Pull the Plug on Plug Loads

A plug load is any device that’s plugged into your building’s electrical system. The bad news is that plug load energy use is on the rise, according to the New Buildings Institute. The good news is that you can cut plug load energy use through a variety of low-cost measures that are easy to implement.

Get some sleep. Computers and office equipment rarely get used all of the time. When they operate at full power all day long, however, they waste energy. Enable power management “sleep” settings in all office equipment. They’ll use only a tiny amount of energy when idle, but they will still be ready when you need them.

Make a better connection. Supplement power management settings with advanced power strips that use timers, occupancy sensors or load sensors to power off connected devices when no one is using them. Some models cut power to selected devices that are in sleep or idle mode.

Learn to share. Do you really need a printer in every office? Imaging devices use a surprising amount of electricity. Today’s computer networks make it easy to combine devices to share among multiple employees. You’ll save on energy and maintenance costs and reduce paper waste as well.

Take it personal. Personal appliances, such as mini-refrigerators and desk fans, are inefficient and difficult to control. Discourage their use by maintaining indoor temperatures at a comfortable setting and by providing adequate refrigerator space and kitchen appliances in a central break room.

Hit refresh. Got any office equipment that’s old and antiquated, like a fax machine from the 1990s? It’s time for an upgrade. ENERGY STAR® computers and office equipment come with all the bells and whistles, like power management settings, and they use 30 to 75 percent less energy than standard models.