Eight myths about energy efficient office equipment
from the EU Energy Star website
Myth 1: When equipment is turned 'on' there is a power surge so large that leaving your equipment 'on' consumes less energy.
Reality 1: If present (which is not always the case) then the duration of this power surge is so small (seconds) that it is comparable to a few seconds in "on' mode. Whenever your equipment is not used for a few minutes, it makes sense to turn it off or (let it) switch to a low power mode.
Myth 2: Screen savers save energy
Reality 2: Not true, screen savers waste energy. They were originally designed to prevent screens from being burnt by a constant image, but they aren't needed for modern screens. Many screen savers also require additional processing adding to the energy use of a system. It is better to set screen savers to 'blank screen' or 'none'.
Myth 3: Frequent turning off computers crashes the harddrive
Reality 3: Switching off computers will have no significant effect on the useful life of a harddisk. Today manufacturers specify some 40,000 power cycles for a harddrive, equivalent to 30 start/stop cycles for each working day over five years.
Myth 4: Turning off or power managing computers and printers causes network problems
Reality 4: Although this certainly was true in the early days of power management and networked equipment, this is nowadays no longer the case. Proper up to date network software and modern day power management software (e.g. ACPI) allow for pc's and other equipment to enter low power modes while still being able to receive signals from the network.
Myth 5: Windows NT and power management can not be combined
Reality 5: In early versions of Windows NT power management could only be achieved through changing the settings in the BIOS software. However version 5 of Windows NT has extensive and more easily enabled power management features.
Myth 6: In winter the heat of the office equipment is useful for heating the building. Power management, reducing energy consumption of equipment, would lead to higher heating costs.
Reality 6: The heat from equipment does contribute to the heating of a building in winter, but it is far more cheaper, efficient and reliable to heat your building with a purpose-built heating system. Furthermore power management also reduces the heat from equipment during the summer, thereby reducing cooling costs as well.
Myth 7: Using recycled paper increases the number of paper jams in copiers and printers, thus increasing paper use in offices.
Reality 7: Although many of us had these experiences, they are quite avoidable. Make sure when buying new equipment that the manufatcurer and suppliers are prepared to guarantee effective performance in these areas. Some copier manufacturers (like Canon, Fuji Xerox) specify the brand of recycled paper they approve
Myth 8: Refilled toner cartridges leak everywhere and make a incredibel mess
Reality 8: As with recycled paper this problem is avoidable and manufacturers and suppliers should be prepared to guarantee effective performance.
References
EU Energy Star website http://www.eu-energystar.org/en/203.shtml
