After-hours power status of office equipment in the USA

Abstract

Office equipment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment of commercial energy use over the next 20 years, yet many aspects of office equipment energy use are poorly understood. User behavior, such as turning off devices at night or enabling power management (PM), influences energy use to a great extent. The computing environment also plays a role both in influencing user behavior and in the success of PM. Information about turn-off rates and PM rates for office equipment was collected through a series of after-hours audits in commercial buildings. Sixteen businesses were recruited, including offices (small, medium and large offices in a variety of industries), schools, and medical buildings in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The types and power states of office equipment found in these buildings were recorded and analyzed. This article presents these data for computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners and multi-function devices. These data can be used to improve estimates of both energy consumption for these devices and savings from energy conservation efforts.