Energy Reduction

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 .

 

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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.

 

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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