Imaging Equipment for Consumers

Imaging equipment includes copiers and fax machines; digital duplicators; printers, scanners and all-in-one devices; as well as mailing machines. The current ENERGY STAR specification for imaging equipment became effective on July 1, 2009.

Copiers and fax machines are the most energy-intensive type of office equipment because they are left on for long periods of time - in some case, 24 hours per day.

Digital duplicators employ the ink-on-paper process to copy documents. A "master" copy of a document is wrapped around a print cylinder, and then ink squeezes through the cylinder into tiny holes in the master onto a sheet of paper. Digital duplicators can use environmentally friendly and biodegradable master and inks, making them an alternative to copiers for high-volume printing.

On average, imaging equipment models that meet the revised ENERGY STAR criteria will be 40% more efficient.

ENERGY STAR qualified imaging equipment:

• Delivers the same performance as less efficient, conventional equipment. Models that meet the revised ENERGY STAR imaging equipment criteria will be more efficient and save users money over the lifetime of the product.
• Feature efficient designs that help equipment run cooler and last longer, so businesses that use these products may also save on air conditioning and maintenance.

Remember, saving energy prevents pollution.

• If all imaging equipment sold met the new ENERGY STAR requirements, annual savings would grow to nearly 4 million metrics tons of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2), equivalent to emissions from more than 700,000 cars.
• If all businesses replaced their stock of imaging equipment with units meeting the new ENERGY STAR specification, Americans would save about 5 billion kWh/yr (nearly 10 percent of current commercial imaging equipment consumption); these savings translate into $3.60 per 100 square feet of U.S. office floor space.

In 2007, EPA revised and consolidated the four separate imaging equipment specifications (copiers and fax machines, digital duplicators, printers, scanners and multi-function devices and mailing machines) into a single specification addressing total energy consumption (TEC).

Learn How a Product Earns the Label

These are the top FAQs related to Imaging Equipment and the ENERGY STAR program.