Office equipment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment of commercial energy use over the next 20 years, yet many aspects of office equipment energy use are poorly understood. User behavior, such as turning off devices at night or enabling power management, influences energy use to a great extent. The computing environment also plays a role both in influencing user behavior and in the success of power management. Information about turn-off rates and power management rates for office equipment was collected through a series of after-hours audits in commercial buildings. Sixteen businesses were recruited, including offices (small, medium and large offices in a variety of industries), schools, and medical buildings in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The types and power states of office equipment found in these buildings were recorded and analyzed. This article presents these data for computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners and multi-function devices. These data can be used to improve estimates of both energy consumption for these devices and savings from energy conservation efforts. *Corresponding author. Fax: 1-510-486-4247. Email address: cawebber@lbl.gov (C.A. Webber).

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Our research was conducted in support of the EPA ENERGY STAR Office Equipment program, whose goal is to reduce the amount of electricity consumed by office equipment in the U.S. The most energy-efficient models in each office equipment category are eligible for the ENERGY STAR label, which consumers can use to identify and select efficient products. As the efficiency of each category improves over time, the ENERGY STAR criteria need to be revised accordingly. The purpose of this study was to provide reliable data on the energy consumption of the newest personal computers and monitors that the EPA can use to evaluate revisions to current ENERGY STAR criteria as well as to improve the accuracy of ENERGY STAR program savings estimates. We report the results of measuring the power consumption and power management capabilities of a sample of new monitors and computers. These results will be used to improve estimates of program energy savings and carbon emission reductions, and to inform revisions of the ENERGY STAR criteria for these products. Our sample consists of 35 monitors and 26 computers manufactured between July 2000 and October 2001; it includes cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, Macintosh and Intelarchitecture computers, desktop and laptop computers, and integrated computer systems, in which power consumption of the computer and monitor cannot be measured separately. For each machine we measured power consumption when off, on , and in each low-power level. We identify trends in and opportunities to reduce power consumption in new personal computers and monitors. Our results include a trend among monitor manufacturers to provide a single very low low-power level, well below the current ENERGY STAR criteria for sleep power consumption. These very low sleep power results mean that energy consumed when monitors are off or in active use has become more important in terms of contribution to the overall unit energy consumption (UEC). Current ENERGY STAR monitor and computer criteria do not specify off or on power, but our results suggest opportunities for saving energy in these modes. Also, significant differences between CRT and LCD technology, and between field-measured and manufacturer-reported power levels reveal the need for standard methods and metrics for measuring and comparing monitor power consumption.

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The Product Development Team (PD) in the US Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Labeling Program fuels the long-term market transformation process by delivering new specifications. PD's goal is to expand the reach and visibility of ENERGY STAR as well as the market for new energy-efficient products. Since 2000, PD has launched nine new ENERGY STAR specifications and continues to evaluate new program opportunities.To evaluate the ENERGY STAR carbon savings potential for a diverse group of products, PD prepared a framework for developing new and updating existing specifications that rationalizes new product opportunities and draws upon the expertise and resources of other stakeholders, including manufacturers, utilities, environmental groups and other government agencies. By systematically reviewing the potential of proposed product areas, PD makes informed decisions as to whether or not to proceed with developing a specification. In support of this strategy, PD ensures that new product specifications are consistent with the ENERGY STAR guidelines and that these guidelines are effectively communicated to stakeholders during the product development process. To date, the framework has been successful in providing consistent guidance on collecting the necessary information on which to base sound program decisions. Through the application of this framework, PD increasingly recognizes that each industry has unique market and product characteristics that can require reconciliation with the ENERGY STAR guidelines. The new framework allows PD to identify where reconciliation is needed to justify program decisions.4 • The manufacturer must comply with the ENERGY STAR specification for the product(s) category selected. The specification defines each product's eligibility criteria in terms of an energy efficiency level• The manufacturer must qualify at least one product within the first year of participation in an ENERGY STAR product category• The manufacturer must comply with logo use guidelines• The manufacturer must label products with the ENERGY STAR label clearly displayed on the top/front of the product, in product literature, and on the manufacturer website Guidelines of the ENERGY STAR ProgramCurrently, there are over thirty-five ENERGY STAR product categories. For each product category, a unique specification describes the energy performance requirements that a product must meet to qualify for the label. Each new ENERGY STAR specification must be consistent with the overall program objectives while also recognizing any energy efficiency or marketing issues that are unique to that product or industry. The ENERGY STAR label was established to achieve the following objectives: 7• To prevent air pollution, including the emissions of greenhouse gases, caused by inefficient use of energy,• To make it easy for businesses and consumers, to identify and purchase products, homes, and buildings with enhanced efficiency that offer savings on utility bills while maintaining, if not enhancing, performance, fea...