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Se si programma il dispositivo, si consuma meno energia.

Se si programma il dispositivo, si consuma meno energia.
If you program the device, you consume less energy.
From Lesson 277:Correlative conjunctions (non solo ... ma anche)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Se si programma il dispositivo, si consuma meno energia.

The English translation says "If you program", but there is no tu in the sentence. Why is si used here?
This sentence uses the impersonal si. In Italian, when talking about people in general, you use si followed by the third-person singular form of the verb. It is the most natural way to express a general rule like "if one programs" or "if people program".
Could si programma il dispositivo also translate to "the device is programmed"?
Yes! This structure also functions as the passivizing si (si passivante). In Italian, an impersonal si followed by a direct object (il dispositivo) acts like a passive voice. Translating it as "If the device is programmed" or "If you program the device" means the exact same thing here.
Why are both verbs in the present tense? Doesn't a se sentence need the future tense?
Not always! When a se sentence describes a general fact or something that is always true, Italian uses the present tense in both parts. You only need the future tense for a specific future event, like saying "If you program it tonight, it will consume less energy tomorrow."
Since energia is a feminine word, why doesn't meno change its ending to match?
The word meno (less) is invariable, which means its ending never changes. Whether it comes before a masculine, feminine, singular, or plural noun, it always stays exactly as meno.

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