EU-US deal on energy savings from office equipment[fr][de] 

The Commission expects energy savings in the magnitude of 22 TWh in the EU alone, from purchases made in the next three years once the new criteria have entered into force on 1 July. The savings will accrue over the next four to six years, and are expected to be comparable to the annual energy consumption of Ireland.

More stringent specifications for computers would save 18 TWh, while including imaging equipment like faxes and printers would cut energy use by a further 4TWh compared to the business-as-usual scenario.

The 'Energy Star' is a voluntary label awarded to consumer appliances that comply with specified energy-efficiency standards. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set up the scheme in 1992, and it has become the market standard in the States. The EU introduced the label for office equipment in 2001.

According to the EPA, imaging equipment that fulfils the new requirements will be 14% more efficient than current Energy Star models. Computers meeting the new specification will use between 30% and 60% less energy, the agency says.

"The new criteria are an important contribution to reach the EU's energy efficiency targets. Energy Star is a very successful example of energy efficiency cooperation with the US, delivering concrete energy and CO2 savings worldwide, while saving citizens' and enterprises' money," said Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

Both member-state governments and the EU institutions have a binding obligation to apply standards at least as high as the Energy Star criteria in public procurement. The Commission hopes this will drive consumption towards more efficient equipment, contributing to the EU's target to use 20% less energy by 2020 (see EurActiv LinksDossier).

The EU executive plans to add criteria for other office equipment such as servers and date storage equipment soon.