Green Footprint: Top Office Energy Busters

Not long ago, the concept of a green office was mainly considered a public relations mattersomething warm and fuzzy to appease the tree-huggers but not really a fundamental change in business practice.

That was before businesses got a rude awakening this fall in the form of a Wall Street implosion and fears of a worldwide recession. In these days of economic crisis, greening the workplace does more than just polish a companys public image; it is becoming de rigueur for any firm that cares about its bottom line.

There are both marketing advantages and overall profitability advantages to going greenif done in the right way, according to Shel Horowitz, a Massachusetts-based author and marketer who bills himself as an ethical marketing expert. At this point, there is so much green consciousness that it would be a serious marketing disadvantage not to embrace green principles. Fortunately, he says, many green steps actually save money directly.

While air quality, water use and waste reduction are three important areas to target, John Gagel, manager of sustainable practices for printer manufacturer Lexmark International, says energy savings should be at the top of any list of green-office priorities.

With the state of the cost of energy in the United States now, or even around the world, there are some very good things that can be done, which offer [an] improvement in energy or technology, Gagel says. All of those things are pretty easily addressed, and the return on the investment is pretty quick when you make upgrades or improvements for energy efficiency.

1. Let There Be Light

Energy savings start with those suddenly ubiquitous squiggly compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, as well as other lighting options.

Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy have joined a growing movement among utilities to offer instant rebates that bring the initial cost of the bulbs down to less than the ones they replace, making them the most cost-effective place to start. The reason? Producing electricity accounts for almost half of all carbon emissions in the United States, and room lighting can account for almost one third of all electricity used in an office, so lighting actually is a big deal.

CFL bulbs use a quarter of the electricity of standard incandescent bulbs, on average, and last five to 10 times longer. These days, bulbs come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, designed for a variety of lighting fixtures, and even include dimmable bulbs and directional spot lights. For exit signs and other places where lights need to remain on continuously, even more efficient LED bulbs are now available as well.

2. OK, Now Turn Off the Light

Another easy source of savings is to cultivate a culture of saving energy throughout the workplace. Start by thinking like your parents: Remind people to turn off the lights when they leave a room. It may have been true at one time that the cost of turning lights off and on was greater than leaving them burning, but that is no longer the case with modern fluorescent fixtures.

If that approach seems too much like nagging, automated alternatives can accomplish the same thing. Ecohaus, the former Environmental Home Center in Seattle, (as well as Portland, Ore., and Bellevue), sells WattStopper wall-switch vacancy sensors that, starting at $40 apiece, can detect when a space becomes vacant by sensing the infrared energy from a person in motion (see Green Office Starter Kit sidebar, page 48). When programmed for automatic operation, the WattStoppers can turn on lights when someone enters a room and shut them off when the last person leaves.

Some companies also use proximity sensors or timers to power down vending machines when the break room has been empty for a preset period of time. One product that performs this task, and is priced at less than $200, is Optimum Energy Products Vending Mi$er.

3. Slay the Electric Vampires

Some of the most egregious examples of what experts have come to call electric vampires for their tendency to suck energy from the wall sockets include appliances such as coffeemakers and microwaves, which no office break room can do without.

According to some experts, 40 to 50 percent of the energy used to power consumer electronics is drawn when the devices are not in use. Like a dripping faucet, these energy leaks can add up to a lot of wasted money over time. Nationally, the cost of powering TVs and VCRs when they are turned off adds up to $1 billion a year.

Part of that cost comes from the instant on function that keeps some components powered up at all times. Also, any device that has a built-in digital clock constantly sips electricity. According to Suzanne Foster Porter of Portland-based ECOS Consulting, the plug-in devices in the typical office break room consume roughly as much power as leaving a standard incandescent light on all day long.

One way to put a stake through these little monsters that doesnt involve unplugging every power cord each night is to use a power strip. In addition to providing protection against power surges that can wipe out data and fry chips, these long, thin banks of electrical sockets have an on-off switch that can completely cut off the flow of electricity. Some of the newer strips, such as the Smart Strip, can cut off all power to nonessential devices with the on-off switch, but also has a few sockets that will continue to provide constant idle power to critical office systems.

Another handy device to help determine how much juice your office machines are using is P3 Internationals Kill A Watt meter, which has an LCD display screen to show you how much current is being drawn from appliances in real time. The meter can also forecast how much your appliances are costing you by the day, week, month or year when you think they are turned off.

4. Buy New Energy Star Computers

Of all the energy vampires lurking in your office, computer workstations tend to be the thirstiest beasts.

While most computers now have some form of energy-saving sleep or hibernation modes, both the desktop boxes and their peripherals still draw electricity from the walleven when shut off completely. Since they rely on direct-current (DC) power to function, computers have a built-in energy waster: a converter that shifts the alternating current (AC) coming through the wires to DC.

Just a printer and monitor can draw as much idle current as a 60-watt light bulb uses in 24 hours. Most office workstations also have several other peripherals, including speakers, CD writers, DSL or cable modems and USB hubs. Computer monitors are particularly pricey. In sleep mode, with a screen saver on, they each cost $25 a year more for electricity than those that are turned completely off. Although the screen savers are in use for only a few minutes at a time, their clocks and internal power supplies are on continuously.

Since the early 1990s, nearly all computers and servers on the American market have been given an Energy Star rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to rate their energy efficiency. Late last year, however, these Energy Star standards were upgraded. One of the big changes that took place was the adoption of the 80 Plus standard for power converters. Under these new regulations, computers and peripherals now must have boxes inside that convert at least 80 percent of the electricity from AC to DC, compared to 45 to 60 percent, which was typical for the older converters. Efficient power supplies directly save 85 kilowatt-hours per desktop PC per year, and 300 kilowatt-hours per server per year.

The advantages to new computers made with the 80 Plus rating go well beyond just the electric bill. Because the more efficient AC/DC power converters also run cooler, they can help make a difference of 5 to 20F in the office environment, depending on the number of devices running. And, as any IT executive can attest, keeping temperatures cool is among the most costly and critical concerns in server rooms.

Inside the chips that are the heart of every computer, junction failure rates roughly double for every 18F rise in temperature. The reduced heat output from using more efficient power supplies alone can increase computer system reliability by up to 40 percent. The higher power factor reduces current draw by approximately half, so up to twice as many computers can be placed on the same circuitry.

Add It Up

Done correctly, the effect of greening a business not only shows up on the bottom line, but also makes employees feel that they have a stake in making a difference for the company and the environment.

According to the Society for Human Resource Managements 2008 Green Workplace Survey, companies report a 19 percent improvement in their expenses after getting employees on board with environmental responsibility programs. Human resources professionals also cite a 44 percent improvement in employee morale, as well as a stronger public image for a business.

Jordan Lerner, director of sales from Energy Solutions, a Seattle subsidiary of building automation company TAC, specializes in environmental projects for public and private buildings. Energy savings in green offices can be anywhere from five to 50 percent, he says. But on the average project, its definitely 15 to 20 percent.

Individually, the steps mentioned in these pages will make only small dents in an average monthly energy bill. But joined together as part of an overall strategy, these simple modifications can make a significant difference and green up your own office footprint.