TR - 102545 - R1 - Guide To Energy - Efficient Office Equipment

Guide to
Energy-Efficient
Office Equipment
Revision 1
TR-102545-R1
Research Project 2890-20
Final Report, February 1996
Prepared by
AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN
+z ENERGY-EFFICIENT ECONOMY
for the Office Technology Efficiency Consortium
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Principal Investigators
Mark Ledbetter
Loretta A. Smith
Sponsored by
California Institute for Energy Efficiency
Consolidated Edison Company
Electric Power Research institute
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Ontario Hydro
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Southern California Edison Company
US. Department of Energy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Wisconsin Center for Demand-Side Research
Prepared for
Electric Power Research Institute
3412 Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94304
EPRI Project Managers
M. H. Blatt
J. P. Kesselring 13086226
Commercial Technologies & Services
Customer Systems Division
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ORGANIZATION(S)THAT PREPARED THIS REPORT:

AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT ECONOMY
OFFICE TECHNOLOGY EFFICIENCY CONSORTIUM
COSPONSORS:
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY
ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ONTARIO HYDRO
PACIFIC GASANDELECTRIC COMPANY
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
U.S. ENVlRONMENTAL PROTECTlON AGENCY
WISCONSIN CENTER FOR DEMAND-SIDE RESEARCH
13086226
INTEREST CATEGORIES
Energy management and controls, office automation
Appliances
KEYWORDS
Computers
Commercial buildings
Appliances
Energy conservation
Energy management
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cation. All rights reserved.
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ABSTRACT
Commercial building office equipment is consuming electricity

at an unprecedented rate in the United States. EPRI's new
Guide to Energy-Efficient Office Equipment provides a
comprehensive overview of the energy use characteristics of
office equipment as of late 1995. The guide discusses commonly
used office equipment, including personal computers, computer
monitors, computer printers, copiers, facsimile machines,
combination equipment (which consolidates peripheral office
equipment functions such as printing, scanning, faxing, and
copying), and retrofit power management devices. For each
class of equipment, the guide identifies energy-efficient models
and describes techniques for minimizing energy use, with
emphasis on power management features. The guide also
addresses office paper use and provides a number of examples
contrasting the high-energy-use office with the energy-efficient
office.
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...
111
CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
S E CTION 1
Personal Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , . . . . . . 17
S ECTION 2
Computer Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
S ECTION 3
Computer Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
SECTION 4
Copiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
S ECTION 5
Facsimile Machines .............................. 55
S ECTION 6
Combination Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
S ECTION 7
Retrofit Power - Management Devices . . . . . . . . . . 65
S ECTION 8
Office Paper Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
S ECTION 9
Office-Wide Examples . . . , . , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Appendix
Where to Get More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
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INTRODUCTION
OFFICE EQUIPMENT is the fastest growing electricity use in

commercial buildings in the United States. Office equipment di-
rectly consumes as much as 30 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), or
approximately five percent of total commercial electric energy
consumption; this translates into $2.1 billion in electricity costs
to businesses. This figure increases to approximately 40 billion
kWh if the cost of air conditioning to displace the waste heat
generated by office equipment is considered. Energy consump-
tion due to office equipment and related energy systems is ex-
pected to increase by as much as fivefold during the next
decade.
Purchasing decisions for office equipment usually depend
upon price, speed, reliability, and quality. Many corporate
equipment purchasers fail to account for the costs of the elec-
tricity to operate office equipment and the energy and equip-
ment costs of removing the heat this equipment creates in a
building.
Beyond energy cost savings, purchasing and using energy-
efficient office equipment has many direct environmental ben-
efits. For example, if the 40 billion kWh of energy use for office
equipment were reduced by 50 percent using available tech-
nologies, the CO2, savings would be equivalent to the removal
of 6,750,000 automobiles from the U.S. passenger vehicle
stock.
Indirect benefits include:
H Reduced demand upon building electrical service (in many
older buildings, office equipment electrical loads exceed the
supply available in existing plugs),
n Increased occupant comfort (through the reduction or
elimination of fan noise and waste heat generation),
n Better power quality of office equipment with power-
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1
management features when operating in the low-power
mode, and
n Reduced electromagnetic field emissions from monitors
(which are substantially lower with power-managed monitors
versus traditional desktop system monitors).
The purpose of this guide is to familiarize office equipment

purchasers and users with the energy consumption characteris-
tics of office equipment. Energy consumption by machines with
similar speed, features, and reliability can vary by as much as
tenfold. Office equipment manufacturers are continually devel-
oping new designs that help reduce equipment energy con-
sumption. Therefore, including energy conservation in purchas-
ing decisions will help purchasers find the most economical
equipment. It is important for purchasers to understand the
energy use patterns of their office’s equipment and make pur-
chasing and use decisions based upon their needs and capabili-
ties. Information contained in this Guide should help purchasers
and users better understand the energy use patterns of office
equipment and thereby help purchasers make better decisions
when buying office equipment.
As displayed in Figure 1, the levels of individual equipment
electrical consumption vary greatly. While individual copiers
typically consume more than other individual machines, offices
usually have far more microcomputers than copiers, meaning
total energy consumption by microcomputers is higher. Figure 2
shows a typical small office scenario, with ten microcomputers
for every one printer, copier, and facsimile machine. Here com-
puters account for almost half the total office equipment electric-
ity load.
As illustrated in Figure 3, the energy consumption of a typical
(i.e., 70 Watt) microcomputer (without monitor) can be reduced
by more than 75 percent by simply turning off the machine dur-
ing non-work hours. Furthermore, research suggests that com-
puters are actively used during only a fraction of a typical work
day. Power management, or the automatic shutting off of equip-
ment or their components by internal hardware/software, can
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further reduce energy consumption of a typical microcomputer
2
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by up to 70 percent. Use of laptop computers can reduce energy
usage to approximately ten percent or less of the use of a typical
microcomputer. The potential for reducing energy consumption
of microcomputers is discussed in more detail in Section 1.
Figure 4 shows the energy usage of typical computer moni-
tors. Cathode ray tube monitors (CRTs) are the most common
monitor technology for desktop computers, but arc much more
energy intensive than the active matrix liquid crystal displays
(LCDs) used commonly in laptop systems. Color and higher
resolution features also increase monitors’ energy consumption
significantly, so purchasing the monitor best suited for the
user’s needs with the lowest energy consumption requires
some thoughtful comparison. Most commonly, power-manage-
ment features are now incorporated into CRTs that can sub-
stantially reduce overall monitor energy consumption. De-
tailed information on monitor energy use characteristics is
included in Section 2.
Figure 5 displays the various energy consumption character-
istics of printers. Computer printers employ a variety of printing
technologies; within each technology group, individual ma-
chines have a variety of energy-saving features that can result in
a wide range of energy consumption patterns. A power-man-
aged laser printer can use less than half the energy of a conven-
tional laser model. An ink jet printer, which does not employ a
heat fusing mechanism, uses less energy than even many of the
current generation of efficient laser printers. Further discussion
of printer technologies and opportunities for printer energy
management is included in Section 3.
It is possible to reduce copier energy by about 75 percent by
turning the unit off at night and on weekends. Use of an energy-
saver feature can reduce energy use by even more, as shown in
Figure 6. Additionally, technologies are being developed that
may result in the production of copiers that use less energy than
the traditional heat and pressure fusing copiers. Copier tech-
nologies and associated energy consumption patterns are de-
tailed in Section 4.
Facsimile machines (faxes) employ a variety of technologies,
including laser, direct thermal, thermal transfer, ink jet, and fax
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6
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cards that can be installed in microcomputers. While energy use
for any type of fax may seem low, its round-the-clock usage can
generate significant costs. As Figure 7 shows, laser faxes con-
sume 70 percent more energy _ than direct thermal faxes, while
ink jet faxes have the lowest consumption. Section 5 discusses
facsimile technologies in further detail.
Section 6 includes a brief discussion of the new trend for com-
bining peripheral office equipment functions, i.e., printing, scan-
ning, faxing, and copying. Several manufacturers have recently
released machines that perform all these functions. These ma-
chines can afford significant energy savings by displacing three
or four separate machines with one. While these types of ma-
chines have traditionally been prohibitively expensive or pro-
vided inferior performance to separate devices, recent develop-
ments by manufacturers have resulted in the introduction of
many high-quality, competitively priced units that may be at-
tractive options for some offices.
The recent proliferation of retrofit power-management de-
vices is addressed in Section 7. These devices are used to reduce
the energy consumption of computers and imaging equipment
without built-in power-management features. In appropriate ap-
plications, these devices can reduce equipment energy consump-
tion by up to 70 percent, and thus may be a very good invest-
ment for conventional equipment not scheduled for replacement
in the near future.
Section 8 explores the relationship between paper use and of-
fice equipment energy consumption. The issue is raised in this
Guide because of the high amount of energy embodied in pa-
per. Making a sheet of virgin paper requires approximately 15
Watt hours (Wh) of energy. On this basis, the energy indirectly
consumed through paper use far exceeds the energy directly
used in forming an image on the paper with a copier, printer, or
fax machine. While this issue may not be consequential for
many offices (it is simply a paper cost issue to them), it should
be of concern to offices that are trying to reduce the environ-
mental impact of their activities. Furthermore, most energy- and
paper-saving strategies can dramatically reduce paper supply
costs. 13086226
10
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COMPARING EQUIPMENT
Unfortunately, it still is difficult sometimes for consumers to
differentiate among equipment based on specific energy perfor-
mance. Except for copiers (for which test methods already exist),
there are no widely used tests, labels, or other simple means of
determining office equipment’s potential power use. This, how-
ever, may soon change. Several programs, described below, will
make it substantially easier to consider energy performance
when buying new equipment.
EPA'’s E NERGY S TAR

In June, 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced its new E NERGY S TAR program. The program
is designed to encourage development and sale of energy-effi-
cient, power-managed office equipment. In 1993, an Executive
Order was issued that required all U.S. federal government
agencies to purchase only ENERGY STAR compliant computers.
The first phase of the program covered personal computers
and monitors. Recent studies by the National Research Council
of Canada show that many personal computers are left on
overnight and during the day when they are not being used, and
that energy USE in personal computers could be reduced by 60 to
70 percent if they were changed to a low-power state during pe-
riods of inactivity. Equipment eligible for participation in the
program must be capable of being automatically powered down
to 30 Watts or less after a user-specified period of inactivity. Be-
ginning in June, 1993, manufacturers with equipment meeting
the program criteria sign a voluntary agreement with the EPA,
which entitles them to use a special E NERGY S TAR logo in labels
and promotional materials for their products that qualify. A re-
cent modification of this program was to require manufacturers
to ship their computers with the power-management features
enabled, with a 15 to 30 minute delay default setting that is user
adjustable.
The second phase of the program, which covers computer
printers, was announced in January, 1993. Beginning in June,
1993, manufacturers whose printers13086226
are capable of entering a
12
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Introduction
National Testing and Information

Program for Office Equipment
In addition to the EPA’s E NERGY S TAR program, Congress
mandated a new program to provide information to consumers
on office equipment energy use in the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
The Act calls for the creation of a voluntary, private sector-initi-
ated and -operated program that will “include specifications for
testing procedures that will enable purchasers of commercial of-
fice equipment to make more informed decisions about the en-
ergy efficiency and costs of alternative products.” Congress also
mandated federal financial and technical support for the pro-
gram, but specified that should the voluntary program fail to
meet the objectives of the Energy Policy Act, the Department of
Energy is required to develop a mandatory testing and labeling
program for commercial office equipment.
In response to this mandate, the Computer and Business
Equipment Manufacturers Association (CBEMA, recently re-
named the Information Technology Industry Council—ITI cre-
ated the Council on Office Product Energy Efficiency (COPEE).
COPEE has formed committees to develop test procedures for
computers and monitors, computer printers, photocopiers, and
facsimile machines, as well as a committee to explore consumer
information dissemination strategies.
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15
SECTION I
Personal Computers
SINCE THE BEGINNING of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program,

numerous technological advancements have occurred that
make possible the manufacture of computers that are far more
energy efficient than their predecessors. Many of these ad-
vancements were first introduced in laptop computers, for
with their introduction and proliferation a strong demand
arose for more efficient components that enabled longer bat-
tery life. However, these technologies are now fully integrated
into many desktop machines. Several of these improvements,
such as low-voltage architecture (3.3V, and even 2.5V) and
low-energy hard disk drives (2 1/4” and smaller), dramatically
reduce computer energy consumption. Another of these im-
provements is the advanced power management now available
in ENERGY STAR compliant computers, which is available at no
additional cost to the consumer.
WHAT IS POWER MANAGEMENT?

Laptop computer developers first introduced power manage-
ment into the computer market. In order to maximize portable
battery life and make laptops marketable, it became necessary to
minimize the computer’s draw upon the battery. To do this, lap-
top systems were designed to automatically turn off unneces-
sary system components when the computer was on but not be-
ing actively used (i.e., there was no keyboard or mouse activity).
Anyone who has used a laptop is familiar with the laptop moni-
tor ‘going blank’ after several minutes of inactivity - an exam-
ple of power management at work. 13086226
17
Studies in the early 1990s (such as that by the National Re-
search Council of Canada) showed that many existing desktop
personal computers were being left on overnight and during the
day when they were not being used. These studies indicated
that energy use in personal computers could be reduced by 60
to 70 percent if they were changed to a low-power state during
periods of inactivity, as was being done in laptop computers.
The advent of the ENERGY STAR program (discussed in the In-
troduction) encouraged manufacturers to incorporate these fea-
tures into their new generations of desktop computers. These
new power-management features were incorporated into desk-
tops through alterations to the system’s logic chip set and BIOS,
and operate very similarly to power-management features in
laptops.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUYING

COMPUTERS
Energy consumption data for computers can sometimes be
found on system specification sheets or through computer man-
ufacturers’ customer service personnel. It is important that pur-
chasers obtain actual power-consumption (or power-‘draw’) fig-
ures, not rated power figures. Rated power levels, which can be
found on the computer’s nameplate, are generally two to three
times higher than the actual power levels (i.e., a computer rated
at 300 Watts might reach only 100-150 Watts in full operation).
The manufacturers want to assure that an adequate supply of
electricity can be provided to the computer, for the increased
flexibility and expandability of newer computers allow users to
add expansion cards (e.g, fax boards) and other add-on devices,
all of which increase the actual system power consumption by
varying degrees.
However, actual energy consumption information is not al-
ways readily available and can also be misleading when com-
paring computers from different manufacturers. This is because
there are no universally recognized means for estimating energy
consumption until the National Testing and Information Pro-
gram (as discussed in the Introduction) is completed.
Keeping this in mind, there are some readily available means
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18
Personal Computers
of distinguishing computers with better and worse energy per-

formance. If choosing among computers based on their energy
performance, energy-saving options are:
n Buy an ENERGY STAR Computer
n Consider Buying a Laptop Computer
Buy an ENERGY S TAR Computer

Since the introduction of computers meeting the E NERGY
STAR program criteria in June, 1993, a broad selection of desktop
machines with power-management capabilities have been read-
ily available. ENERG Y S TAR qualifying computers are available
from most major manufacturers in a variety of speeds (i.e., 486s,
“Pentiums,” etcetera). As discussed in the Introduction, comput-
ers qualifying for the program must have the capability of pow-
ering down to 30 Watts or less after a user-specified period of in-
activity. Many manufacturers will include the E NERGY S TAR
logo in their product advertising, on product specification
sheets, and/or on display products in retail stores; thus, both
business and home computer shoppers can distinguish E NERGY
1
S TAR from non-ENERGY STAR models. Additionally, the EPA
maintains a database of E NERGY STAR compliant equipment that
2
can be obtained through the mail or by fax. ’
When purchasing an ENERGY STAR computer, several issues
should be kept in mind to maximize the energy-savings benefit
of your new computer:
1) Make sure the computer’s power-management features are
activated. Some manufacturers ship their E NERGY S T A R
computers with this feature automatically activated, while
other computers will require the user to enable the feature
3
when configuring their system. If you are purchasing com-
puters for your company, make sure to inform management
1
EPA’s EN E R G Y STAR program personnel r e c o m m e n d that purchasers ask salespersons
for informahon on ENERGY S TAR compliance if they are unsure
2
Information on obtaining copies of the EPA’s E N E R G Y S TAR database is included in the
Appendix.
3
E P A ’ S ENERGY ST A R personel recommend that users call manuf acturers for instruc-
tions on enabling power management features if they are unsure about enabling them.
13086226
information systems (MIS) staff, users, or whoever will be
configuring the systems that they should make sure this fea-
ture is enabled to maximize the energy performance of their
machines. Also, users should adjust the time delay set for the
computer to go into the low-power state according to their in-
dividual usage patterns and computing needs, keeping in
mind that a shorter delay time will maximize energy savings.
2) Make sure the Energy Star computer is compatible with
your network. When purchasing ENERGY STAR computers
that will be used on a local area network, make sure that the
manufacturer has tested the computer with the power-man-
agement feature activated and can assure you that it is com-
patible with your network. There were a few problems with
some early ENERGY STAR computers that were disconnected
from LANs when they entered the low-power state. There is
no reason that this must happen and, for the most part, man-
ufacturers have resolved these incompatibility problems.
However, you should still check for compatibility with your
specific network environment before making a purchase.
3) Make sure that monitors connected to the PC are capable of
entering a low-power state. As will be discussed in more de-
tail in the following section, most monitors cannot go to a
low-power state by themselves, but instead have to receive an
external signal to activate power management. This is typi-
cally accomplished by one of the following: 1) VESA Display
Power Management Signalling (DPMS), a signalling protocol
that allows a PC equipped with DPMS to control a DPMS-
compatible monitor, 2) the actual shutoff of power to the
monitor via a special plug from the PC (this does not require
an ENERGY STAR monitor), or 3) the use of a proprietary soft-
ware utility shipped with the monitor. Purchasers may wish
to specify one approach or the other; DPMS-compatible PCs
and monitors will provide seamless power management and
immediate recovery from the low-power state, but only when
used with each other. However, DPMS is becoming the most
common configuration for monitor power management and
so may be preferable to some users.13086226
20
Personal Computers
4) Make sure the computer can operate commercial software

both before and after recovery from the low-power state.
Most manufacturers of E NERGY S TAR computers have tested
their machines with common, off-the-shelf software to as-
sure purchasers that files opened before the activation of the
computer’s low-power state are retained upon recovery
from that state. Purchasers should receive information on
this testing from manufacturers, and ask about testing with
any specific software that will be commonly used with the
4
system.
It is important that buyers be aware that there are substantial

differences in energy performance among E NERGY STAR-desig-
nated computers. The program only requires that a machine be
capable of going into a low-power state; it does not place limita-
tions on how much power is consumed during periods of active
use. Remember that the ENERGY S TAR program was designed
for the typical office environment, where computers are actively
used only three to four hours per day. Therefore, purchasers
with higher-than-normal computer usage (such as a data pro-
cessing center, for example) may want to also inquire as to a
computer’s energy consumption during active periods in order
to achieve significant energy savings. Active power ratings for
ENERGY STAR-qualifying computers are not available from the
EPA, but may be available from manufacturers.
Consider Buying a Laptop

(or Notebook) Computer
Laptops are substantially more expensive than their desk-
top counterparts, but are appealing to many computer users
for a variety of reasons (including portability, convenience,
etcetera). Some computer users have chosen not to use laptops
as their desktop machines, largely because of the inferiority of
laptop screens and limitations (in lower-end machines) in
These guidelines are adapted from an EPA brochure, “Purchasing An ENERGY STAR
Computer.” We highly recommend this brochure to computer purchasers; please see the
Appendix for information on contacting the EPA to 13086226
receive a copy.
21
Guide to Energy-Efficient Office Equipment
communication ports and expansion slots. However, users who

prefer the flexibility of portable computing and do not require
extensive communication/expansion capabilities could pur-
chase a separate full-size monitor and a keyboard for office use
and thus have the benefits of a desktop at the office while still
saving energy. The introduction of PCMCIA (Personal Com-
puter Memory Card International Association) slots in laptops,
which enable users to use credit card-sized expansion cards,
have increased laptops’ appeal as a desktop substitute.
Laptop docking stations also increase the usability of laptops
as desktop computers. However, their separate power supplies,
expansion cards, and peripherals may completely offset the en-
ergy savings of using a laptop, i.e., a laptop/docking station
combination will not necessarily consume less energy than a
conventional desktop computer.
A typical laptop has a power draw of 15-25 Watts, with exten-
sive built-in power- management capabilities. A conventional,
non-ENERGY STAR desktop computer and monitor draws over
150 Watts, and has no power-management capability. The po-
tential energy savings from substituting a laptop for a desktop is
thus quite significant, 90 percent or more. Other benefits of sub-
stituting a laptop for a desktop include:
n Employees can easily take work with them when they
leave the office. Use of the laptop at home, instead of an of-
ten cheap desktop purchased for home use, also saves home
energy costs.
n A much smaller footprint frees up valuable desk space.
5
n No power supply fan noise.
n Very low electromagnetic field emissions (from LCD moni-
tor typically used with laptops versus CRT monitor used with
desktops - see Section 2 for further discussion).
n Costs of installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
can typically be eliminated. With UPS at approximately $0.50
5
A growing number of desktop computers that qualify for the ENERGY STAR program
also operate without a fan or utilize a variable speed fan; purchasers particularly interested
in minimizing computer noise should inquire as to the presence of fans with individual
manufacturers. 13086226
22
Personal Computers
to $3 per Watt of capacity, each 15 Watt laptop substituting

for a 130 Watt desktop could save an average of $115.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
OPERATING COMPUTERS
We recommend that computer users:
n Turn Computers Off at Night and On Weekends

n Turn Computers Off During the Day (when they aren’t be-
ing used for extended periods of time)
n Enable Power-Management Features
Turn Computers Off at Night

and On Weekends
Perhaps the most important way to reduce energy consump-
tion of computers is to turn them off at night and on weekends
- even if it is an ENERGY STAR compliant computer. A typical
100 Watt computer (not including the monitor power draw) can
consume about $70 worth of electricity per year if left on all the
time. If turned off at night and on weekends, approximately $50
per year in energy costs could be saved.
While it is particularly important to turn off nonpower-man-
aged equipment at night and on weekends, savings can also be
achieved by turning off power-managed equipment during
these long periods of inactivity. Remember, ENERGY STAR com-
plying computers are required to consume 30 Watts or less dur-
ing periods of inactivity; a computer drawing 30 Watts every
night, weekend, and holiday results in an additional $15 per
year in computer operating costs.
It is important to inform users that turning computers off
will have no significant effect on their useful lifetimes. This
old rule is a remnant of the days when larger hard disks were
degraded by the mechanical stress of spinning up and down
rapidly. However, today’s generation of disks are manufac-
tured to operate normally with 15,000-20,000 on-off cycles in
its lifetime; this translates to three on-off cycles every day for
over 15 years. Thus, even several on-off cycles per business
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23
day (see below) will not decrease the useful lifetime of a com-
puter.
Turn Computers Off During the Day

In addition, users should consider turning nonpower-man-
aged computers off during the day during extended periods of
inactivity (i.e., during lunch breaks, extended meetings, etcetera).
This action is likely to save $10 to $15 annually per computer.
Again, users should be assured that turning their computer off a
few times per day will not affect its useful life.
There are retrofit devices that can turn conventional comput-
ers off automatically after a set period of inactivity; these are dis-
cussed in further detail in Section 4. Users of these devices
should experiment with delay settings to gradually shorten
turn-off times as much as possible without creating inconve-
nience.
Enable Power-Management Features

As mentioned above, the ENERGY STAR program criteria do
not require that qualifying computers be shipped with power-
management features automatically enabled. Therefore, users
could potentially never activate these features, and their “en-
ergy-efficient” computer would thus have an efficiency roughly
6
equivalent to a standard desktop. Users should be encouraged
to check if the power-management features are enabled when
configuring their system. And, after these features are enabled,
users should experiment with delay settings to reach the shortest
interval before power management activates without compro-
mising convenience.
6
MIS or other computer support personnel may wish to spend a day checking all com-
puters to make sure that power management features have been enabled and are properly
used, rather than relying upon users. 13086226
24
SECTION 2
Computer Monitors
TYPICALLY, MORE THAN HALF THE ENERGY consumption

of a desktop microcomputer system is attributable to the moni-
tor. While the laptop revolution brought about technologies for
energy savings that are now being utilized in desktop comput-
ers, other technological options for reducing energy consump-
tion in desktop monitors have also been introduced. On the
other hand, there have been strong recent trends toward color,
higher resolution, and larger desktop monitors. These trends in-
crease energy use by monitors because color monitors require
more energy than monochrome models, and energy consump-
tion rises proportionately with both resolution and size of moni-
tor. Several flat panel technologies are available for computer
monitors. Because of their expense and/or lower quality visual
features, they are used primarily with laptop computers, where
their low weight, small size, and low energy consumption make
them ideal.
CATHODE RAY TUBES

CRTs are the most common type of desktop monitor. They
use an electron gun, which produces an electron beam that is
then focused and deflected by sets of coils. The beam, drawn by
the large positive voltage on the tube, strikes the phosphor coat-
ing on the screen to create the visual image. Monochrome CRTs
are still common, but color CRTs currently account for more
than 80 percent of CRT sales. Monochrome CRTs use about 0.4
Watts per square inch of display area while conventional Video
Graphics Array (VGA) color CRTs use about 0.6 to 0.7 Watts per
square inch. Additionally, the higher resolution or Super Video
13086226
25
Graphics Array (SVGA) color units consume more energy. The

increase in energy consumption with color and improved reso-
lution is shown in Figure 8.
LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS

LCDs are by far the most popular non-CRT monitors. A grid
of liquid crystals is oriented to transmit or reflect light via appli-
cation of an electric field. Reflective LCDs - such as those com-
mon on watches and calculators - rely on ambient light for lu-
minance and use very little power, but are too sensitive to
ambient lighting conditions to be useful for most computer ap-
plications. Backlit LCDs take light from fluorescent lamps or an
electroluminescent source and transmit it through the liquid
crystal cells, yielding much better brightness and contrast. Al-
most all of LCDs’ power consumption is due to their light
sources.
Color LCDs are increasing in popularity. Two general types
are available: passive matrix and active matrix. Passive matrix
color LCDs are relatively slow (moving figures, such as a cursor,
smear or disappear when moving rapidly), and have low con-
trast. Active matrix displays, on the other hand, compete well
with CRTs for visual performance.
Because they generally perform well at lower levels of lumi-
nance (brightness) than CRTs, active matrix color LCDs con-
sume about 10 to 20 percent as much power per square inch as
color CRTs. So, based on visual performance and energy con-
sumption, active matrix color LCDs are very attractive. These
displays, however, are expensive, costing about five times more
than a comparable CRT. Until their prices drop substantially,
they will not be an option for most desktop users.
ELECTROLUMINESCENT
Electroluminescent (EL) displays are solid state devices
whose phosphors produce light in the presence of an alternat-
ing electric field. They are not available in full color, and some
new high-end versions require the same amount of power per
13086226
26
13086226
square inch as a conventional monochrome CRT. However,

typical EL display power consumption ranges from a low of
0.03 to a high of 0.07 Watts per square inch, depending on how
the brightness controls are set for the screen. These power lev-
els are substantially below those of conventional monochrome
CRTs.
GAS PLASMA
Plasma displays excite pixels of plasma with high voltage to
produce light. They are available in color versions, but their
color quality may not be acceptable to many users. They have
the advantage of an expanded viewing angle, i.e., they radiate a
substantial amount of light outside the normal viewing angle.
Again, these displays’ power levels are substantially below those
of conventional monochrome CRTs.
The use of flat panel displays in desktop machines will, at

least in the near term, be more limited because they generally
offer inferior viewing when compared to industry standard
cathode ray tubes. While active matrix color LCD displays can
compete with CRTs for viewing quality and have the added
advantage of a small footprint, their high price makes them
uncompetitive in most applications. If the price for active ma-
trix color LCDs drops substantially, they would probably com-
pete with CRTs given their advantages. Figure 9 shows the rel-
ative energy consumption of various types and sizes of
monitors.
The EPA’s ENERGY STAR program (as was described in the In-
troduction) has a category for computer monitors. As with com-
puters, monitors that are capable of being powered down to 30
Watts or less after a user-specified period of inactivity are eligi-
ble for the program. This standard applies to both
separate/modular and integral monitors.
Beyond the United States, the Swedish National Board for In-
dustrial and Technical Development (NUTEK), Department of
Energy Efficiency began a project in 1991 to promote the devel-
opment and use of energy-efficient monitors.
13086226 Their program sets
28
13086226
two alternative guidelines for terminals shipped in Sweden, as

shown below in Table 5.
Table 5
NUTEK PROGRAM MONITOR GUIDELINES
Type of Monitor Automatic Standby Automatic Power-Off
Alternative A 5-60 min. after last keystroke: 70 min. maximum after

30 Watts maximum last keystroke:
(15 Watts desired) 8 Watts maximum
(3 Watts desired)
Alternative B 5-30 min. after last keystroke: n/a
15 Watts maximum
The program aims to have 85 percent of monitors shipped in

Sweden in 1993 meeting these minimum guidelines. Both guide-
lines stipulate that the power management of the monitor shall
not interferewith the functions of the CPU, nor have a signifi-
cant impact on the lifetime of the monitor.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR BUYING MONITORS
Based upon energy considerations, monitor purchasing rec-
ommendations are:
n Buy an ENERGY STAR Monitor
n Buy Monitors Only as Large as Needed
n Consider a Monochrome Monitor
Consider an Active Matrix Color LCD (as available)
Buy an E NERGY S TAR Monitor

As with computers, a power-managed monitor that qualifies
under the ENERGY STAR program could save 60 to 80 percent of
the energy the monitor would use without the power-manage-
ment feature. Since the introduction of ENERGY STAR-qualifying
monitors in June, 1993, equipment meeting the EPA program
criteria has proliferated, and so purchasers should have no diffi-
culties in finding E NERGY S TAR monitors that meet their other
purchasing criteria and that are compatible
13086226 with their computer
30
Computer Monitors
system. A directory of E NERGY STAR-qualifying monitors is

available from the EPA; this database is updated regularly and
so is a useful tool for purchasers. (See the discussion in the Intro-
duction for guidelines on purchasing E NERGY S TAR computers
and monitors).
Buy Monitors
Only As Large As Needed
As mentioned earlier, power consumption increases propor-
tionately with size for all monitors. For example, a 17” color
monitor will consume approximately 35 percent more energy
than a 14” color monitor, as shown in Figure 9. Therefore, con-
sumers should consider their display needs before making a
purchasing decision; a computer frequently used to run sophisti-
cated graphics software may need a 20” color monitor, while a
computer used largely for data or word processing may operate
satisfactorily with a smaller monitor.
Consider a Monochrome Monitor

Many packaged computer and monitor systems come with a
color monitor, as many consumers prefer a color display to an
‘old-fashioned’ monochrome display. However, high-quality
monochrome monitors are still available for most computer sys-
tems, and can be an attractive (and often less expensive) option
for some purchasers. It is important to evaluate the needs of
computer users before making a decision of color versus mono-
chrome, but monochrome may be an acceptable option for sys-
tems used primarily for data or word processing. If a mono-
chrome CRT is adequate for monitor needs, it will only consume
50 to 65 percent as much energy as a color CRT. If the expense of
a monochrome backlit LCD can be justified, power consumption
will be only 2-5 percent of a color CRT.
Consider an Active Matrix Color LCD

Although active matrix color LCDs cost five times as much as
l0-20 percent as much energy.
color CRTs, they consume only13086226
31
Only a very small number of color active matrix monitors are

currently sold for desktop computers, due to their high costs,
but advances in LCD manufacturing technologies may some day
reduce this price gap.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR OPERATING MONITORS
We recommend that monitor users:
n Turn Monitors Off at Night and On Weekends
n Turn Monitors Off During the Day (when they aren’t being
used for extended periods of time)
Turn Monitors Off at Night

and On Weekends
Perhaps the most important way to reduce the energy con-
sumption of monitors is to turn them off at night and on week-
ends. A conventional, nonpower-managed 100 Watt CRT can
consume about $70 worth of electricity per year if left on all the
time. If turned off at night and on weekends, a $50 annual reduc-
tion in energy use can be expected.
While it is particularly important to turn off nonpower-man-
aged monitors at night and on weekends, savings can also be
achieved by turning off power-managed monitors during these
long periods of inactivity. Remember, E NERGY S TAR complying
monitors are required to consume 30 Watts or less during peri-
ods of inactivity; a monitor drawing 30 Watts every night, week-
end, and holiday results in an additional $15 per year in monitor
operating costs.
Users should be instructed that screen savers do not reduce
monitor energy usage; they are designed only to save phosphors
on the screen. It is also important to remind users that turning
monitors off will have no significant effect on their useful lives;
in fact, turning a monitor off reaps the dual benefits of reducing
energy costs and, like a screen saver, saving phosphors. Many
screen saver programs are now compatible
13086226 for use with power
32
Computer Monitors
management, eliminating the confusion between these two fea-

tures for many users. Furthermore, as excessive heat is what
causes most reliability issues with monitors, turning off the
monitor can help to reduce these problems.
Turn Monitors Off During the Day

In addition, users should consider turning nonpower-man-
aged monitors off during the day during extended periods of in-
activity (i.e., during lunch breaks, extended meetings, etcetera).
This action is likely to save $10 to $15 per year per monitor.
Again, users should be reminded that screen savers do not re-
duce monitor energy usage, and that turning monitors off a few
times per day will not appreciably affect their useful lives.
There are retrofit devices that can turn conventional monitors
off automatically after a set period of inactivity; these are dis-
cussed in detail in Section 4. Users of these devices should exper-
iment with delay settings to gradually shorten turn-off times as
much as possible without creating inconvenience.

As mentioned previously, the ENERGY STAR program require-
ments do not specify that qualifying monitors be shipped with
power-management features enabled in their default setting.
The various monitor power-management control methods are
detailed in Section 1; users should be informed of the method in
use with their computer system and insure that it is operable.
Once enabled, users should experiment with adjustable settings
that allow users to specify the length of inactive time before a
low-power state is invoked. The amount of delay before low-
power activation should be gradually shortened to find the
shortest delay that the user feels does not compromise conve-
nience.
13086226
33
SECTION 3
Computer Printers
THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS of computer print-

ers vary significantly among technologies, and the various
printing technologies have very different energy consumption.
The development of desktop publishing software, as well as
market demands for higher quality, faster, and quieter printing
capabilities in offices has resulted in increased non-impact
printer sales and use. Laser printers, the most well-known non-
impact printer type, use several times more energy than old-
style impact printers.
Less energy-intensive non-impact printing technologies are
available and are increasing in popularity. Ink jet printers, which
previously provided somewhat inferior print quality as com-
pared to laser printers, are continually improving and are cur-
rently sold in roughly the same volume as laser printers. How-
ever, ink jet printers still cannot compete with larger laser
printers in terms of print speed, and thus energy-conscious con-
sumers are faced with a number of variables to consider when
purchasing a computer printer. Printers discussed in this section
are described below.
LASER/LED PRINTERS
Laser and LED printers form an image using light from a laser
(or an array of light emitting diodes with an LED printer) that is
cast onto a photosensitive surface. Toner is then electrostatically
adhered to the photo receptor and transferred to a sheet of
13086226
35
Guide to Energy-Efficent Office Equipment
charged paper. The toner is permanently affixed to the paper

through heat and/or pressure fusing.
INK JET PRINTERS

Ink jet printers match ink-cartridge nozzles to the digital im-
age sent to the printer from the computer. The nozzles spray mi-
croscopic streams of ink onto the paper from a print head. High-
end ink jet printers have more orifices in the printhead and
employ a special image smoothing technology, and thus have
improved resolution. Both monochrome and color ink jet ma-
chines are available, and in fact color ink jets are often rated as
having comparable or superior print quality when compared to
color laser printers.
IMPACT PRINTERS
Dot matrix and daisy-wheel printers are commonly grouped
as impact printers. While impact printers dominated the com-
puter printer market for most of the 1980s,sprinter manufactur-
ers state that they are being replaced in the market by non-im-
pact printers in response to user demands for faster, quieter, and
higher quality printing.
Obtaining energy consumption data for printers is difficult.

As with computers and monitors, many manufacturers currently
test the energy consumption of their machines, but their testing
procedures vary and thus results may not be directly compara-
ble. And although faster printers with more features are gener-
ally more energy intensive than slower printers, and ink jet
printers are often more energy efficient than laser or LED print-
ers, there are exceptions. For example, laser printers with similar
print speeds and features can have significantly different energy
consumption levels. Additionally, while most ink jet printers are
very energy efficient, some high-end color ink jets have compa-
rable energy consumption as similar power-managed laser
printers. Energy consumption differences for a variety of printer
types are shown in Figure 10. 13086226
36
13086226
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR BUYING PRINTERS
There are several important factors to consider in choosing a
printer. On the basis of energy use, we recommend that buyers:
n Buy an ENERGY STAR Printer
W Consider an Ink Jet Printer
n Consider Printer Sharing
n Consider a Printer with Double-Sided Printing Capability
Buy an ENERGY STAR Printer

As discussed in the Introduction, the EPA’s E NERGY S TAR
program is designed to encourage the use of printers that go into
a low-energy or suspend mode after a period of inactivity. Since
the majority of printer energy consumption can be attributed to
periods of time when the printer is sitting idle, machines that
meet the ENERGY STAR criteria will be significantly more effi-
cient than those that do not.
Because the design of ink jet printers makes their operation
inherently energy efficient, the majority of ink jet printers cur-
rently available easily meet the ENERGY STAR criteria without
specific power-management features; users should still check
that an ink jet machine being considered for purchase does meet
the program criteria. For example, some high-end color ink jet
printers, which employ a drying mechanism not found on most
other ink jet machines, may not meet the ENERGY STAR criteria.
In response to the ENERGY STAR program, manufacturers have
introduced low-energy laser and LED printers. These newer
model printers utilize power-management features similar to
those used in computers. This new generation of power-managed
printers consume significantly less energy than older-generation
laser and LED printers with identical features and performance.
Consider an Ink Jet Printer

While ink jet printers are clearly the winner in terms of energy
use, some are still judged to have marginally
13086226 lower print quality
38
Computer Printers
than laser printers. However, advances in ink jet technology are

continually improving these machines’ performance, and so we
strongly recommend obtaining samples of various machines’
output before ruling out an ink jet. For most office applications
(text and simple graphics, but perhaps not desktop publishing),
it is difficult to distinguish high-quality ink jet printing from
laser printing. Ink jet machines are comparable in terms of speed
to slower laser printers (i.e., speeds of 3-4 pages per minute), but
are not available with print speeds above 4 ppm. Ink jet ma-
chines are also much less expensive than laser printers. Remem-
ber to include cost of consumables (i.e. paper, toner, servicing,
etc.) when comparing machines.
Some high-end color ink jet printers, however, do not use
substantially less energy than color laser printers. Some color ink
jet machines have a heat lamp and fan for drying the ink on the
paper before it exits the machine; the heat lamp is kept warm
during standby operation, thus increasing the energy use during
standby to levels comparable to laser printers.
Consider Printer Sharing

As standby energy consumption is a large portion of the over-
all energy consumption of a printer, the fewer printers on-line
the lower an office’s energy use (as well as upfront and mainte-
nance costs) will be. For example, the energy use and cost of op-
erating individual versus networked laser and ink jet printers
for ten microcomputers is displayed in Figure 11. Despite longer
periods of printing, networked printers use substantially less en-
ergy than the sum of several individual printers.
As discussed in Section 1, computer networks are becoming
increasingly popular. The simplest and often first level of net-
working in an office is printer sharing, which can be accom-
plished with several types of devices.
The most basic printer sharing device is a manual printer
switch, which can route jobs to the printer when the switch is set
to receive incoming signals from one of two or more computers.
These devices are inexpensive but useful only for a limited num-
ber of computers. Additionally, several manufacturers warn that
13086226
39
13086226
Computer Printers
some of these devices have contacts that short-circuit and make

one connection before they break the other, which can cause a
damaging voltage spike to the printer.
The next step up in sophistication is a printer buffer. Each mi-
crocomputer is connected to the buffer that is in turn connected
to the printer. Print jobs are received by the device and passed
on to the printer or queued in the buffer until the printer is avail-
able. These devices can be connected to many computers and
printers (up to 64 ports), but connection cable distances are lim-
ited. Buffers cost slightly above $100 per port.
Computer LANs, which were discussed in further detail in
Section 1, typically include printer networking. Printer network-
ing within LAN systems is available with a variety of software
and hardware combinations within a range of prices.
Consider a Printer
with Double-Sided Printing Capability
A limited number of laser printers are currently available
with a double-sided printing option. As will be discussed in Sec-
tion 8, a large amount of energy is embodied in paper, so reduc-
ing paper consumption through double-sided printing can indi-
rectly save energy. Embodied energy in paper exceeds printer
energy use, per page, by two to ten times, depending mainly on
the type of printer used.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR OPERATING PRINTERS
The way in which a printer is operated can have a dramatic
effect on its energy consumption. Following the guidelines listed
below can insure that the energy-efficient machine is operated in
a manner that minimizes energy consumption:
n Turn Printers Off at Night, On Weekends, and During Peri-
ods of Inactivity
H Implement Paper-Reducing Strategies
n Use Electronic Mail 13086226
41

Printer speeds are tested “as shipped” and use of the power-
management feature sometimes reduces printer speed (due to
the ‘wake up’ delay required to warm up the fuser). Because of
this, some manufacturers may ship printers with the power-
management features disabled so as to maximize their print
speed rating. However, in order to meet the E NERGY S TAR pro-
gram criteria, printers are required to be shipped with power-
management features automatically enabled. Make sure that the
person checks that the power-management feature was acti-
vated by the manufacturer before shipping. Some printers still
have a short wait period before printing after the machine has
been in low-power mode, depending on the fuser technology
used. However, most newer printers have no delay time for re-
covery from low-power mode.
Turn Printers Off at Night,

On Weekends, and During Periods
of Inactivity
The simplest action to save printer energy is to shut the ma-
chine off at night and on weekends. A study for Pacific Gas &
Electric found that more than ten percent of computer printers
are left on overnight. While this recommendation is particularly
important for conventional printers without power-management
features, it is still important to turn off E NERGY S TAR printers as
well, as they can draw up to 30-45 Watts (depending upon
printer type and speed) when in the low-power mode. Thus,
turning off an ENERGY S TAR printer' that idles at 30 Watts for 12
hours per weekday and on weekends and holidays would re-
duce electricity consumption by approximately $15 annually.
For conventional printers without power-management fea-
tures, you may want to consider purchasing a low-cost plug-in
timer to automatically shut off printers at night and on week-
ends. (These timers can be easily overridden by staff needing to
print at night or on weekends.) It may also be advantageous to
turn some printers off during periods of inactivity during the
workday, such as during lunch or staff meetings. The retrofit
13086226
42
Computer Printers
devices discussed in Section 7 are also appropriate for control-

ling nonpower-managed printers; use of these devices should be
considered for a printer with extended periods of inactivity dur-
ing a workday.
Implement Paper-Reducing Strategies

Another energy-saving feature of ink jet printers is their abil-
ity to print on used paper. Many laser printer manufacturers do
not recommend reusing paper, particularly in paper trays, due
to problems with jamming and fouling the fuser mechanism. Ink
jet printers can print on the blank side of used paper. An average
of 15-20 Wh is required to produce a single sheet of virgin paper;
this contrasts to the approximately 0.4 and 0.02 Wh, respectively,
for a laser and ink jet printer to affix an image to a single page.
Thus, reusing paper can save energy overall and can also di-
rectly reduce paper supply costs, solid waste production, and
pollution produced when making paper.
Additionally, use of the “print preview” feature available
with most software can reduce the number of drafts that need to
be printed. Users should be educated regarding this feature
when being trained to use such software and encouraged to use
this feature. (See Section 8 for more information on paper use.)
Use Electronic Mail

Use of electronic mail can eliminate the need for printing
many types of documents. Electronic mail also saves copier en-
ergy (see Section 4), facsimile energy (see Section 5), and paper
(see Section 8).
13086226
43
SECTION 4
Copiers
AS SHOWN IN THE FIGURES in the Introduction, copiers use

more energy per unit than any other type of office equipment.
Therefore, it is important to consider energy efficiency when se-
lecting a new copier. Energy consumption varies significantly
among copiers, with certain operating features contributing to
the energy consumption of individual machines.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has
developed a new test procedure for copiers, which was pub-
lished in 1994. Most copier manufacturers use this procedure
when evaluating machines, and therefore energy consumption
ratings can usually be obtained to evaluate a particular copier or
to compare energy consumption between machines.
The EPA’s E NERGY S TAR program has recently been ex-
panded to include copiers, targeting not only energy use in a
low-power mode and the plug-in mode, but also targeting auto-
matic duplexing, or double-sided copying capabilities. By target-
ing automatic duplexing, not only will the program ensure en-
ergy savings from the energy required to make paper, but will
also decrease paper costs and reduce waste in an office by ensur-
ing less paper usage. Details on program criteria are included in
the Introduction.
The types of basic copier technologies currently available are
detailed below.
HEAT AND PRESSURE

FUSING COPIERS
Most light lens copiers currently sold use heat and pressure
fusing technology. They operate13086226
by illuminating an original
45
image that is then scanned by a moving mirror/lens configura-

tion or a tilting mirror. The image is directed onto a photocon-
ductor, where an electrostatic latent image of the original is
formed. The photoconductor then passes near a reservoir of
toner powder that is attracted to the electrostatic image, adher-
ing the toner to the image areas. A piece of paper is then fed and
charged by a corona wire, such that the toner is attracted electro-
statically to the paper. The toner is then transferred to the paper,
which then passes through the fusing unit. Heat and/or pres-
sure is applied such that the toner is permanently affixed to the
paper. The paper is then grounded and exits the machine.
INK JET COPIERS

Ink jet copiers operate similarly to ink jet printers, except ink
jet copiers digitally scan the original image and match the ink
cartridge nozzles with the bitmapped image (as opposed to the
printer receiving a bitmapped image from a computer). Micro-
scopic drops of ink are then heated and deposited onto the pa-
per. No heat or pressure is used for fusing, although in some
cases special paper is recommended to minimize smearing of the
ink. However, many ink jet copiers have no need for special pa-
per. Ink jet copiers are not widely available and are much slower
and significantly more expensive than conventional heat and
pressure fusing machines.
SURFACE AND
BELT FUSING COPIERS
Surface fusing technologies operate similarly to heat and
pressure fusing, except that the fusing rollers are smaller in sur-
face area, meaning less heat is needed to achieve the desired op-
erating temperature. Also, since the volume of roller surface re-
quiring heat is smaller, these copiers can have virtually no
warm-up time. In some models, the copier shuts off completely
after sitting idle for so many minutes and has no delay in resum-
ing active operation. Unfortunately, this technology is only
available for small-volume/low-end machines, as the technol-
ogy does not yet permit copying at high speeds.
13086226
46
Copiers
LIQUID INK COPIERS

A few copiers are currently available that incorporate liquid
ink technology. Liquid ink technology utilizes an organic liquid
carrier that conveys toner particles. Toner is affixed to the paper
through heat fusing. Depending upon usage patterns, these
copiers may have slightly lower energy use than conventional
heat and pressure fusing copiers, but also provide much lower
copy quality.
DIGITAL DUPLICATORS
A small number of manufacturers are producing high-volume
digital duplicators. These machines are essentially a high-tech
version of the old-fashioned stencil duplicator. The original im-
age is scanned by a digitizer that transforms it into small perfo-
rations in a master copy. The master is then automatically rolled
around an ink cylinder; ink then passes from the center of the
cylinder through the perforations onto the copy paper. With
some machines, pressure is used to permanently affix the ink to
the paper.
The energy consumption of these machines is very low as
compared to high-volume conventional copiers, due to the elim-
ination of the fusing mechanisms. These machines are only
available in high-volume versions and are typically recom-
mended for applications where many copies are made of a sin-
gle original (i.e., a school where worksheets and flyers are
copied in large quantities, as opposed to an office where often
only one or two copies may be made of the bulk of originals).
Manufacturers state that this technology cannot be cost-effec-
tively scaled down for medium- and low-volume copying at this
time. Also, the copy quality is significantly lower than that of
conventional copiers and thus these machines are only recom-
mended for high-volume applications that do not require high-
quality copies.
One of the most serious drawbacks of these machines is that
they are not yet able to make double-sided copies. Therefore,
any energy gains made by its low energy consumption is se-
verely overshadowed by the additional
13086226 energy required to
47
produce paper (see Section 8 on office paper consumption and

costs). From a user’s standpoint, the cost of additional paper
purchased because of the duplexing limitations may also over-
shadow any monetary savings gained from lower energy use.
As mentioned above, energy-saver mode ratings are part of

the current ASTM test procedure, but this procedure is very
new. Therefore, some manufacturers may not have data avail-
able on the energy-saving modes. However, all copiers meeting
the ENERGY S TAR copier program criteria will report data on
copier energy consumption to the EPA, and this data is available
for purchasers from the EPA.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR BUYING COPIERS
Based on energy consumption, we recommend that buyers:
n Buy an ENERGY STAR Copier
1 Buy a Correctly-Sized Copier
n Choose a Copier with Good Duplexing Capabilities
Buy an E NERGY S TAR Copier

As mentioned earlier in the section, many copiers currently
manufactured have power-management features, typically re-
ferred to as an “energy-saver” feature. These energy-saving fea-
tures may not in fact save much energy; some just turn off the in-
dicator lights on the front panel of the copier. Other energy-saver
features may turn off heat to the fuser rollers, or turn them down
to a lower temperature, which would give a relatively greater
energy savings. The drawback to some of these more effective
energy-saver features is that they sometimes require a long de-
lay period before returning to full operability. Additionally,
many copiers still draw power when turned off completely but
left plugged in. In some cases, this power draw can be signifi-
cant, especially if the copier is equipped with a de-humidifica-
tion feature (which is typically warranted only in very humid
climates). These devices can use seven times more energy than
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48
Copiers
the energy required for normal operation of the copier, because

they are in use 24 hours per day, even when the copier is not op-
erational. Because of the lack of energy consumption data avail-
able for copiers, it has been very difficult for purchasers to dis-
tinguish between copiers with ‘good’ and ‘poor’ energy-saver
features, and to find out about ‘off-mode’ power consumption.
The advent of the ENERGY STAR copier program, however, will
simplify the selection process for energy-conscious copier pur-
chasers.
As discussed in the Introduction, the ENERGY STAR program
was expanded to include copiers as of July 1,1995. The program
requires that qualifying copiers sold between July 1,1995 and
July 1,1997 employ an automatic auto-off feature after a speci-
fied period of inactivity; the delay before this mode is invoked
and the power level the machine must achieve varies with copier
speed. (See the Introduction for further details on program spec-
ifications.) In July, 1997, the program criteria will be modified to
require a lower off-mode energy consumption, an additional
low-power mode to be invoked after 15 minutes of inactivity,
and a required default duplexing feature for high-volume
copiers.
Since the majority of copier energy consumption occurs in in-
active operation, machines that meet the ENERGY STAR criteria
will be significantly more efficient than those that do not. Fur-
thermore, it is possible that manufacturers will introduce copiers
exceeding the 1995 E NERGY S TAR criteria and possibly even
meeting 1997 criteria before that time, so energy-conscious pur-
chasers are advised to inquire about specific features and power
levels of copiers being considered.
Buy a Correctly-Sized Copier

One of the most important factors in choosing a copier is de-
termining the correct size. The amount of total energy use (not
per page energy use) typically increases linearly with increased
copy volume capability, as shown in Figure 12. In fact, a mid-
volume copier installed in a low-volume office can use 70 per-
cent more energy per imaged page than an efficient low-volume
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49
copier. Conversely, a high-volume copier typically uses less total

energy than multiple low-volume copiers used to meet a high-
volume office need.
Since the price of machines also rises with increased copy vol-
ume, the incentive to choose a properly sized machine is sub-
stantial. Contact your copier manufacturer’s sales personnel for
information on determining the right size copier for your office
if you are unsure.
Choose a Copier with

Good Duplexing Capabilities
While many copiers have an automatic double-sided copying
(duplexing) feature, it is important to check the type and quality
of duplexing features. “Manual duplexing,” still common on
many low-volume copiers, means the user has to hand-feed the
copy paper for the image formation on the second side, a signifi-
cant inconvenience for many users. “Automatic duplexing” is
necessary for wide-spread use of double-sided copying, and is
available on many mid- and high-volume copiers and on some
low-volume copiers. Duplexing reduces energy used in paper
production and, more importantly for the user, reduces paper
supply costs. Several independent testing companies rate the
quality of copier duplexing capabilities (based upon speed, fre-
quency of paper jamming, etc.); data on these tests can be ob-
tained from copier sales staff or from manufacturers. The better
quality duplexing machines promote their high ratings in their
sales literature, but it is still advisable to check a consumer guide
to verify this information and compare models.
If the copier has good duplexing capabilities, setting the
copier to automatically default to make one- to two-sided copies,
rather than one- to one-sided copies, would ensure that the du-
plexing feature is used frequently. For consumers purchasing a
high-volume copier after July 1,1995, buying an ENERGY STAR
will insure that the copier comes equipped with an automatic
default duplex feature.
A related issue is the use of recycled paper. Selecting a
copier that can utilize paper with a minimum of 20 percent
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50
13086226
post-consumer recycled content is recommended, and in fact is re-

quired for procurement and use of copiers by the state of Califor-
nia. Paper with 100 percent recycled content is not recommended
for use in most copiers, as it often causes increased frequency of
paper jamming due to the high dust content in most copiers.
Copier purchasers should ask copier manufacturers for recom-
mendations regarding recycled paper use, and in fact ENERGY
STAR compliance copiers will come with a list of recycled papers
that can be used in that copier without difficulties. As discussed in
further detail in Section 8, using recycled paper decreases the indi-
rect energy costs associated with paper production.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR OPERATING COPIERS
The way in which a copier is operated can greatly affect its en-
ergy consumption. Following the tips listed below can ensure
that a copier is operated in an energy-efficient manner.
Turn Copiers Off at Night and on Weekends
Enable Power-Management (or Energy-Saver) Features
Use Duplexing Features Whenever Possible
Batch Copy Jobs
Turn Copiers Off at Night

and on Weekends
By far the greatest energy saving in operating a copier can be
attained by simply turning off the copier at night and on week-
ends. This is of particular importance for non-ENERGY STAR
copiers, which may consume very significant quantities of en-
ergy while sitting idle. Installing a timer is one way to ensure
that the copier will be automatically turned off, either at a cer-
tain time when it is known the office will be empty, or after a
certain number of hours of non-use. For example, a copier that is
left on continuously uses several times more energy than a
copier that is turned off every night. For a mid-sized copier,
turning the copier off at night could save over $110 per year in
electricity costs. 13086226
52
Copiers
And, as mentioned above, many copiers still consume energy

when turned off, so if a de-humidification feature is not required
for copiers in your climate, users may want to consider turning
off the dehumidification feature during long periods of inactiv-
ity. Even ENERGY S TAR copiers with the automatic shut-off fea-
ture (meeting the 1995 Tier 1 criteria) can still draw up to 40
Watts while turned off. So, a typical high-volume copier meeting
the ENERGY S TAR criteria can still consume approximately $20
worth of electricity annually while turned off.
Enable Power-Management
(or Energy-Saver) Features
All ENERGY STAR-qualifying copiers will be shipped with
their power-management features automatically activated.
However, because use of the energy-saver mode on older
copiers sometimes reduced copier speed (due to the time re-
quired to recover from the mode), many older models were
shipped with the energy-saving features disabled. Therefore,
users of older copiers with energy-saver features should check if
these features were activated upon installation and, if not, have
the copier service technician enable the features. If the copier has
a panel button to activate the energy-saver mode (common in
older units), users should be encouraged to activate the feature
when they are finished using the machine.
It is also important to check the time delay for both the en-
ergy-saver mode and automatic shut-off mode. Often, a manu-
facturer will set the delay times to maximum time delay, often as
high as 24 hours. Setting appropriate delay times will ensure
that the energy efficiency of the copier is maximized with a min-
imum of user inconvenience. Appropriate delay times will vary
with individual usage patterns and copier size, and so should be
experimented with to find the best level for your office.
Use Duplexing Features

Whenever Possible
As discussed in further detail in Section 8, the embodied en-
ergy in paper (the energy required to produce the paper itself)
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53
exceeds the energy required to place the image on the page by a

factor of 10. Therefore, copier users should be encouraged to
make double-sided copies whenever possible. Many current and
older generation copiers have duplexing features, but require
pushing a button to activate the feature (default conditions are
almost always to make single-sided copies). Some copiers can be
set to default to make duplexed copies, rather than single-sided
copies. If your copier has problems duplexing, check with your
copier service technician; this may indicate the copier requires
servicing, or performs duplexing better with a certain type or
weight of paper.
Duplexing is not only recommended as an energy-saving
strategy, but also as a way to reduce office paper costs. Typi-
cally, an office that makes an effort to make double-sided copies
can save up to $60 per month in reduced paper costs.
Put a sign up by the copier to encourage users to make dou-
ble-sided copies; don’t send around a memo!
Batch Copy Jobs

Copy runs should be grouped together in batches. This re-
duces copier energy consumption by decreasing the time a
copier spends in standby mode (high power) and increasing the
time a copier spends in the low-power mode.
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54
SECTION 5
Facsimile Machines
FACSIMILE MACHINES convert text or graphics into bit-

mapped graphic form that can be electronically transmitted and
received via telephone lines. When sending images, fax ma-
chines operate similarly to scanners. When receiving images, the
machines affix images to paper through a variety of means.
Many technologies employed in facsimile imaging are similar to
those used in computer printers and photocopiers.
The energy consumption characteristics of facsimile technologies
vary significantly, and therefore energy consumption of machines
with otherwise identical features can vary. It is important to obtain
machines’ individual energy ratings when considering a purchase.
The cost of consumables (paper, ink cartridges, toner car-
tridges, etc.) and maintenance over a fax machine’s lifetime can
easily add up to more than the first-cost of the machine itself.
These costs also should be taken into consideration when evalu-
ating machines.
The various types of fax technologies are described below.
LASER/LED
Laser/LED fax machines operate with the same printer en-
gine and toner-fusing technology as laser and LED printers.
These machines create high-quality images and can use plain pa-
per for receiving, both attractive features. Energy-use character-
istics of these two types of machine are similar.
DIRECT THERMAL
Until recently, direct thermal faxes were the most commonly
used and sold. Direct thermal faxes use heat-sensitive coated
13086226
55
paper to receive electronic images and transfer them to paper

without the use of high-temperature fusers as in laser machines.
Thermal paper, however, is difficult to write on, has a short shelf
life, and can be inadvertently destroyed by the application of
heat, i.e., setting the paper on a radiator, or putting a coffee cup
on the paper. Thermal fax pages are also often copied, as many
users prefer having a plain paper copy of a given document to
use and store. However, the purchase price for these machines is
lower than most laser or LED faxes.
THERMAL TRANSFER
Thermal transfer machines operate by melting pigment on a
ribbon that is in turn transferred to a sheet of paper. Similar to
direct thermal machines, there are some heating mechanisms,
but they are not as high powered as those used in laser/LED
machine fusers. Thermal transfer machines can generally use ei-
ther specially coated or plain paper. The price range for these
machines typically falls between laser/LED and direct thermal
facsimile machines.
INK JET
Ink jet imaging technology employs a small disposable print-
head, wherein electrical pulses heat the printhead ink and expel
ink drops through a row of tiny orifices onto paper. The result-
ing image has relatively high resolution (as high as 300 dots per
inch in letter mode) with very low energy use due to the absence
of thermally activated processes. Machine costs are roughly
equivalent to thermal transfer machines.
FRONT END TO LASER PRINTER

Fax attachments for laser printers are now available that make
use of a standard laser printer for printing faxed images. The ad-
vantages of this system are the ability to send images directly
from a computer to a fax machine (or another computer with a
fax card), as well as the elimination of a second print engine
(which saves both money and energy). Also, the print quality is
much better than a conventional fax machine.
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56
Facsimile Machines
On the other hand, use of a combination fax front end/laser

printer could cause office energy use to rise substantially if the
idling energy consumption of the printer is higher than the fax
machine it replaces and the printer is left on 24 hours a day to re-
ceive incoming fax messages (when it would have been turned
off during unoccupied hours when operating only as a printer).
However, many devices are equipped with adequate buffer
memory to store incoming faxes and print them when the
printer is turned on next.
FAX CARDS
Fax cards are devices connected to a microcomputer com-
munications port to transmit and receive images without au-
tomatically printing. Fax cards are rarely used without a sup-
plemental printer to allow for printing of selected incoming
images. They can reduce office energy consumption, depend-
ing upon how they are used. If users leave their computers
on 24 hours per day to receive incoming fax messages, they
may lead to substantially increased energy use if used with a
non-ENERGY STAR computer, or even with a computer draw-
ing near the maximum power allowed by the E NERGY S TAR
program (30 Watts). This additional energy use can be offset
if users choose not to print out a significant number of re-
ceived fax messages and save paper, i.e., they read the mes-
sage on their monitor only. Nonetheless, fax cards can be sig-
nificant time savers because they eliminate trips to and from
a fax machine, as well as the time required to print a docu-
ment before faxing it.
Figure 13 shows typical annual energy consumption for vari-

ous types of facsimile machines. As you can see, laser and LED
faxes are generally the most energy-consuming technologies in
standby mode, followed by direct thermal and thermal transfer
faxes. Ink jet machines are generally the most energy efficient.
However, there are large variations within machine types, so it
is important to obtain energy ratings from manufacturers when-
ever possible. 13086226
57
13086226
Facsimile Machines
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR BUYING FACSIMILE MACHINES
On the basis of energy consumption, we recommend that
buyers:
W Buy an E NERGY S TAR Fax Machine
nConsider a Plain Paper Machine
Buy an E NERGY S T A R
Fax Machine
Because facsimile machines typically operate 24 hours per
day, the vast majority of a machine’s energy consumption occurs
during periods of inactivity. Therefore, it is important to choose
a fax with a low standby energy rating. The E NERGY S TAR pro-
gram was expanded to include fax machines as part of its printer
program, and, as with printers and computers, requires fax ma-
chines to reach a low-power state after a specified period of inac-
tivity. Purchasing an efficient laser fax that meets the ENERGY
S TAR criteria, versus a conventional laser fax machine, can re-
duce energy costs by almost 50 percent.
Consider a Plain Paper Machine

It is important to find out the cost of consumables and figure
this into the facsimile machine purchasing decisions. The ther-
mal paper required for direct thermal fax machines costs three to
five times more per 8.5 x 11” sheet than plain paper. This price
difference can more than make up for the increased cost of an
ink jet machine over a direct thermal machine in less than a year,
as shown in Figure 14. Additionally, thermal faxes are often
copied onto plain paper, further increasing paper costs and indi-
rect energy consumption. Thermal paper is also not accepted in
many office recycling programs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR OPERATING FACSIMILE MACHINES
The way in which a facsimile machine is operated can affect
its energy consumption. The recommendations
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listed below can
59
13086226
Facsimile Machines
ensure that a fax is operated in a manner requiring the least

amount of energy:
n Reuse Paper
n Use Electronic Mail
n Don’t Use Cover Sheets With Facsimile Transmissions
Reuse Paper
For users of thermal transfer and ink jet fax machines, signifi-
cant potential exists for saving energy indirectly through reusing
paper that has only been printed on one side. The embodied en-
ergy in paper exceeds the energy used to operate a fax machine,
per page, by as much as 20 times. Fax paper cartridges can be
loaded with used paper, so that the machines print on the un-
used side of the paper. Laser and LED fax manufacturers, how-
ever, often do not recommend this with their machines. Fax mes-
sages are ideal for reusing paper, as they are rarely high-quality
finished documents for distribution or copying.,
Use Electronic Mail

Using electronic mail for communication, rather than faxing,
saves equipment energy as well as paper. Some e-mail programs
allow users to attach and send files developed in word process-
ing, spreadsheet, and other applications. This feature can dis-
place a significant amount of faxing, printing, and expensive
overnight mailing, and their associated energy use.
Don’t Use Cover Sheets

With Facsimile Transmissions
Use of a full-page cover sheet for each fax transmission can
substantially increase the volume of paper used for faxing. A re-
cent study conducted by the National Research Council of
Canada indicated that approximately 25 percent of the pages
faxed in their study of 32 fax machines were cover pages. Stick-
on fax labels, now available from office supply stores, can be
used on the front page of the fax message to provide needed in-
formation regarding the intended recipient
13086226of the fax, date sent,
61
and number of pages, without using an additional sheet of pa-

per. Alternately, users can simply write this information on the
first page of the fax, rather than using any type of cover sheet.
Using stick-on labels or eliminating cover pages will save en-
ergy, paper, and telephone charges.
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62
SECTION 6
Combination
Equipment
There is currently a very significant trend in the computer

imaging market to combine peripheral functions in a single
piece of equipment. This trend is being spawned by the desire
for system integration, ease of use, and less space consumption
by equipment, and the significantly lower costs for combination
equipment. The most common example of this trend is the pro-
liferation of fax options with many manufacturers’ newer
printer models; these are discussed in the previous section.
Machines that combine all peripheral functions (i.e. printing,
scanning, faxing, and copying) are called multi-function ma-
chines in the popular computer literature. These machines have
gone from their relatively obscurity of several years ago, with
$750 million in sales in 1992, to rapidly increasing popularity,
with projected sales of over $4 billion by 1996.
Multi-function machines promise significant potential reduc-
tion in peripheral energy usage. As mentioned in the preceding
chapters, the dominant component of peripheral energy con-
sumption is the standby energy consumption (since actual print-
ing/copying/faxing takes up a small portion of total operating
hours). Therefore, the fewer machines operating within an office
the lower the equipment energy consumption. Data on the en-
ergy consumption of these machines is difficult to obtain, but
one manufacturer stated that its 8 ppm laser printer/fax/scan-
ner/copier was rated at 40 Watts standby and 300 Watts maxi-
mum in active mode. This standby rating is substantially lower
than the rating of the most efficient individual components
added together. However, users should evaluate their use of
peripherals and potential patterns of use for a multi-function
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63
device to make sure they can reap the potential energy savings
from these types, of devices. For example, an office with separate
peripherals that are regularly shut off at night, except for the fax
machine, may have relatively low overall energy usage. If all pe-
ripherals in this office were replaced with one multi-function de-
vice, which was then left on all night to receive faxes, the overall
energy consumption for office peripherals could be higher than
previously.
A small number of manufacturers were producing multi-
function machines in the early 1990s, but they have either been
reasonably priced with low-quality direct thermal printing/fax-
ing or very expensive (typically over $10,000 for a combination 4
ppm laser printer, scanner, laser fax, and convenience copier).
However, one manufacturer released a line of multi-function de-
vices in late 1992 that are more competitively priced; their 8 ppm
printer/fax/scanner/convenience copier machines are priced at
$4000-$5000 (depending upon print resolution). This price
comes closer to the first-cost for individual components with
similar functions, and this introduction has spawned the devel-
opment of similar products with significantly lower prices by
many major manufacturers. Additionally, several manufacturers
have introduced low-volume multi-function devices, targeted
primarily at the one-person or home office, that retail at under
$1000.
Purchasers should evaluate their imaging needs and compare
features and costs before choosing a combination device over
separate components. A combination device may be a good
choice in the following applications:
n a small office with relatively low-volume printing and
faxing
W a home office
n an office with severe space limitations
f l a new office without any existing equipment
n an office where replacement of a printer, fax machine, and
copier are all being considered
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64
SECTION 7
Retrofit Power-
Management Devices
With the advent of interest in office equipment energy con-

sumption, a handful of manufacturers in the early 1990s devel-
oped power-management devices that could be added to exist-
ing computers. However, there are now over 30 manufacturers
with such devices on the market. These devices have the poten-
tial to substantially reduce energy consumption in conventional
(i.e., nonpower-managed) microcomputers and imaging equip-
ment, but this benefit must be weighed against the cost for pur-
chasing and installing these devices, as well as other potential
7
detriments.
Before purchasing a retrofit device for computers or imaging
equipment, you should evaluate the following factors:
n Potential for energy savings -Are computers or other
machines frequently left on when not in use for long periods
of time, such as at night and on weekends? If so, you may be
able to save up to 70 percent of current energy use with a
retrofit device. However, if users are generally conscientious
about shutting equipment off when not in use, your savings
will be much lower and may not justify the expense of a retro-
fit device.
n Cost of retrofit device-Given your computer or other
equipment usage, would you need a simple switching de-
vice, or a more sophisticated device with software controls?
7
An excellent discussion of the merits of and concerns regarding retrofit devices, includ-
ing a detailed listing of currently available devices and case studies, is included in the E
Source publication, “Retrofitting Computers and Peripherals for Energy Efficiency” (Decem-
ber, 1994). Contact E Source, Inc. (address and phone number listed in the Appendix) for in-
formation on obtaining a copy of this 20-page report.
13086226
65
Evaluate your needs and investigate the cost of the type of

device you require, then compare this cost to the potential
energy savings to determine cost-effectiveness. Current de-
vices range from $30 to $140, depending upon the features
available, and so can represent a substantial investment if
purchased for an entire office.
n Age of current computer and imaging equipment-Is the
current equipment in place likely to be replaced soon? It is
probably not cost-effective to purchase retrofit devices that
will only be used for a short period of time, since the next
generation of equipment purchased should have built-in
power-management features. Retrofit devices can still be used
on newer generation equipment, but will likely not be cost-ef-
fective when used in tandem with built-in power-manage-
ment features.
As a rough rule-of-thumb, computer manufacturer market
research indicates that most businesses replace their comput-
ers every three to five years. These figures are somewhat
shorter for computing-intensive industries, and somewhat
longer for business that rely on computers only for word pro-
cessing or other relatively simple tasks. Computers in public
facilities, such as schools and libraries, also tend to be re-
placed less frequently. Home computers, which accounted for
approximately 40 percent of computer shipments in 1994, are
being replaced an average of every six to eight years.
Make sure that the cost of the retrofit devices, divided by the
annual energy savings you will achieve for their use, does not
exceed the expected life of the equipment in place. For example,
say you were considering the purchase of $60 controllers for all
computers in your office. You should then estimate the poten-
tial for energy savings from controlling the computers; if com-
puters are typically not in use for half the workday, and left on
at night and on weekends, then you might expect an annual
electricity savings of about $50 (depending upon the type of
computers in use). Thus, the devices would pay for themselves
in just over one year, and as long as you were not planning on
replacing the computers within that time period, this would be
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66
Retrofit Power-Management Devices
a good investment. However, if computer users were generally

in the habit of turning computers off at night and on weekends,
this savings could drop to less than $10 annually; in this case,
your investment would not be justified unless the computers
would definitely not be replaced for over six years.
In April, 1994, the ENERGY STAR program created a category
for retrofit devices. Devices listed with the EPA must automati-
cally shut off the connected machine after a user-adjustable pe-
riod of inactivity; the recommended default time before shutoff
varies with product type. Monitor controllers have a recom-
mended default delay time of 15 minutes, with keyboard activity
signalling monitor reactivation. Printer controllers have a recom-
mended default delay time of 30 minutes, with receipt of a print
job signalling printer reactivation. CPU controllers have no rec-
ommended default delay time, but are required to have a time-
of-day shutoff available, and must automatically save docu-
ments left open when the power management is activated and
have bookmarking when power is restored to the CPU. A direc-
tory of controlling devices meeting the ENERGY STAR criteria is
8
updated regularly and available from the EPA.
8
Information on obtaining copies of the EPA ENERGY STAR database for controlling de-
vices is included in the Appendix.
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67
SECTION 8
Office Paper Use
INTRODUCTION
9
A sheet of plain paper requires between l0-20 Wh of energy
to produce. (The variation is due to the differences in production
efficiencies of paper mills). In contrast, it requires about.5 Wh
per page to operate a laser printer and about 2 Wh per page to
operate an ink jet printer. Therefore, the energy embodied in pa-
per that is used for printing can substantially exceed the energy
used by printers (as well as copiers and fax machines). While
users do not pay directly for this energy in utility bills, costs for
paper supplies can be reduced by reusing and recycling paper,
and can also help save energy nationwide.
Office paper consumption varies from industry to industry
and office to office, but studies have found paper consumption
to be as high as 80 pounds per employee per year. This is the
equivalent of about 8,000 8.5 x 11” sheets or a stack of paper al-
most 3 feet high. These figures include only high- and medium-
grade printing and writing papers; consumption of thermal pa-
per, packaging, and other special and low-grade papers is not
included. Furthermore, it is obvious that the vision of the “pa-
perless office,” hailed at the beginning of the electronic revolu-
tion, has not come to fruition. A recent survey conducted by Pit-
ney Bowes of Canada indicated that most offices felt that they
were using more paper than in the past.
9
These figures refer to point-of-use energy content. That is, the electricity represented
here is accounted for at the point of use (the mill), not its energy value at the point of elec-
tricity generation (the power plant). Point-of-generation electric energy is approximately 2.5
times higher than point-of use due to generation and transmission losses.
13086226
69
Significant opportunity exists for reducing paper use and as-

sociated supply costs in offices. First, most photocopies and
computer-printed pages are single-sided; this is in part due to
the limitations of duplex printing and copying technologies and
in part due to office worker behavior. Second, use of direct ther-
mal facsimile machines requires purchase of expensive thermal
paper that is often not accepted for recycling; use of a plain pa-
per machine can significantly reduce paper costs. Third, reuse of
paper within an office (for scratch paper, or in ink jet printers or
facsimile machines) can reduce virgin paper use and associated
costs. Last, while recycling programs have increased dramati-
cally in the past ten years, studies show that only approximately
20 percent of virgin high-grade paper from commercial offices is
recycled. Starting and monitoring a paper recycling program can
insure that paper is used and disposed of in the most environ-
mentally benign way.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR SAVING PAPER
On the basis of paper and embodied energy savings, we rec-
ommend that buyers:
n Buy Copiers with Good Automatic Duplexing Capabilities
n Consider Alternatives to Direct Thermal Facsimile Ma-
chines
n Don’t Use Cover Sheets With Facsimile Transmissions
n Use Electronic Mail
n Reuse Paper Within the Office
1 Recycle
Buy Copiers with Good

Automatic Duplexing Capabilities
As stated in Section 4, most copiers are equipped with du-
plexing features. The ENERGY STAR copier program criteria will
require automatic duplexing features on large-volume copiers,
and recommends their use for medium-volume
13086226 machines.
70
Office Paper Use
Therefore, looking for the ENERGY STAR logo when selecting cer-
tain size copiers will ensure that this important feature is avail-
able and enabled.
Copying on both sides of a piece of paper reduces energy
used in paper production, reduces paper supply costs, and saves
file space. For example, a copier making 1,000 single-sided
copies per day would result in an annual paper use of 250,000
sheets, accounting for:
n approximately $450 in direct paper costs
n about 3,750 kWh in embodied energy in the paper
H approximately 85 feet of file space (if sheets stacked verti-
cally)
If 500 of the 1,000 copies per day were double-sided, all these
numbers would drop by 25 percent.
It is important to check the type and quality of duplexing fea-
tures. “Manual duplexing”, still the only option for duplexing
with many smaller copiers, means the user has to hand-feed the
copy paper for the image formation on the second side, a signifi-
cant inconvenience for many users. “Automatic duplexing” is
necessary for wide-spread use of double-sided copying. Several
independent testing companies rate the quality of copier duplex-
ing capabilities (based upon speed, frequency of paper jamming,
etc.). Some better quality duplexing machines promote their
high ratings in their sales literature, but it is still advisable to
check a consumer guide to verify this information and compare
models.
It is also important to encourage office staff to use duplexing
features. Users may be unaware of features in new machines or
may be unsure about when to make duplex and simplex copies.
All copier users should be oriented to duplexing machine capa-
bilities. Inform all office staff of the benefits and potential prob-
lems with duplex copying, so that staff request duplexing for
their copy jobs whenever appropriate and copier users request
servicing if the copier is having trouble duplexing. Consider
placing signs above machines reminding users to make double-
sided copies whenever possible. 13086226
71
Consider Alternatives
to Direct Thermal Facsimile Machines
As discussed in Section 5, thermal paper costs 3 to 5 times
more than plain paper, thus increasing the operating costs asso-
ciated with direct thermal fax machine use. Thermal fax pages
are frequently copied onto plain paper for permanent copies due
to thermal fax pages’ curling problem and short shelf life, thus
increasing the energy use associated with a single image forma-
tion. Additionally, thermal paper is often not accepted for recy-
cling. It also requires more energy to produce per page than
plain paper because of the need for special chemicals to produce
the heat-sensitive surface.
While direct thermal fax machines are substantially less ex-
pensive than laser, thermal transfer, or ink jet machines on an
initial cost basis, the added costs of paper may make their life cy-
cle cost higher. Figure 15 (in Section 5) shows the dollar savings
associated with use of direct thermal versus plain paper in a fax
machine in a typical office. Thus, for both cost-effectiveness and
quality of fax transmissions, consider purchasing a plain paper
machine rather than a direct thermal facsimile machine.
Don’t Use Cover Sheets

With Facsimile Transmissions
Use of a full-page cover sheet for each fax transmission can
substantially increase the volume of paper used for faxing, as
well as increase energy usage associated with transmission and
receiving time for fax machines at both ends of a transmission.
Stick-on fax labels, now available from office supply stores, can
be used on the front page of the fax message to provide needed
information regarding the intended recipient of the fax, date sent,
and number of pages, without using an additional sheet of paper.
Alternately, users can simply write this information on the first
page of the fax, rather than using any type of cover sheet.
Use Electronic Mail

Use of electronic mail for communication, rather than faxing,
saves equipment energy as well as paper. Some e-mail programs
13086226
72
Office Paper Use
allow users to attach and send files developed in word process-

ing, spreadsheet, and other applications. These features can dis-
place a significant amount of faxing, printing, and expensive
overnight mailing, and their associated energy and paper use.
Reuse Paper Within the Office

As stated in Sections 3 through 5, ink jet printers, copiers, and
fax machines can print on used paper. Encourage office staff to
load paper trays for ink jet fax machines with used paper, since
facsimile messages rarely need to be printed on virgin paper.
Consider purchasing an extra paper tray for used paper; equip-
ment users can then easily change the paper tray when printing
draft or file copies of documents.
Recycle
Approximately one-third less gross energy is required to
make a sheet of recycled paper than a sheet of virgin paper. This
number can vary due to fluctuations in paper mill efficiencies,
and the practice of cogeneration in pulp mills can result in lower
fossil fuel use in virgin paper production than in recycled paper
production. Nevertheless, recycling is also important for reduc-
ing waste production.
The local public works department or Chamber of Commerce
are sources for information on business recycling programs. Ad-
ditionally, waste haulers may offer recycling or refer customers
to recycling haulers. Because over 40 percent of typical office
solid waste is paper, it may be possible to reduce waste disposal
costs through recycling. Although paper markets have fluctu-
ated in recent years, it may also be possible to get money for
high-grade waste paper.
For offices with an established recycling program, monitor
mixed waste to determine whether staff are throwing recyclables
into the mixed waste stream. If so, consider possible reasons.
More recycling bins may be needed at more convenient locations
within the office, or separate waste cans for recyclables under in-
dividual desks may be needed.
13086226
73
Office-Wide Examples
In the preceding sections, we have discussed the merits of

buying energy-efficient office equipment and operating it within
the office in the most energy-conscious manner. However, sav-
ings of $10 or $20 annually with an individual piece of equip-
ment may not present a compelling case to procurement staff or
users in trying to promote energy efficiency. Therefore, we have
developed the following example to demonstrate the potentially
dramatic energy and dollar savings that can result from energy-
conscious procurement and use of office equipment.
EXAMPLE:
THE HIGH-ENERGY-USE OFFICE vs.
THE ENERGY-EFFICIENT OFFICE
Suppose a company decides to lease an additional space for a
new sales department. Two hundred employees will occupy the
space. All employees will have a microcomputer and need ac-
cess to a printer, copier, and facsimile machine.
The High-Energy-Use Office

Under this scenario, the following equipment is purchased for
the new 200-person office:
W 200 desktop microcomputers
n 100 laser printers
n 20 laser facsimile machines
n 20 conventional copiers
The work day is 9 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Em-
ployees leave their microcomputers 13086226
and printers on continuously.
75
Printers have no power management; employees print an average

of 30 pages per workday. Copiers have energy-saver modes, but
they were not enabled upon installation. Approximately 30 copies
are made per employee per workday. Copiers are left on at night,
and employees don’t use the machines’ duplexing capability. Fac-
simile machines receive 5 pages per employee per workday.
The total annual energy cost for operating the equipment,
providing the supplemental air conditioning needed to displace
the waste heat generated by the equipment, and the electric de-
mand charges (minus a small savings in heating) would be ap-
proximately $44,050. Beyond this, one-time costs for the addi-
tional air conditioning capacity required and the uninterruptible
power supply needed for the computers would be an additional
$59,250. Annual paper costs would total approximately $13,750.
Energy-Efficient Scenario
Under this scenario, the emerging technologies for equipment
operation and power management are incorporated into pur-
chasing decisions. The following equipment is bought:
W 200 ENERGY STAR microcomputers
W 20 combination printers/fax machine/scanners with net-
works (10 microcomputers per machine)
n 3 high-volume ENERGY STAR copiers
Employees are conscientious about turning off microcomput-
ers at night and on weekends, and machines are power managed
for an average of 5.5 hours during the workday. Combination
printer/fax machine/scanners are turned off at night and on
weekends; they print approximately 22 pages per day per em-
ployee (one-half of all print jobs are double-sided) and copy ap-
proximately 18 pages per day (80 percent of all copy jobs are
double-sided). There is a separate paper tray for used paper for
incoming facsimile transmissions. The combination devices are
power managed for approximately 4.5 hours per day.
The total annual energy cost for operating the equipment,
providing the supplemental air conditioning needed to displace
the waste heat generated by the13086226
equipment, and the electric
76
13086226
demand charges (minus a small savings in heating) would be

approximately $1,650. Beyond this, one-time costs for the addi-
tional air conditioning capacity required, the uninterruptible
power supply needed for the computers, the cost of networking
the printer/fax/scanners, and the fax cards would be an addi-
tional $8,800. Annual paper costs would be approximately
$4,650.
Costs under each of these scenarios are summarized in the
table below and shown graphically in Figure 15.
Table 6
ANNUAL AND ONE-TIME COSTS FOR OFFICE SCENARIOS
High-Energy Scenario Energy-Efficient Scenario
Annual Direct Energy Cost $33,536 $1,150

Annual Indirect Energy Cost $10,515 $ 510
Total Annual Energy Cost $44,050 $1,650
Annual Paper Cost $13,750 $4,650
Total Annual Cost $57,800 $6,300
Total One-Time Cost $59,250 $8,800
It is important to keep in mind that the costs shown above do

not include:
W consumables (other than paper)
n original equipment purchase prices (except for network-
ing)
These costs can vary greatly depending upon the type of

equipment chosen and the quality and volume of consumables
purchased. However, savings from the high-energy use scenario
to the energy-efficient scenario are anticipated in the range of
$150,000-$300,000 due to the purchase of 20 combination devices
instead of 100 printers, 20 copiers, and 20 fax machines.
All in all, significant energy, paper, and one-time cost savings
can be achieved by including energy in office equipment pur-
chasing decisions.
13086226
78
Appendix
WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION
AS MENTIONED THROUGHOUT THIS GUIDE, the office

equipment field is rapidly changing. Keeping up with the tech-
nological innovation occurring is a challenging task for any con-
sumer. The following organizations can provide up-to-date in-
formation on office equipment technologies, testing and
informational programs, and other sources of information.
Electric Utilities
Electric utility personnel can provide customers with assis-
tance in saving energy through education, energy audits, and in-
centive programs. Contact local utility conservation, demand-
side management, and/or customer representative personnel for
more information.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Atmospheric Pollution

Prevention Division
Energy Star Programs
401 M Street, SW
ENERGY S TAR hotline (202) 233-9114
ENERGY S TAR fax line (202) 233-9659
e-mail: hppt://www.epa.gov/docs/gcdoar/energystar.html
The Global Change Division of the EPA administers the E N-
ERGY S TAR program, as well as sponsoring other informational
and educational programs and publications for consumers.
Brochures regarding all the ENERGY S TAR programs, as well as
copies of the ENERGY S TAR equipment databases, may be ob-
tained by calling the above-listed hotline or fax number.
13086226
79
U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
(202) 586-9220
fax (202) 586-9260
The DOE’s Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy is
active in promoting the development of testing and information
programs for office equipment, as directed under the Energy
Policy Act of 1992.
U.S. General Semites Administration (GSA)

Information Resources Management Service (IRMS)
18th and F Streets, NW
(202) 501-4199
fax (202) 208-1261
The GSA provides procurement services and guidance for
many branches of the U.S. federal government. The IRMS divi-
sion has many resources for federal purchasers of office equip-
ment, including the publication Energy-Efficient Microcomput-
ers: Guidelines on Acquisition, Management, and Use; Reference
Number KMP-94-4-1.
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

P.O. Box 10412,3412 Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94303-8743
(415) 855-2411
fax (415) 855-8576
EPRI is a non-profit organization supported by member elec-
tric utilities that sponsors research on issues related to electric
power generation, delivery, and consumption. EPRI’s Customer
Systems Group is currently active in promoting research and ed-
ucation on efficiency in office equipment.
13086226
80
Appexdix
Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)

(formerly Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers
Association - CBEMA)
1250 Eye Street, NW, Suite 200
(202) 737-8888
ITI is a trade-member organization for manufacturers of com-
puter and business equipment. They focus on the development
of standards for data processing and business equipment in the
United States and abroad.
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 801
(202) 429-8873
fax (202) 429-2248
e-mail: ace3_info%ace3-hq@ccmail.pnl.gov
ACEEE is a non-profit organization that gathers, evaluates,
and disseminates information to stimulate greater energy effi-
ciency. The organization works to facilitate information ex-
change between individuals developing new techniques in en-
ergy efficiency and those who can put them to work.
Rocky Mountain Institute

1739 Snowmass Creek Road
Snowmass, CO 81654-9199
(303) 927-3851
fax (303) 927-4178
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is a non-profit resource pol-
icy center founded in 1982. The Institute’s purpose is to foster
the efficient and sustainable use of resources as a path to global
security. RMI’s programs include Energy, Transportation, Wa-
ter, Agriculture, Redefining Security, and Economic Renewal,
placing special emphasis on their interconnections.
13086226
81
E Source, Inc.
1050 Walnut Street
Boulder, CO 80302-5140
(303) 440-8500
fax (303) 440-8502
E Source, Inc. is a membership-based organization that pro-
vides detailed technical information on energy-efficient tech-
nologies, including office equipment. “Affiliate” memberships
are available for $1500 per year, and include a copy of E Source’s
comprehensive 1990 report on office equipment efficiency (183
pages), together with a variety of other publications.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

(NYSERDA)
2 Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12223
(518) 465-6251
fax (518) 432-4630
NYSERDA is a public benefit corporation that sponsors re-
search and development projects relating to energy and environ-
mental issues.
California Institute for Energy Efficiency (CIEE)

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
One Cyclotron Road, Mailstop 90-3124
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 486-5380
fax (510) 486-5929
CIEE is an organized research unit of the University of Cali-
fornia. It sponsors end-use efficiency research and development
projects that also yield economic and environmental benefits.
13086226
82
Appendix
Green Seal
Suite 1050
1730 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
(202) 331-7337
fax (202) 331-7533
Green Seal is a national non-profit environmental organiza-
tion that helps consumers choose environmentally preferable
products. The Green Seal Environmental Partners Program pro-
vides comprehensive information about environmental attrib-
utes of products, as well as advice on implementing ‘green pro-
curement’ policies.
13086226
83
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Leslie
Norford and Cyane Dandridge of MIT who provided the bulk of
technical information for this Guide. Jeff Harris of Lawrence
Berkeley Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy contributed
many hours in careful editing and provided many helpful sug-
gestions for improvements. Mort Blatt and John Kesselring of
EPRI performed the impossible task of compiling the volumi-
nous comments on our preliminary draft. Thanks to those who
provided us with preliminary draft comments, including:
n Lou Abernethy, IBM
n Tom Acquaviva, Xerox Corporation
n David Bargen, Intersys
W Jane Bell, Hewlett Packard
n Mort Blatt, EPRI
n Carolyn Chamblee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
W James Eyer, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
n Alois Huser, INFEL
W Brian Johnson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
n Ed Kear, New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority
n Eleanor Lewis, Government Purchasing Project
n Quentin Looney, PRA
n John Kesselring, EPRI
n Bruce Nordman, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
n John Pickitt, Computer and Business Equipment
Manufacturers Association
13086226
85
H Mary Ann Piette, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

w Olof Molinder, NUTEK (Sweden)
n Ernesto Ramirez, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
# Jacques Roturier, Universite de Bordeaux
m Patty Soon, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
n Bristol Stickney, E Source
H Terry Wirth, Buyers Laboratory
w Alex Zimmerman, British Columbia Buildings
We also acknowledge the support of the sponsors of this

project:
W Electric Power Research Institute
n New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
n California Institute for Energy Efficiency
n Consolidated Edison Company
H Ontario Hydro
n Pacific Gas & Electric Company
n Southern California Edison
n Wisconsin Center for Demand-Side Research
n U.S. Department of Energy
n U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
13086226
86

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Guide to

Final Report, February 1996

ORGANIZATION(S)THAT PREPARED THIS REPORT:

Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without prior written approval

Commercial building office equipment is consuming electricity

OFFICE EQUIPMENT is the fastest growing electricity use in

The purpose of this guide is to familiarize office equipment

EPA'’s E NERGY S TAR

National Testing and Information

SINCE THE BEGINNING of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program,

WHAT IS POWER MANAGEMENT?

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUYING

of distinguishing computers with better and worse energy per-

Buy an ENERGY S TAR Computer

4) Make sure the computer can operate commercial software

It is important that buyers be aware that there are substantial

Consider Buying a Laptop

communication ports and expansion slots. However, users who

to $3 per Watt of capacity, each 15 Watt laptop substituting

n Turn Computers Off at Night and On Weekends

Turn Computers Off at Night

Turn Computers Off During the Day

Enable Power-Management Features

TYPICALLY, MORE THAN HALF THE ENERGY consumption

CATHODE RAY TUBES

Graphics Array (SVGA) color units consume more energy. The

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS

square inch as a conventional monochrome CRT. However,

The use of flat panel displays in desktop machines will, at

two alternative guidelines for terminals shipped in Sweden, as

Alternative A 5-60 min. after last keystroke: 70 min. maximum after

The program aims to have 85 percent of monitors shipped in

Buy an E NERGY S TAR Monitor

system. A directory of E NERGY STAR-qualifying monitors is

Consider a Monochrome Monitor

Consider an Active Matrix Color LCD

Only a very small number of color active matrix monitors are

Turn Monitors Off at Night

management, eliminating the confusion between these two fea-

Turn Monitors Off During the Day

Enable Power-Management Features

THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS of computer print-

charged paper. The toner is permanently affixed to the paper

INK JET PRINTERS

Obtaining energy consumption data for printers is difficult.

Buy an ENERGY STAR Printer

Consider an Ink Jet Printer

than laser printers. However, advances in ink jet technology are

Consider Printer Sharing

some of these devices have contacts that short-circuit and make

Enable Power-Management Features

Turn Printers Off at Night,

devices discussed in Section 7 are also appropriate for control-

Implement Paper-Reducing Strategies

Use Electronic Mail

AS SHOWN IN THE FIGURES in the Introduction, copiers use

HEAT AND PRESSURE

image that is then scanned by a moving mirror/lens configura-

INK JET COPIERS

LIQUID INK COPIERS

produce paper (see Section 8 on office paper consumption and

As mentioned above, energy-saver mode ratings are part of

Buy an E NERGY S TAR Copier