As you ponder a new graphics card, power supply, or motherboard for a PC upgrade, or select among turnkey notebook, desktop, or server PCs or other office equipment, it's essential to select items that are EPEAT-compliant. Likewise, you can use ENERGY STAR rating information to predict the annual energy costs for the devices you plan to acquire. You may even be able to argue for modestly more expensive and capable equipment on the strengths of the energy costs they'll save during their productive lifetime.
 | Note: On January 24, 2007, President Bush issued Executive Order 13423 requiring all federal agencies to buy EPEAT-registered green electronic products for at least 95 percent of their needs. |
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Certainly, this combination of positives — low environmental impact for toxicity and lower energy consumption and costs — offer all kinds of payoffs. Beyond the feel-good side of "being environmentally friendly," it saves money and provides a better ROI (return on investment). This is as potent a combination to businesses seeking to boost their bottom lines as it's for agencies and institutions seeking to stretch their funding further in times of ever-tightening budgets or shrinking tax bases or donor pools.
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| Putting an energy conservation program in place requires buy-in from upper management and education for employees. Teach them how and why energy conservation is vital to the organization and how they can help. Efforts that help further a conservation program include: |
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Buying 80-percent-efficient power supplies, which help to lower air conditioning costs because they generate less heat in the work environment |
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Adjusting the thermostat |
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Turning off unnecessary lights at night |
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Placing paper recycling bins in key places |
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| Use email, the intranet, and staff meetings to disseminate information, and consider holding brownbag training sessions over lunch to accommodate employees' busy schedules. |
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Energy-efficient computing | |
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