Some appliances including printers have Energy star symbols attached to them. For printers to qualify for this symbol they would need to:
1. Consume a set level of energy per week (Total Electricity Consumption
Approach – TEC), or;
2. Must automatically enter low-power modes of a prescribed level (Operating
Mode Approach – OM).
These two criteria are reliant on the type of printer engine, product speed, and product size.
Under the OM Approach, a standard sized inkjet printer with a speed of 25 inches per minute should have:
1. Go into sleep mode after 30 minutes of idle time.
2. Consume a maximum of 1W of Standby power.
3. Consume no more than 3W of power in Sleep mode.
Choosing an appropriate printer technology and capability can help reduce your business’ energy consumption. For example, if you do not require high quality images or printing speed then you may not need a laser printer or colour inkjet printer. A regular inkjet (black and white) printer would produce near-laser quality printer outs and would be an energy efficient alternative to laser printers. However, if your office requires printing large volume of paper then a faster printer (like laser) will probably be your best bet. They consume less energy per page.
Another important feature is energy consumption during standby mode. Consider how your office prints documents. Does the printer sit on idle for short or long periods? If your answer the latter, it is advisable to choose a model that reduces its energy consumption while in stand-by mode.
Remember to ask your vendor specifically for the printer’s energy consumption during printing, idling and energy-saver details before making a decision. This will help make your business energy smart. This article was brought to you by IMS Inc., one of Canada’s leading suppliers of the highest quality
manufactured laser printer, inkjet and ribbon cartridges. Visit http://www.imsinkspot.com.
