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PRAC
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BES
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G R A M
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION 3
6 DISPOSAL OF EQUIPMENT 10
USEFUL CONTACTS 17
FURTHER READING 18
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1 INTRODUCTION
Office equipment is the fastest growing user of This Guide shows you how to identify
energy in the business world. While energy use for environmentally preferable equipment by This environmental Guide to
heating and lighting offices is becoming more considering factors such as: office equipment is a
efficient and decreasing, the energy used by office the running and energy costs companion to Good Practice
equipment continues to rise. Electricity consumed the raw materials used in manufacture Guide (GPG) 118, on managing
due to office equipment in the UK already costs the durability of the product the energy consumed by office
300 million each year and is rapidly increasing. the environmental impact of the product in equipment. By following the
Your costs may be behaving similarly. operation in terms of energy and emissions guidance given in both Guides
the potential to reuse the product at the end of you will gain control of the
Electricity consumption by office equipment now its life. environmental and energy
represents 25% of total electrical energy use in offices management aspects of your
and its impact on the environment is, therefore, This Guide also makes recommendations for organisations office equipment.
considerable. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions arising operating office equipment in the most efficient
from such consumption are a major contributor to way and describes cost-effective ways of disposing
climate change. Furthermore, because of the limited of unwanted office equipment.
life of most office equipment, substantial waste is
produced when equipment is finally disposed of. GETTING COMMITTED
Organisations can maximise their benefits by
Fortunately, there is now an extensive range of implementing an effective energy and
environmentally preferable products, which can environmental strategy and policy. An outline of a
reduce your costs and environmental impact. simple five-step systematic approach to energy and
These products are often no more expensive to environmental management, which can be a
purchase, and are usually cheaper to operate. worthwhile part of everyday management, is
shown in appendix 2 to this Guide.
By paying proper attention to reducing the
environmental effects of their activities, As well as direct cost savings, an environmental
organisations can: policy has other, wider benefits, including:
cut their operating costs fostering of good practices in other areas of
ensure they comply with legislation management
improve their image with staff, customers and conveying a positive company image to staff
other stakeholders, gaining extra business by and stakeholders
so doing improving the efficiency of the process or
make a contribution to protecting the provision of services.
environment.
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Purchase price 6000 costs, the equipment may also last longer as it
Running costs over typical five-year life: closes down automatically from idling mode to
PC and monitor most time in this state. Although all Energy Star
Running costs over typical three-year life: use less energy than others.
maintenance 500
energy 50 It is important to remember that environmental
features of Energy Star equipment often need to be
Table 1 Typical lifetime running costs of equipment activated by the user or supplier. This is best done at
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PC and monitor
including: output power
German Blue Angel awarded to personal
Monitor alone First low-power <15 15-30 minutes
computers (PCs) and printers that meet criteria
sleep mode
regarding efficient use of energy, reduction of
Deep-sleep mode 8 <70 minutes
greenhouse gases and conservation of resources
Swiss Energy 2000 awarded to the top 25% of Integrated unit 60 15-30 minutes
products each year
7 pages per 15 15 minutes
Nordic White Swan covering fax machines,
minute (ppm)
Printer
optional
the EU Eco-label will have to comply with standards
set for energy consumption, recyclability and
>44 cpm 20 W 5 + (cpm 3.85) W 15 minutes
potential for upgrading. Their manufacturers will
30-second recovery
also have to provide adequate instructions relating
to efficient operation and disposal. Automatic duplex
optional
Products without an Energy Star label may still 7 ppm 15 5 minutes
have energy-saving features. Information on these
7< ppm 14
Fax
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Having understood the overall benefits, consider Low-power modes use significantly less energy
the financial and environmental cost of office than idling but can involve staff waiting while
equipment. a machine becomes ready for use. The staff
costs can outweigh the energy saved.
RUNNING COSTS
The running costs of an item of office equipment Paper
can be greater than the purchase cost. They Using paper efficiently can save resources.
comprise some or all of the following: Choose products that use recycled paper and have
direct running costs such as the energy and a duplex facility. Individual products vary
consumables used by the product considerably so be careful to choose products
indirect costs such as any additional cooling where the speed for duplex printing is not much
from air-conditioning plant slower than single-sided printing, thus avoiding
administration costs overheads from buying excessive waiting time by staff.
products that require additional controls,
special handling and disposal. Consumables
Look at the cost of the toner, ink and other
Energy consumables. This can be significant over the life
Wasteful use of energy by office equipment is not of the product, so choose products that can use
only an unnecessary cost to you that affects your recycled toner or ink cartridges thereby reducing
bottom line, but also a cause of excessive CO2 costs and waste. Some designs have reduced the
emissions the principal contributor to climate number of cartridges others use refurbishable
change. Additional electrical energy is used by air- cartridges. Aim for these when effective to do so.
conditioning plant to remove the extra heat
generated by more inefficient office equipment. SUSTAINABLE USE OF RESOURCES
Choosing office equipment that meets current Products that minimise their use of natural
Energy Star specifications will reduce all such costs. resources can be obtained at little or no extra cost
Refer to GPG 118 for ways to reduce energy costs and will enhance your environmental image.
and bear in mind the following energy
consumption examples.
PCs and monitors account for over
half of office
equipment energy use.
Monitors use twice as
much energy as PCs.
Larger cathode ray
tube (CRT) monitors
use more energy than
smaller ones.
Larger copiers have
higher energy
consumption. Choose
one that is the right size
for your needs.
Laser printers use more
energy than inkjet
printers and dot matrix
printers but may have
lower ink costs.
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Durability
Long-lasting equipment reduces the need for costly
replacements. For example, a computer is typically
used for three years and a copier for five years. By
choosing equipment that can be upgraded, where it
is cost-effective to do so, the life of the equipment
is extended, making it environmentally preferable.
Electromagnetic radiation
All office equipment has associated
electromagnetic radiation (emr) emissions which,
if unchecked, can be harmful. Therefore, select
equipment that meets Swedish MPR II guidelines
for low emissions (most quality equipment does
so), or equipment awarded the TCO label.
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Set copiers and printers to print on both sides of Vending machines and water coolers
the paper, so long as this does not use staff time Switch off at night and weekends if possible.
ineffectively. On new Energy Star copiers the Use mugs or cups rather than disposable plastic
duplex mode is set as default, and scanners and fax or paper cups.
machines may also have duplex modes. When
copying or printing for internal use always use
recycled paper, if possible, as this saves the natural
resources needed to make new paper and creates a
market for waste paper.
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6 DISPOSAL OF EQUIPMENT
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The office equipment market is changing rapidly. This means that they can be set to remain in
Its wider uses means that the energy it uses also standby mode without wasting staff time.
continues to grow rapidly. This section summarises
the product developments introduced since the These are currently only available at speeds of up
publication of companion GPG 118 in 1997. to 20 cpm but faster machines are expected to
become available.
LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY SCREENS
Liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are now widely
MANAGING THE ENERGY USED BY OFFICE
available and their cost continues to fall. These
EQUIPMENT
screens use 80% less energy than conventional CRT
GPG 118 continues to give useful advice for
monitors. Their initial higher cost can often be
managing the energy used by office equipment,
offset by lower office rental costs they occupy less
and the management approach in appendix 2
space than CRT monitors and by lower energy
of this Guide will simplify this process.
costs. Other environmental benefits include:
no electromagnetic emissions, eliminating any
negative effects on health
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
less screen flicker, again benefiting the users
Sustainable product design uses life-cycle
health.
analysis and takes account of the need to
minimise the use of materials in its
PLASMA DISPLAY
manufacture, plus the impact of the product on
Plasma screens are an efficient option for large
the environment at the end of its life. These
displays, offering large screens that are only a few
products have lower running and disposal
centimetres thick. Their energy consumption is
costs, and will often also have reduced levels of
much less than the equivalent CRT display. New
noise and thermal emissions, thus improving
technologies under development include light-
the working environment.
emitting polymer displays which may offer even
greater energy efficiency.
Sustainable products may incorporate
remanufactured parts and use a high
COMBINATION COPIER/PRINTER/FAX
proportion of materials that can be recycled.
The primary function of combination devices is
They also, typically, use returnable cartridges
normally copying but they can also perform
and include features such as the ability to use
printing or faxing as a secondary function.
recycled paper. Furthermore, they can be
Combination devices are energy efficient because
dismantled easily for recycling purposes.
they avoid the cumulative idling and standby
energy consumption from separate machines.
They also save on resources, because only one set
of components is required.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Digital technology is increasingly available for
copiers at slightly higher cost. The result is savings
in energy consumption, improvements in paper
efficiency and lower maintenance requirements.
INSTANT-WARM-UP COPIERS
Some manufacturers are introducing copiers that
warm up almost instantly, by the time the first
copy reaches the heated ink-sealing roller.
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ASSESSING THE ENERGY CONSUMED BY Look up the operating and idling low-power
YOUR OFFICE EQUIPMENT consumption in the equipment specification,
You are advised to assess the energy used by your or ask the supplier. If these are not known, use
office equipment when: the typical figures for mid-range equipment in
equipping a new office or buying new the worksheet.
equipment for an existing office Calculate the energy consumption for working
designing air-conditioning for an office days by multiplying the operating power by
designing a new office building the operating hours, and the idling low-power
considering the real benefits of potential by these hours for each type of machine. This
purchases this will prevent excessive over- can be multiplied by the number of working
expenditure and running costs. days a year (average 250).
Calculate the consumption for non-working
The energy used by office equipment is made up of days as the idling low-power multiplied by
the operating load for the time that the equipment 24 hours (for any equipment on constantly).
is operating, the idling load and the low-power Multiply the total by 115 (representing the
load, or loads, for the time the equipment is number of non-working days a year).
switched on. Typical operating and low-power Add together the hourly energy consumption
times are shown in worksheet 1 opposite. in Watts for working and non-working days
and divide by 1000 to get the consumption
CALCULATING THE ANNUAL ENERGY in kWh.
CONSUMPTION OF YOUR OFFICE EQUIPMENT
Copy the worksheet so that it can be used again
for other areas or in order to measure and compare
improvements in your organisations energy and EXAMPLE
environmental performance. Follow each of the A copier is switched on for 10 hours a day and
steps below and complete the appropriate blank operating for 4 hours. If the average operating
space in worksheet 1 ((a)-(i)) for your own load is 500 W and the low-power load is 150 W,
situation. then the total energy consumed in a day will be
Count the numbers of each type of equipment; 2900 Wh made up of:
if this is unknown adopt the typical numbers operating energy 500 x 4 = 2000 Wh
in the worksheet for your building. low-power energy 150 x 6 = 900 Wh.
Establish the typical daily operating hours and
the typical time idling. If these cannot be Electricity is normally measured in kWh
established, use the times in the worksheet (1 kWh = 1000 Wh), so the energy used by the
provided that PCs, printers, and copiers are copier is 2.9 kWh.
turned off at night and weekends. If they are
not, adjust the standby time accordingly.
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Typical 4 2 2 1 1 1
Typical 6 8 8 23 23 23
Without energy-saving features 30 500 000 9 900 000 5 500 000 742 500 363 750 6 450 000 53 456 250
With energy-saving features 19 250 000 5 400 000 4 500 000 397 500 225 750 3 000 000 32 773 250
Without energy-saving features Nil Nil Nil 248 400 165 600 2 484 000 2 898 000
With energy-saving features Nil Nil Nil 82 800 99 360 828 000 1 010 160
Without energy-saving features 30 500 9900 5500 991 529 8934 56 353
With energy-saving features 19 250 5400 4500 480 325 3828 33 783
If all equipment was left on 24 hours per day, its energy costs would be 10 800 without energy-saving features.
If all had energy-saving features and the features were activated, the energy cost would be 4750.
Manual turning off at night of PCs, printers and copiers reduces the total cost of 4750 by around 60% to 2060.
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Generally understand Gather quantitative Develop a policy Initiate priority actions Review performance
the issues and plan the information on your statement. and investments. regularly to reaffirm
first key steps. current environmental Set objectives and Carry out training and and redefine your
Get commitment from performance. targets. raise awareness. actions.
top management to Identify management Develop detailed action Integrate energy and Carry out management
reducing the strengths and plans. environment into audits.
environmental impact weaknesses. Organise roles and business process. Seek continuous
of your office Analyse stakeholders responsibilities. Communicate improvement.
equipment. needs. performance.
Anticipate barriers to Overcome barriers.
implementation.
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PC only (excluding monitor) 30 W after 7< ppm 14 30 (after 30 minutes) 30 (after 5 minutes)
15-30 minutes More than 14 and high-end colour 45 (after 60 minutes) 45 (after 15 minutes)
Monitor:
First low-power mode <15 W after Noise level for printers
15-30 minutes Standby mode 45 dB max
Second low-power mode 8 W after Operation mode 56 dB max
70 minutes total
standby
COPIERS
The best products on the market have much lower Copy speed Operating mode Low-power mode Automatic sleep mode
standby consumption. (cpm) (W) (W) (W)
High-performance classes
Screen >50 cpm 55 72
ISO 9241-3
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USEFUL CONTACTS
There is a great deal of information available about Information about the EU Waste from Electrical
environmentally preferable office equipment on and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive can be
the world wide web. Most equipment found at:
manufacturers have up-to-date web pages with http://www.cutter.com/psa/draftdir.html
information on the environmental performance of
their products and their environmental policies. RECYCLING AND REUSE
The following organisations are active in
LABELLING SCHEMES promoting the reuse of office equipment.
Information about Energy Star products can be
found at: Wastewatch (Bytes Twice)
http://www.energystar.gov Europa House
13-17 Ironmonger Row
Information about the European Union London EC1V 3QN
Eco-labelling scheme can be found at: Tel 0171 248 1818. Fax 0171 248 1404
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg11/ecolabel Wasteline 0171 248 0242
The TCO scheme has a web site giving current ICER (Industry Council for Electronic Equipment
standards and a list of products that have been Recycling)
awarded the label: 6 Bath Place
http://www.tco-info.com Rivington Street
London SW1P 3BT
GOVERNMENT Tel 0171 729 4766. Fax 0171 457 5038
Department of the Environment Transport and Internet http://www.icer.org.uk
Regions (DETR):
http://www.detr.gov.uk National Recycling Forums Product Guide web site:
http://www.nrf.org.uk/buy-recycled/menu.htm
DETR Greening Government web site:
http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/greening/ OTHER
gghome.htm Foresight Institute for information on
nanotechnology:
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): http://www.foresight.org/homepage.html
http://www.dti.gov.uk
Institute of Nanotechnology with links to research
The DETRs Energy Efficiency Best Practice establishments:
programme (building-related) has a web site at: http://www.nano.org.uk
http://www.bre.co.uk/brecsu/
ECTEL (European Telecommunications &
The DETRs Energy Efficiency Best Practice Professional Electronics Industries Association)
programme for industry and the Environmental environmental specialists group for mobile phones
Technology Best Practice programme (a DETR and and electronic equipment:
DTI initiative) can be found at: http://www.ectel.org
http://www.etsu.com Tel 01753 500074. Fax 01753 553225
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FURTHER READING
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
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The Governments Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme provides impartial, Energy Consumption Guides: compare energy use in
authoritative information on energy efficiency techniques and technologies in industry and specific processes, operations, plant and building types.
buildings. This information is disseminated through publications, videos and software,
Good Practice: promotes proven energy-efficient techniques
together with seminars, workshops and other events. Publications within the Best Practice
through Guides and Case Studies.
programme are shown opposite.
New Practice: monitors first commercial applications of new
For further information on: energy efficiency measures.
Buildings-related projects contact: Industrial projects contact:
Future Practice: reports on joint R&D ventures into new
Enquiries Bureau Energy Efficiency Enquiries Bureau energy efficiency measures.
BRECSU ETSU
General Information: describes concepts and approaches
BRE Harwell, Oxfordshire
yet to be fully established as good practice.
Garston, Watford, WD25 9XX OX11 0RA
Tel 01923 664258 Tel 01235 436747 Fuel Efficiency Booklets: give detailed information on
Fax 01923 664787 Fax 01235 433066 specific technologies and techniques.
E-mail brecsuenq@bre.co.uk E-mail etsuenq@aeat.co.uk
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Introduction to Energy Efficiency: helps new energy managers
Internet BRECSU http://www.bre.co.uk/brecsu/ understand the use and costs of heating, lighting, etc.
Internet ETSU http://www.etsu.com/eebpp/home.htm CROWN COPYRIGHT FIRST PRINTED JULY 1999