Who's Snoozing in the Copy Room? Addressing Active Mode in Imaging Equipment Efficiency Specifications

The current ENERGY STAR specifications for imaging equipment address electricity consumption only in low-power modes. As products increase in functionality and speed, Active mode contributes to a greater portion of total product energy use. Additionally, consumer dissatisfaction with long recovery times can result in decreased use of energy-saving features. When EPA began to revise the imaging equipment specifications, the need to address Active mode for some products quickly became apparent. This was accomplished with the “typical electricity consumption” (TEC) approach that considers the electricity consumed by imaging equipment during its entire duty cycle. This method for assessing product energy efficiency has been received favorably by many stakeholders and demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to the development of an energy-efficiency specification. This paper reviews the process of creating the TEC method and resulting test procedure and specification levels. The authors present the key considerations for developing this innovative approach, including: • Determining the universe of covered products; • Harmonizing the approach with international standards; • Developing the test method; • Accounting for international usage patterns; • Collecting new TEC data; • Setting appropriate specification levels; and • Securing stakeholder support. The paper reviews specific lessons learned during this process and includes detailed examples that illustrate the vision for this new method.