According to a report by Mindteck's Smart Energy Lab, companies can save about Rs 1,000 per computer a year on an average through Windows 7 as compared to older operating systems like Windows XP or Vista.

"Energy efficiency is a key factor that companies are concentrating on, and the research shows that the new OS helps companies to not only save money but also contributes to the various green initiatives they are taking," Microsoft India Director (Windows Client) Sumeet Khanna said.

As organisations look at saving on operating expenses and reducing exposure to fluctuating energy prices, green initiatives are among the top focus areas in corporate IT roadmaps.

"Optimising desktop power management is one of the simplest, yet effective, ways to reduce power consumption in an enterprise. Increasing energy efficiency on Windows 7 has been one of the core areas for Microsoft," he said.

The study said that Windows 7 focuses on reducing overall power consumption by investing in performance optimisation, idle resource utilisation, device power management and key end-user scenarios.

"Cost savings of up to USD 40.44 (84.46 per cent reduction) per client per year, not including LCD consumption, can be realised by ensuring that desktop PCs or laptops automatically enter sleep states during working hours, and at the end of the day, if the user forgets to manually turn off their PC," Mindteck Global Infrastructure head, Infrastructure, Services and Managed Services, Andrew J Hacker said.

Cost savings for businesses range from USD 14,821 (about Rs 7 lakh) at 500 PCs to a significant USD 296,426 (about Rs 1.4 crore) per year at 10,000 PCs (LCD not included), he added.