Energy policies for energy efficiency in office equipment Case studies from Europe, Japan and the USA

Abstract

This paper compares policies and programs in several European countries, Japan and the USA that could enhance the energy efficiency of office technology. Different programs are examined, including federal government programs. In some cases target values for power usage of office equipment have already been set through these federal government programs. Large customer procurement programs, industry involvement, with emphasis on voluntary labeling programs, and research projects are also examined. Procedures that provide energy consumption measurements of various types of equipment are important for providing information to emerging procurement programs. Two sets of proposed test procedures for testing energy consumption of copiers, fax machines and printers are examined and compared. The results provide information for emerging programs and provide a strong basis for a variety of further research and areas for cooperation. © 1994.