[LINK] Computer Energy Standard Workshop, 8 February, Sydney

[Tom Worthington]

The Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) is holding a free Labeling 
Workshop for Computers and Monitors, 8 February 2008 in Sydney. The 
Australian state and federal governments, along with New Zealand, are 
considering making the US energy star standards 
<http://www.energystar.gov.au/products/computers.html> mandatory for 
computer and monitors sold from October 2009. There is a Fact Sheet 
<http://www.energyrating.gov.au/library/details2007-factsheet-computer-monitor.html> 
and Technical Report 
<http://www.energyrating.gov.au/library/details200712-computers-monitors.html> 
available on the proposal.

The new Minimum Energy Performance Standard 
<http://www.energyrating.gov.au/library/pubs/200712-computers-monitors.pdf> 
is intended to apply to corporate, private and government computer 
purchases, with non-complying products being prohibited. Energy 
rating labels similar to those on consumer appliances would be 
attached to computers. Australian federal government agencies are 
already supposed to purchase "Energy Star" standard computers (as are 
US Government Agencies) under a 1997 policy on Measures for Improving 
Energy Efficiency in Commonwealth Operations 
<http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/government/energyuse/pubs/measures.pdf>. 
However, the policy was not actively promoted in Australia.

The workshop will cover the reasons for energy efficiency standards 
and labeling, why this should apply to ICT equipment, if the scheme 
should be voluntary or compulsory, how it could be implemented. A 
similar workshop was held in 20 December 2007 on energy labelling for 
televisions <http://www.energyrating.gov.au/forums-2007-televisions.html>.

I will be providing the lunch time talk at the workshop and proposing 
that a new category of "thin client" desk top computers of 25 Watts 
or less be added to the standard. Units such as the 
Zonbu 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/technology/it/it_carbon_footprint/#thin>, 
consume less than 20 Watts, which is far less than the smallest 50 W 
category in the ENERGY STAR computer specifications V4.0. Use of such 
devices should be encouraged, as a way to reduce energy use.

The workshop is free and anyone involved in ICT is welcome. RSVP: 
Dana Domazet, Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Team, DEWHA, Email: 
dana.domazet at environment.gov.au



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, ANU