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No- and low-cost approaches to saving energy in offices
can reduce plug loads by 40 percent 

 New guide outlines best practices for cutting energy used by plug-in devices  
 

July 19, 2012 - A new energy efficiency guide released today by New Buildings Institute (NBI)  outlines five no- and low-cost solutions for reducing office plug loads. The Plug Load Best Practices Guide will help office managers and occupants alike tackle the growing challenge of plug load energy use.    Plug Load Best Practices Guide

 

Plug loads are one of the fastest growing sources of energy use in commercial buildings today. On average, plug loads account for 15-20 percent of office electricity use. For offices that have already improved the efficiency of their lighting and HVAC systems, that number can be as much as 50 percent. The impact of plug loads can be reduced by up to 40 percent through a combination of no- and low-cost steps such as aggressive power management settings, inexpensive hardware controllers like timers and advanced plug strips, and occupant-based strategies. When the time comes to replace equipment, thoughtful procurement of new energy-efficient models can also lead to lowered energy bills. The biggest opportunity for plug load reduction is minimizing device time and idle modes. Occupant education can also play an enormous role in reducing and managing plug load energy use.  

 

The Plug Load Best Practices Guide presents five no and low-cost steps--from auditing plug loads to retraining staff and occupants--and includes a section on reducing the plug load associated with data servers and server rooms, which can consume more than two-thirds of the energy used by office equipment in small offices.  

 

The guide, based on research by Ecova and NBI, is available through NBI's Advanced Buildings suite of tools and resources to support the design and operation of high performance buildings. Funding support was provided by the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program.  

 

Read the Guide     

 

More About the Guide    

    

Contact:

Maggie Gulick 

Communications Manager, NBI 

(360) 567-0950  ext. 111

maggie@newbuildings.org 

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