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OFFICE & CLASSROOM

Office Equipment and Computers

Office equipment, computers, and appliances account for 17% of energy use at a typical university, according to the U.S. Department of Energy1. This percentage could be higher for Medical Center buildings that operate around the clock. Unplugging office equipment not in use and using energy-savings settings can go a long way in reducing Vanderbilt's overall energy demand by 15% or more. Some suggestions for curbing our energy usage related to office equipment are listed below.

Computers
Office Equipment
The End Result

Computers

Use the "sleep mode" and "hibernate" settings on computers and monitors. Step-by-Step instructions related to enabling energy savings settings on computers are provided by Information Technology Services. If you need assistance on establishing sleep mode settings for computers and monitors, contact your LAN Manager.

...a computer in "sleep" mode or "hibernate" mode typically consumes less than 10% of its typical operating power consumption2?

Turning off your computer saves even more energy. Click here to read more about when it's best to just power down. Even though there is a small surge in energy when a computer starts up, it's still worth it2.

Furthermore, today's computers are actually designed to withstand frequent shut-downs. Using energy savings settings and turning computers off extends the life of the computer3. If you are not allowed to turn off your computer, then turn off the monitor! Monitors can consume 30% of the energy from a typical system. An LCD monitor uses 30% less energy than an old-fashioned CRT monitor4.

Enabling sleep mode features for a monitor is just as important. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 2,000 kilowatts of electricity per year can be saved for every 10 monitors that have its sleep mode features enabled5. That same amount of energy could provide power to a home in Nashville for six weeks6.

Office Equipment

Unplug battery chargers and equipment when not in use. Plug-in battery chargers for cell phones and other devices can use up to 20 times more energy than is stored in the device's battery-even when not actively charging a device, according to an EnergyStar web site7.

Unplug electronics when not in use. TVs, DVD players, entertainment systems, and similar devices draw power around the clock. See public service announcements on this topic from ABC News and Get Connected TV.

Utilize sleep mode settings for printers, copiers, and fax machines as well. Similar energy saving features (and misconceptions) surround computers and office equipment alike. Today's imaging devices are designed to accommodate sleep mode settings and shut-downs, and using energy savings settings (along with turning machines off when they are not in use) extends the life of the device8. Even though there is a small surge in energy when an imaging device starts up, these practices save energy8.

...and please turn off this equipment after office hours, as most offices are unoccupied 60%-70% of each day!

Using the double-sided printing feature on EnergyStar-rated printers and copiers saves energy and reduces paper use significantly9. Even if your imaging equipment isn't EnergyStar-rated, double-sided printing is still worth doing! It takes 10 times more energy to make a piece of paper than it does to copy an image to it9.

Also, use the automatic paper feeder on copiers and printers instead of the manual feed tray; manual feeds use more energy10. And make sure that the copier is properly sized for your area's workload. A mid-volume printer can use 70% more energy than a small volume copier. Conversely, a mid-volume printer uses less energy than several small printers10. Link printers and copiers to a network and save electricity!

The End Result

If Vanderbilt decreases its power demand for computers, peripherals, and electronics by 15%, it could avoid consuming up to 1.5 megawatt-hours of electricity a day on peak days!

But what does this mean?

That's the same amount of electricity consumed by 35 average-sized homes in Nashville in a day.



Check The Math

17% of power for equipment x 60 megawatt-hours of consumption per day on peak days = 10.2 megawatts
15% of 10.2 megawatt-hours = 1.53 megawatt-hours
Energy consumption of one average house in Nashville for a day = 0.043 megawatt-hours6

References

1 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office, Building Technologies Program. "University Buildings", 01/27/06.
2 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office, "A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: When to Turn Off Computers", 07/22/08.
3 Energy Star Podcast No. 4.0, "Computers", 10/25/07.
4 Dell Computers web page "Frequently Asked Questions about Dell and the Environment", September 2003.
5 Energy Star web page "Sleep in Good: For Computer Monitors and Your Bottom Line", September 2003.
6 Nashville Electric Service web page "Residential Rates", 2008.
7 Energy StarT web page "External Power Supplies", 2008 .
8 Energy StarT Podcast No. 4.1, "Imaging Equipment", 10/25/07.
9 Federal Electronics Challenge web page "Energy Conservation with Energy Star", 05/26/06.
10 Eugene (Oregon) Water & Electric Board web page "Be an Energy Sleuth at Work", Spring 2001.

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