Test procedures to measure energy efficiency
Through the support of the Office Technology Efficiency Consortium, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is developing test procedures for measuring office equipment energy efficiency. Test procedures are extremely important for comparing like products, and the need exists for a standard basis for comparison that can be repeated for different types of like products. For example, the State of California Purchasing uses the ASTM 1982 test procedure to specify energy use in its purchasing agreement for copiers. Another reason for devising test procedures is the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT), which requires a testing and information program for office equipment. Exactly what the information part of that program is has yet to be determined, but the need exists for test procedures from which to take results and compare like products in a repeatable manner. Such procedures would focus on computers, monitors, copiers, printers, and fax machines, but when MIT began its work, there were no test procedures in existence. The copier procedure used by California is out of date, not including a low-power mode or the auto shut-off feature which now equips many copiers. Manufacturers have been testing power use through the nameplate rating, which is only a maximum power use and not an average, overall number for power use by a piece of office equipment. In fact, the nameplate rating can`t be used for comparison because it`s used to indicate the size of the power supply. At this point, there`s no definitive method to determine the amount of office equipment energy use. However, MIT is currently working with a number of manufacturers and experts in the field on the power usage of office equipment. This work includes capability of current technology as well as new technology entering the field.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Policy Research Associates, Inc., Reston, VA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 254581
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR--105549; CONF-9410439--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Field power measurements of imaging equipment
Proceedings: Energy-efficient office technologies: The outlook and market