Federal Energy Efficiency Acquisition Guidance and Requirements for Low Standby Power Products
Updated December 2011
The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA 2007) and Executive Order 13221 require Federal agencies to purchase products with a standby power level of 1 watt or less.
For many product categories the ENERGY STAR® program considers standby energy use. However, for the product categories listed below, Federal buyers must ensure that purchases meet both ENERGY STAR and low standby power requirements. FEMP maintains a list of low standby power–compliant products in its Low Standby Power Data Center. Federal laws and executive orders mandate that agencies meet these efficiency requirements in all procurement and acquisition actions that are not specifically exempted by law.
This product category overview covers the following:
- Low Standby Power Requirements
- Contracting Considerations
- Buyer Tips: How to Choose Efficient Products
- Determining Cost Effectiveness
Low Standby Power Requirements
Low standby power requirements for various product categories are outlined in the following table. Federal purchases must meet these low standby power requirements.
| Table 1. Energy Efficiency Requirements for Low Standby Power Product Categories | |
|---|---|
| Product Category | Purchasing Requirements |
| Cordless phones | Buy products rated 1 watt or less in the Standby Power Data Center |
| Desktop computers, workstations, and docking stations |
|
| Fax/printer machines | |
| All other product types | |
| Microwave ovens | Buy products rated 2 watts or less in the Standby Power Data Center |
| Consumer audio | Buy ENERGY STAR–qualified products1 |
| Copiers | |
| Displays and computer monitors | |
| DVD players | |
| Laptop and integrated computers | |
| Multifunction imaging devices | |
| Printers | |
| Scanners | |
| Televisions (TVs) | |
| TV/VCR/DVD combos | |
1 For these categories, FEMP has determined that greater than 80% of ENERGY STAR-qualified products meet or exceed a 1-watt standby power requirement.
When buying or specifying products listed in the table above, Federal agencies must ensure the product is ENERGY STAR qualified and meets the low standby power requirement. Note that microwave ovens are not covered by the ENERGY STAR program and thus do not have to be ENERGY STAR qualified. Federal customers must also ensure that 95% of computer and computer monitor purchases qualify as Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) products each year. Electronic products not listed in the table above must meet a standby power level of 1 watt or less unless such a product is not available or is not cost effective in the intended application. In that case, the buyer should seek a product with the lowest standby power level available.
Contracting Considerations
These requirements apply to all forms of procurement, including construction guide specifications and project specifications; renovation, repair, maintenance, and energy service contracts; lease agreements; acquisitions made using purchase cards; and solicitations for offers. Energy efficiency requirements should be included in both the evaluation criteria of solicitations and the evaluations of solicitation responses.
FAR Part 23.206 requires Federal agencies to insert the clause at FAR section 52.223-15 in solicitations and contracts that deliver, acquire, furnish, or specify energy-consuming products. FEMP recommends that agencies incorporate efficiency requirements into both the technical specification and evaluation sections of solicitations. Agencies may claim an exception to these requirements through a written finding that no ENERGY STAR qualified or FEMP-designated product is available to meet the functional requirements, or that no such product is life-cycle cost effective for the specific application. Additional information on Federal requirements is available.
Buyer Tips: How to Choose Efficient Products
Some electronic products consume electricity even when they appear to be turned off. This power consumption is known as standby power and occurs for a variety of reasons. In some cases, standby power allows the product to receive signals from a remote control, network, or soft key pad. In others, standby power is consumed because the external power supply or some internal circuit is not disconnected when the device is turned off.
FEMP defines standby power as the power consumed by a product in its lowest power consuming mode, which typically occurs when the product is switched off or not performing its primary purpose. Note that some organizations use the term to refer to all low power modes. FEMP does not consider standby power as a mode, but rather a level of power consumption that occurs when a device is in the lowest power consuming mode.
Determining Cost Effectiveness
An efficient product is cost effective when the energy cost savings over its functional lifetime exceed any initial incremental cost above a base model (i.e., energy cost savings are greater than additional costs at time of purchase). Federal purchasers may assume that ENERGY STAR–qualified products and products meeting FEMP-designated efficiency requirements are life-cycle cost effective. However, users wishing to determine cost effectiveness for their application may do so using the cost effectiveness example below.
In this cost effectiveness example, an agency purchase of 100 desktop computers that meet the required low standby power level (1 watt or less) will save the agency $36-$236 in lifetime energy costs. Because low standby power desktop computers do not typically come with a price premium (also known as incremental or additional cost), the agency can capture all the energy cost savings.
| Table 2. Cost Effectiveness Example for Standby Power Consumption: 100 Desktop Computers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Level | Required Level | Best Available | |
| Standby Consumption (watt) | 1.18 | 1 | 0.01 |
| Annual Standby Energy Consumption (kilowatt-hours/year) | 708 | 600 | 0 |
| Annual Cost of Standby Energy Consumption | $64 | $54 | $0 |
| Lifetime Cost of Standby Energy Consumption1 | $236 | $200 | $0 |
| Lifetime Cost Savings2 | - | $36 | $236 |
1 This assumes the computers are operated for 4 years, spend 6,000 hours per year in standby (based on IEC 62301 V1.0-2005), and that electricity costs $0.09 per kilowatt-hour. It also builds in future electricity price trends and discount rates based on Federal guidelines.
2 This assumes that the low standby energy computer is available for the same price as a high standby energy computer. Federal agencies will find that this is often the case.
To adjust this cost effectiveness example using a different electricity price, multiply the typical lifetime energy cost savings above by this ratio:
(Your price in $0.00/kilowatt-hours) ÷ ($0.09/kilowatt-hours)
To adjust the hours a device is consuming power at the standby power level, multiply the typical lifetime energy cost savings above by this ratio:
(Your hours) ÷ (6,000 hours)