Copiers, believe it or not, are the
most energy-intensive piece of office equipment because they're often left on all day,
according to Energy Star. Less than 10 percent of the energy consumed by copiers is used while they're actually copying. Perhaps you too only use your copier a tiny percent of the time. Solution? Make sure power-saving modes like sleep mode—which begins after a specified period of inactivity—are optimized.
Your copier's sleep mode or low-power mode means the fuser in a copier isn't kept warm, so the machine will need to warm up before use. (The fuser consists of rollers that bond the toner to the paper; fusing temperature can get over 300 degrees!) Sleep mode or low-power mode uses less energy than your copier being fully on, but you don't have to wait for it to reboot like you would if you'd turned it off. Worried about the warm-up delay? Energy Star copiers are ready to go within 30 seconds. Do a little dance while you wait.
Energy Star copiers can use up to 40 percent less energy than standard models, and they cost about the same. Additionally, using power management will ensure that you save the most energy and money possible, if unplugging your copier nightly isn't feasible. Power-saving features are often set by default, but you can benefit even more by lowering the inactivity time from 60 minutes to 15, for example.
Using power management can save energy and money even if your copier isn't Energy Star-qualified, and it helps office equipment last longer. This, combined with lower electricity consumption, reduces environmental impact. Copy that?
1. Consult the manual for your copier to learn about available power management features and considerations for using them.
2. Configure the inactivity settings, lowering the standby time to 15 minutes or less.
3. Use the equipment normally and adjust the settings as needed.
Do you have to copy it? When possible, email a document instead of copying it. It takes
10 times as much energy to make a piece of paper than it does to copy something onto it! When you do make copies, use the duplex function to make double-sided copies, and use recycled paper.
Locate your copier strategically. Because copiers put off heat, place it in an area with good air circulation so you can use less air conditioning.
Consider using a power strip to completely
cut power to home office equipment when you are not using it. It's easier than unplugging it, and you can save even more energy.
Choose Energy Star-qualified electronics. They must meet EPA requirements for energy efficiency, including wattage consumed during their slumber.