Energy Star and Barcoding
What does the Energy Star mean for printing and barcode scanning?
You see the Energy Star qualified label on many products sold these days, from household appliances, building products and computer equipment, to name a few. So what is it and what does it really mean?
The Energy Star symbol is an internationally recognized symbol for energy efficiency. Originally it was a developed by the US government and has been adapted by the European Union (EU) and other countries. The goal of this rating is to identify products that have superior energy efficiency, so consumers and organizations can easily recognize these products as so and thus save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by buying these products over others that do not meet this efficiency.
Products can earn this Energy Star rating by meeting the energy efficiency requirements outlined in the Energy Star product specifications. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes these specifications based on the following set of key guiding principles:
- Product categories must contribute significant energy savings
- Qualified products must deliver the features and performance demanded by consumers, in addition to increased energy efficiency
- If the qualified product costs more than a conventional, less-efficient counterpart, purchasers will recover their investment in increased energy efficiency through utility bill savings, within a reasonable period of time
- Energy efficiency can be achieved through broadly available, non-proprietary technologies offered by more than one manufacturer
- Product energy consumption and performance can be measured and verified with testing
- Labeling would effectively differentiate products and be visible for purchasers
In regards to printers and scanners, computerized workstations must meet maximum power consumption requirements and meet energy use guidelines in “off” and “idle” modes of operation, and also have efficient internal or external power supplies.
For further information on Energy Star qualified printers and scanners, and to learn more about your options on your printer and scanning needs, call us as (800) 643-2664 and immediately talk to one of our friendly representatives; or chat us up on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn!
References: http://www.energystar.gov/products/how-product-earns-energy-star-label
