Using government purchasing power to reduce equipment standby power Page: 1 of 14
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Jeffrey Harris - 4,056
Using Government Purchasing Power
to Reduce Equipment Standby PowerJeffrey Harris
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
901 D Street SW, Suite 950
Washington DC 20024 USA
Email: JPHarris~tlbl.gov
Emily Bartholomew
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
1 Cyclotron Road
Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
Email: esbartholomew(Zlbl.gov
Joan Glickman
Federal Energy Management Program
US Department of Energy, Routing EE-2L
1000 Independence Ave. SW
Washington DC 20585 USA
Email: joan.glickmanAhq.doe.govAlan Meier
International Energy Agency/OECD
(on leave from LBNL)
9 rue de la Federation
Paris Cedex 15 FRANCE
Alison Thomas, US DOE
Federal Energy Management Program
US Department of Energy, Routing EE-2L
1000 Independence Ave. SW
Washington DC 20585 USA
Email: Alison.thomasZee.doe.gov
Michelle Ware
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
901 D Street SW, Suite 950
Washington DC 20024 USA
Email: MJWareZlbl.govKeywords
standby power; public procurement; market transformation; energy-efficient equipment; office equipment;
consumer electronics; Energy Star
Abstract
Although the government sector represents only 10 to 15 percent of the economy in most countries, carefully
targeted public procurement can play a significant role in market transformation through its influence on both
buyers and suppliers. Government leadership in energy-efficient purchasing can set an example for other buyers,
while creating opportunities for leading manufacturers and distributors to increase their sales and market share by
offering energy-efficient products at competitive prices. Under proper circumstances, a highly visible government
purchasing policy can have a disproportionately large influence on the market for efficient products.
In the United States, President Bush signed an Executive Order in 2001 directing all federal agencies to buy
products with low standby power (1 watt or less where possible). This represents a deliberate choice to use
government purchasing - rather than regulations or incentives - as a market-based strategy to encourage energy
savings. It also builds upon existing efforts to encourage Federal purchase of energy-efficient products (Energy Star
products and others in the top 25th percentile of efficiency).
This paper summarizes the Federal Energy Management Program's first 18 months of experience in implementing
this Executive Order, including analysis of data on standby power, interactions with manufacturers and industry
groups, and the relationship between these efforts and other federal programs concerning product labelling, testing,
rating, and efficiency standards. After five years of implementing low-standby power purchasing, we estimate
energy savings for federal agencies alone at about 230 GWh/year (worth US$14 million), with spillover effects on
the broader market that will save all US consumers nearly 4000 GWh/year (US$300 million).
Introduction - What is Standby Power; Why Does It Matter?
A rapidly growing number of small and not-so-small devices with electronic circuits, sensors, or displays are
currently designed so that they continue to use a small amount of electricity even when they are not performing a
primary function, like processing data, receiving and displaying a video signal, charging a battery, or printing a
page.1 Many of these products do not even have an off-switch, or where there is a switch, it may shut off only
secondary circuits, leaving the primary circuit connected to the mains and the power supply still drawing power.
1 For general background on standby, see http://www.standby.lbl.gov/.1 of 14
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Harris, Jeffrey; Meier, Alan; Bartholomew, Emily; Thomas, Alison; Glickman, Joan & Michelle, Ware. Using government purchasing power to reduce equipment standby power, article, March 3, 2003; Berkeley, California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc738101/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.