LEARN MORE AT energystar.gov ENERGY STAR® is a U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency program helping businesses and individuals fight global warming through superior energy efficiency. immmutii tS STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS - BEST PRACTICES TO ENSURE PURCHASING OF ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED EQUIPMENT Best Practice #1: At the Highest Levels of the Organization, Set Policy to Require Procurement of ENERGY STAR Qualified Products Massachusetts, like many other states, has the ENERGY STAR purchasing requirement specified in an Executive Order. Executive Order 484 established the Leading by Example program, whose purpose is to: Oversee and coordinate efforts at state agencies, including all UMass campuses and all state and community colleges, to reduce their environmental impact. In addition, Executive Order 515 requires that Massachusetts state agencies: Procure only ENERGY STAR rated office equipment, appliances, HVAC equipment, and other ENERGY STAR rated products unless such products can be demonstrated to be cost prohibitive over their life. Best Practice #2: Specify ENERGY STAR in Requests for Response (RFRs) and Contracts Over the years and more recently in response to these Executive Orders, the Commonwealth's central purchasing office, the Operational Services Division (OSD), has successfully incorporated specifications for energy efficiency into more than a dozen requests for responses and statewide contracts, including but not limited to electrical and lighting supplies, IT hardware, cleaning equipment, and more. For example, section 3.7 of the RFR entitled "Food Service Equipment - Institutional Commercial Grade - Large and Small with Related Maintenance and Repair Services (GR024)" contains the following clause: Energy Efficiency Criteria - As part of the statewide program to promote environmentally preferable products, "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is proud of their commitment to energy efficiency - including completely embracing ENERGY STAR products and activating sleep settings on office equipment." - Marcia Deegler, Director of Environmental Purchasing, Commonwealth of Massachusetts April 2011 ------- it is the goal of the PMT to promote the use of products which conserve energy to lessen impacts on air quality and reduce energy costs. Purchasing efficient products to optimize energy management reduces energy costs without compromising quality. For purposes of this RFR, Bidders must provide products that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency. Specifications for selected equipment are indicated in Attachment A, titled ENERGY STAR Commercial Foodservice Equipment: Sample Procurement Language. For other equipment not listed on the Attachment, Bidders are encouraged to visit www.energystar.gov for complete product specifications and updated lists of qualifying products. Please see the additional "ENERGYSTAR" specifications located under the "Specification" tab on Comm-PASS (www.comm-pass.com). In cases where ENERGY STAR specifications may not yet be developed, the Commonwealth reserves the right to negotiate with awarded contractors at any time during the contract term and all extensions, the addition of energy efficient institutional /commercial equipment to any approved lists, the limitation of non-energy efficient equipment, the establishment of programs to promote the purchase and use of energy efficient equipment, and the creation of any other appropriate programs to promote energy efficiency which are in the best interests of the Commonwealth. All state RFRs require that the Environmentally Preferable Products form be filled out that includes information about their purchasing energy efficient office equipment. Sample contract language can be found at www.energystar.gov/purchasing Best Practice #3: Train All Appropriate Parties Massachusetts Operational Services Division (OSD) offers a variety of free training opportunities for both the buying community (Commonwealth staff, municipalities, other public entities), and for the seller community (current vendors on statewide contract and other vendors wishing to do business with the Commonwealth). Where appropiate, these trainings include an explanation of the ENERGY STAR requirements for the buying and seller community. Best Practice #4: Enforce the Contract Requirements During the RFR process, potential bidders must submit documents verifying the ability to meet ENERGY STAR purchasing requirements. In addition, states agencies are required to purchase through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Procurement Access and Solicitation System (Comm-PASS), which provides a simple means to locate the appropriate state contracts, which all require ENERGY STAR qualified products. Best Practice #5: Require Power Management Massachusetts requires the enablement of power management "sleep" features on equipment as well. Vendors are required to offer training on activating power managementfeatures of office equipment. Specifically, Executive Order 515 requires that Massachusetts state agencies: Ensure that all ENERGY STAR equipment has the power saving mode enabled at the time of installation and that all staff are aware of and use these functions and their benefits. For example, the contract entitled "Photocopiers, Facsimiles, Digital Duplicators and Service; Copier, Fax, Digital Duplicator and Printer Supplies (0FF32)" contains the following clauses regarding power management: • All equipment sold in this category must be delivered with the ENERGY STAR power management features enabled. • Installation, service and technical support performed as part of the leasing and/or maintenance agreement must include the proper configuration of power management features according to the current EnergyStar specifications for that class of equipment and the proper configuration of duplexing features, at the time of service. • Personnel involved in system integration, site customization, equipment maintenance and technical support must: » Ensure that power management and duplexing features remain installed and functional at all times. » Carry out their services so as to maximize the energy efficiency of the installed product. » Treat the malfunction of power management or duplexing features as functional failures of the equipment, and must diagnose and repair those problems rather than disable the power management features. In addition, the Information Technology Division has an entire separate initiative devoted to power management of computers, including a statewide policy called "Enterprise Desktop Power Management Standards." For help in establishing or implementing your ENERGY STAR purchasing requirement, please contact espurchasing@cadmusgroup.com April 2011 ------- |