"Notebook batteries get less efficient over time, and this report can determine when batteries are degraded enough to need replacement," said Katz.

Most businesses will likely be updating their PCs to the new OS over time, and while these new tools will work in a mixed-OS environment, to leverage many of the advanced features, Katz said Windows 7 is necessary.

Additional power savings have been realized through more efficient idle-time management. Even between keystrokes, Katz said there's idle time that can be leveraged. The screen is dimmed, processors idled and hard drive speed reduced during idle times to save power.

"PCs are idle for long amounts of time and short amounts of time, and idle efficiency is critical because that's where you gain a lot of power savings," said Katz. "When it's one of those days where you have lots of meetings and you forget to bring your power supply, these kinds of features really help your battery go a lot further."

With much of the power savings in Windows 7 relying on Microsoft's partnership with its ecosystem partners, Katz said the latest hardware will definitely generate the greatest power efficiency. But even PCs purchased within the last few years, and upgrading from Windows XP or Vista, will see savings.