The NIH procures energy efficient equipment and utilizes power settings to reduce electricity consumption and operating costs to meet electronic stewardship requirements in accordance with EPACT 2005 and EISA 2007.
- Procure Energy Star and FEMP Designated products when they are available.
- Establishing and implementing policies to enable power management, duplex printing, and other energy-efficient or features
- Reducing waste and costs associated with excess and surplus electronic products.
- Functional equipment is available for reuse, https://excessproductcatalog.od.nih.gov/ec/dashboard#!/home, first to NIH employees, then HHS employees, then other government agencies, and finally to other interested partied. Reusing existing equipment reduces acquisition and disposal costs.
- Nonfunctional equipment is recycled.
NIH Progress Towards Electronic Stewardship
Procurement Progress:
At the NIH, approximately 95% of acquired monitors, PCs, and laptops meet environmentally sustainable electronics criteria (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool [EPEAT] registered).
Power Management Progress:
At the NIH, 93.9% of equipment has power management enabled, with 4% of equipment exempted (scientific equipment and hospital/patient care systems that cannot be powered down).
End-of-Life Progress:
At the NIH, 100% of electronics are disposed using environmentally sound methods, including GSA Xcess, Computers for Learning, Unicor, U.S. Postal Service Blue Earth Recycling Program, or Certified Recycler (R2 or E-Stewards).
Regulations
EPACT 2005 - 42 U.S.C. § 8259b(b) requires Federal agencies are required to incorporate energy-efficiency criteria consistent with ENERGY STAR and Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) designated products for all procurements involving energy-consuming products and services.
EISA 2007 - U.S.C. § 8259b(e)(2)-(4) says that agencies are to buy products with low standby power of not more than 1 watt if the lower-wattage product is life cycle cost effective and if the performance of the product is not compromised.