads to avoid accidental service interruption.
Start small: test these policies in low-risk areas before scaling across the network.
Bonus tip
Pilot your shutdown strategy in places with predictable usage patterns, like meeting rooms, break zones, or shared open spaces. These are ideal for scheduled PoE cutoffs with minimal operational impact — and they often include devices that contribute significantly to off-hours waste.
How ZeroNet helps
ZeroNet continuously monitors device behavior and usage trends, learning how and when PoE-connected devices are actually used. It identifies patterns (e.g., always-idle overnight), flags unnecessary energy draw, and suggests optimal shutdown schedules. Even better: it enables automated execution of those actions — so your network doesn’t have to stay awake when no one else is.