Plug loads are on energy managers’ radar, and an article in Buildings lays out some ways to reduce plug load energy.
1. Help occupants improve their energy-saving behavior by providing accurate information about plug loads. For instance, it saves energy to turn off computers, but many people have the mistaken belief that turning them off and on again wastes more energy than it saves.
2. There’s a difference between computer standby mode and idle mode. Make sure computer settings default to standby mode.
3. Implement enterprise-level computer energy management so employees can’t completely override power management settings.
4. Smart plug strips can augment power savings by using timers, load sensors or occupancy sensors to shut off power to certain devices when no one is using them.
Photo: Computers via Shutterstock