October 2013

The Green Matters e-newsletter gives you a quick glimpse of important sustainability initiatives happening around the metro Atlanta region and beyond., whether it's the latest research, new educational offerings, environmental stewardship efforts or potential funding opportunities.

Slaying Energy Vampires

An energy "vampire" is any appliance or device that continues to draw power even when not in use. Examples can include a TV that remains at the ready even when you are not watching it, a printer or computer in "standby" mode or a mobile phone charger that remains plugged in when not actively charging your phone. To "kill" a "vampire," simply unplug the device. To make it even easier, consider purchasing a power strip so you can turn off multiple devices at the same time or a "smart" power strip that automatically turns off power to devices when not in use.

Slaying energy "vampires" saves money, energy and the planet. Did you know that the Department of Energy estimates that the average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are supposed to be "off"? That means that standby power accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of annual U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in annual energy costs!

Now that you're armed with more info, go out and slay those energy "vampires"!

Discover how the Vancouver, WA Green Team killed their energy vampires.

Measure #11 – "Lights Out Power Down" Policy

The Green Communities certification program recognizes local governments who have developed a "Lights Out Power Down" policy to reduce energy use in its buildings from lighting and electronics when not in use. This may include adopting building management policies that require turning off all nonemergency lighting and electronics after hours, and/or educating employees on turning off lighting and electronics when not in use and at night.

The City of Roswell, a certified Green Community at the Silver level, adopted a lights out and power down policy requiring employees to turn off lights and all other equipment when leaving an area and all electrical and electronic devices when not in use. Through energy efficiency measures, including its Lights Out, Power Down Policy, the city has decreased its energy usage by approximately 40,000 kWh/year over the time period between January 2007 through January 2012.

Energy-Saving Tips for Your Office

Look for ENERGY STAR Certified Office Equipment. You'll lower utility bills, save energy and help fight climate change. ENERGY STAR qualified fax machines, printers and scanners are about 40 percent more energy efficient.
Consider Using Multi-Function Devices. Talk about one for all: they use less energy than operating a separate fax machine, printer and scanner.
Put to Rest Your Monitor's Screensaver. Let it switch to sleep mode or just turn it off when you're away from your computer. Oh, and turn on your monitor's power management feature while you're
at it.
Plug All Your Office Equipment into Power Strips. This makes it easier to turn them all of when not in use. Better yet, purchase a smart power strip, which senses when a product is not in use and eliminates its standby power consumption. Why pay for power you're not even using?
Avoid Being Plugged In. Unplug cell phones and laptops once they are charged, along with the battery chargers or power adapters.

View 5 more office energy-saving tips