PRATT INDUSTRIES INC. 100% Recycled Packaging.

COMPUTERS

Discs

Use rewritable discs rather than the alternative discs, this will avoid disposal once you’re finished with it. Better yet, purchase memory sticks as are great for transferring information
Recycle discs by sending them to GreenDisk (www.greendisk.com) for responsible destruction and reuse.

Power Settings When turning it off and on isn't feasible, go to the “Windows Power Options control panel” set the monitor and hard drives to automatically hibernate when not in use. This also apply to portable devices, such as MP3 players, cell phones, PDAs, and handheld game machines have settings for powering down or adjusting their screens, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi settings. Switching off what you don't need (or even just turning down the screen brightness) extends battery life

Printers, scanners, speakers & monitors

Keep these items OFF if not in use! That includes turning off your monitor rather than letting it sit in low-power mode when the computer is off, and turning on your printer only when you actually have something to print
Some devices have hard-to-reach power buttons - or no power buttons at all. Power strips such as the Smart Strip can help. The Smart Strip switches off devices plugged into specific outlets when the computer is switched off
Unplug the phone, camera, or any other rechargeable device as soon as it's finished recharging - even though the batteries stop drawing power when they're full, electricity is still flowing through the cable.

Disposal Recycle old gadgets by bringing them somewhere where they'll be disposed of properly. You can find a list of services in your area by checking out http://earth911.org/ which tells you where to dispose of computer ware.

Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/) is a network of local mailing lists for people wanting to give away redundant equipment. Ensure memory on anything you choose to dispose of is cleaned.

LIGHTING

Fixtures Lighting fixture that are more than ten years old are likely using T-12 fluorescent lamps. To convert from T-12 to T-8 fluorescent lighting requires replacing the entire existing fixture. T-12 lamps are 1 ½ inch diameter tubes in either 4 or 8-foot lengths if possible, replace these with T-8 (1-inch diameter) lamps. T-8 fluorescent lamps have better color, less flicker, and uses 20 percent less energy to produce the same light output. T-8s are also available with dimmable ballasts that allow greater light level control and energy savings.

Check external lights and see if metal halides can either be replaced by T-5s or new efficient metal halides.

Rebates can be obtained from some electric utility and tax credits can be received through the state incentives.

Occupancy Sensors One way to ensure that lights are used only when needed is with occupancy sensors.

When there’s no one in the room, the lights turn off automatically. They are suitable for storage rooms, conference rooms, toilets and break rooms.

PRINTERS Look for printers that automatically switch to a low-power standby mode when not in use. While in standby, printers produce less heat, reducing air-conditioning costs and with fewer operating hours and less heat buildup these printers will last longer and be more reliable.

Printing

Print two pages side by side on one sheet of paper, if your printer driver allows it. Choose Print, and then select Preferences or Print Setup. Look for an option called 'Pages per Sheet', and set it to 2
If you print a lot from the Web, download a copy of GreenPrint World (http://printgreener.com/download.html), so that only wanted information is printed
Print in draft mode whenever possible.

COPIERS Buy copiers that are equipped with a feature that allows them to automatically turn off after a period of inactivity. This can cut electricity use by over 60 percent. Copiers with duplexing capabilities set to automatically make double-sided copies can cut paper costs. Refer to the Energy Star website.

FAXES For all future fax machine purchases, specify a model with a sleep feature that can cut energy costs by almost 50 percent. Also ensure it can scan double-sided pages. This reduces both copying and paper costs.

RECYCLING Set up recycling deposit boxes for people to use and buy products with recycled content. Less waste means smaller garbage containers and lower garbage bills.

HEATING & COOLING The purposes of a HVAC system are to heat, cool, control humidity, and bring fresh air into a building. HVAC systems are among the largest energy users in commercial buildings. Ways to save energy in HVAC systems include:

Install an automatic setback thermostat system to switch the system off when not in use
An adjustment the thermostat with the change of season, increase the cooling temperature in summer and decrease the heating in winter
Regular maintenance of the HVAC system will increase reliability and reduce operation costs
Older HVAC equipment is usually not as efficient as newer products. When replacing heating and cooling equipment, look for the most efficient models
Remember to size the HVAC system accordingly, oversizing will not guarantee reliability or efficiency
Painting a roof white can cut some of the sun’s heat as it reduces the amount of the radiation absorbed

CARPOOL Encourage sharing rides by reserving as many parking spaces as possible for carpoolers. Be sure to put carpool parking spots where employees prefer to park, and sign them prominently. There’s a significant savings in gasoline, parking spaces, and greenhouse gas emissions. Go to http://www.erideshare.com/ for more information.

SOURCES

5 Habits for Greener Computing, Apr 22 2008, PC World, Emru Townsend
http://www.resourcesaver.org/file/toolmanager/O16F22121.pdf
http://www.erideshare.com/
http://www.greendisk.com/
http://earth911.org/
http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.energystar.gov/
http://printgreener.com/download.html

	SAVE ENERGY IN THE OFFICE	[Return to ENERGY EFFICIENCY]
	COMPUTERS Discs Use rewritable discs rather than the alternative discs, this will avoid disposal once you’re finished with it. Better yet, purchase memory sticks as are great for transferring information Recycle discs by sending them to GreenDisk (www.greendisk.com) for responsible destruction and reuse. Power Settings When turning it off and on isn't feasible, go to the “Windows Power Options control panel” set the monitor and hard drives to automatically hibernate when not in use. This also apply to portable devices, such as MP3 players, cell phones, PDAs, and handheld game machines have settings for powering down or adjusting their screens, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi settings. Switching off what you don't need (or even just turning down the screen brightness) extends battery life Printers, scanners, speakers & monitors Keep these items OFF if not in use! That includes turning off your monitor rather than letting it sit in low-power mode when the computer is off, and turning on your printer only when you actually have something to print Some devices have hard-to-reach power buttons - or no power buttons at all. Power strips such as the Smart Strip can help. The Smart Strip switches off devices plugged into specific outlets when the computer is switched off Unplug the phone, camera, or any other rechargeable device as soon as it's finished recharging - even though the batteries stop drawing power when they're full, electricity is still flowing through the cable. Disposal Recycle old gadgets by bringing them somewhere where they'll be disposed of properly. You can find a list of services in your area by checking out http://earth911.org/ which tells you where to dispose of computer ware. Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/) is a network of local mailing lists for people wanting to give away redundant equipment. Ensure memory on anything you choose to dispose of is cleaned. LIGHTING Fixtures Lighting fixture that are more than ten years old are likely using T-12 fluorescent lamps. To convert from T-12 to T-8 fluorescent lighting requires replacing the entire existing fixture. T-12 lamps are 1 ½ inch diameter tubes in either 4 or 8-foot lengths if possible, replace these with T-8 (1-inch diameter) lamps. T-8 fluorescent lamps have better color, less flicker, and uses 20 percent less energy to produce the same light output. T-8s are also available with dimmable ballasts that allow greater light level control and energy savings. Check external lights and see if metal halides can either be replaced by T-5s or new efficient metal halides. Rebates can be obtained from some electric utility and tax credits can be received through the state incentives. Occupancy Sensors One way to ensure that lights are used only when needed is with occupancy sensors. When there’s no one in the room, the lights turn off automatically. They are suitable for storage rooms, conference rooms, toilets and break rooms. PRINTERS Look for printers that automatically switch to a low-power standby mode when not in use. While in standby, printers produce less heat, reducing air-conditioning costs and with fewer operating hours and less heat buildup these printers will last longer and be more reliable. Printing Print two pages side by side on one sheet of paper, if your printer driver allows it. Choose Print, and then select Preferences or Print Setup. Look for an option called 'Pages per Sheet', and set it to 2 If you print a lot from the Web, download a copy of GreenPrint World (http://printgreener.com/download.html), so that only wanted information is printed Print in draft mode whenever possible. COPIERS Buy copiers that are equipped with a feature that allows them to automatically turn off after a period of inactivity. This can cut electricity use by over 60 percent. Copiers with duplexing capabilities set to automatically make double-sided copies can cut paper costs. Refer to the Energy Star website. FAXES For all future fax machine purchases, specify a model with a sleep feature that can cut energy costs by almost 50 percent. Also ensure it can scan double-sided pages. This reduces both copying and paper costs. RECYCLING Set up recycling deposit boxes for people to use and buy products with recycled content. Less waste means smaller garbage containers and lower garbage bills. HEATING & COOLING The purposes of a HVAC system are to heat, cool, control humidity, and bring fresh air into a building. HVAC systems are among the largest energy users in commercial buildings. Ways to save energy in HVAC systems include: Install an automatic setback thermostat system to switch the system off when not in use An adjustment the thermostat with the change of season, increase the cooling temperature in summer and decrease the heating in winter Regular maintenance of the HVAC system will increase reliability and reduce operation costs Older HVAC equipment is usually not as efficient as newer products. When replacing heating and cooling equipment, look for the most efficient models Remember to size the HVAC system accordingly, oversizing will not guarantee reliability or efficiency Painting a roof white can cut some of the sun’s heat as it reduces the amount of the radiation absorbed CARPOOL Encourage sharing rides by reserving as many parking spaces as possible for carpoolers. Be sure to put carpool parking spots where employees prefer to park, and sign them prominently. There’s a significant savings in gasoline, parking spaces, and greenhouse gas emissions. Go to http://www.erideshare.com/ for more information. SOURCES 5 Habits for Greener Computing, Apr 22 2008, PC World, Emru Townsend http://www.resourcesaver.org/file/toolmanager/O16F22121.pdf http://www.erideshare.com/ http://www.greendisk.com/ http://earth911.org/ http://www.freecycle.org/ http://www.energystar.gov/ http://printgreener.com/download.html