Office Equipment
Upgrading your office equipment to Energy Star rated models is an opportunity to increase efficiency and also provide your office and workers with top-quality and up-to-date tools. Some examples:
-
High-end ink jet or bubble jet printers
use 70-90 percent less energy than laser printers.
-
Upgraded computer models
are more energy efficient and take up less office space, resulting in higher performing equipment and better worker productivity.
-
LCD monitors
consume half the amount of energy compared to CRT monitors. Laptops use one-fourth the energy of desktops.
To calculate ENERGY STAR equipment savings visit
ENERGY STAR Office Equipment Savings Calculator
.
Power down and use sleep mode
Shutting down a typical desktop computer on nights and weekends
saves about $100 annually
. When you leave a computer on, the screen savers actually waste more energy by keeping computers active. You can reduce those costs by either manually shutting your computers down or by using daily timers during non-use hours.
Make sure
all devices are set up for sleep mode
. A complete computer setup (monitor and accessories) uses between 8 and 11 watts in sleep mode. When not in sleep mode, a desktop uses 75 watts per day, while a laptop uses 25 watts per day. Printers consume 190 watts per day, compared to 13 watts when in sleep mode. Fax machines consume 40 percent less energy in sleep mode.
Most systems should have power-saving features, but they usually must be activated by the user. Make sure to monitor them and ensure that they are properly configured.
Use networked systems such as printers
By setting up a network, multiple users can share a single resource. You can also configure your printer or copier for
batch printing
, which means they will spend less time in active mode and save both energy and paper.
Duplex settings
allow copiers to print double-sided documents.
Additional opportunities
-
Low-power copiers
have an energy saving of 40-50 percent compared to standard units.
-
When possible,
email or post documents
on the internet instead of printing and copying.
-
Donate
used office equipment to schools, churches, non-profits, or
recycle equipment.
-
Unplug chargers
when not in use; c
harging devices consume energy when plugged into an outlet, even when a device is not connected.
Annual Energy Cost
Device
|
Use (Time)
|
Annual Cost*
|
Annual Cost*
(using sleep mode)
|
Annual Cost*
(not using sleep mode)
|
Desktop Computer and Monitor (on)
|
8 hours/
day
|
$65
|
$72
|
$195
|
Desktop Computer and Monitor
(sleep mode)
|
16 hours/
day
|
$7
|
$72
|
$195
|
Laptop (on)
|
8 hours/
day
|
$22
|
$25
|
$66
|
Laptop
(sleep mode)
|
16 hours/
day
|
$3
|
$25
|
$66
|
Color Ink Jet Printer
(on/printing)
|
2 hours/
day
|
$5
|
$17
|
$60
|
Color Ink Jet Printer
(sleep mode/standby)
|
22 hours/
day
|
$12
|
$17
|
$60
|
Device
|
Annual Cost*
|
Copy Machine, conventional monochrome or color, =50 ipm
|
$209
|
Copy Machine, color, ENERGY STAR, =50 ipm
|
$150
|
Vending Machine, conventional, 500 cans
|
$1,175
|
Vending Machine, ENERGY STAR, 500 cans
|
$504
|
Water Cooler, hot and cold, conventional
|
$237
|
Water Cooler, hot and cold, ENERGY STAR
|
$130
|
*Values below are based on typical operating and sleep mode power draw and an electricity rate of 30 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Click here for our project checklist for cooking, refrigeration and office equipment