"Remove and Retrain" to Take a (Plug) Load Off

By Erin WeaverWith plug-in devices accounting for 15%–20% of the average office’s energy use, a new guide from the New Buildings Institute (NBI) outlines steps to cut office plug loads by up to 40%. The largest plug loads come from computers, monitors, and peripherals such as speakers; The Plug Loads Best Practices Guide suggests no- and low-cost steps, from inexpensive hardware like timers and advanced power strips to simply making sure devices’ power-saving settings are enabled.

NBI senior project manager Amy Cortese says the guide will “help office managers engage tenants and occupants, [who] can and should play a significant role in managing energy use.” The guide offers five steps for plug load reduction, simplified as “Review, Remove, Replace, Reduce, Retrain,” which sum up the process of eliminating unnecessary devices and making sure office staff know when and how to power down.

The guide is available through NBI’s Advanced Buildings website at www.advancedbuildings.net/plug-loads.