8 Gadgets to Green Your Office
This story appears in the March 2009 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Product:SoyPrint
Price: $60 to $199
How it saves: Now available for office printing, soy-based toners are recyclable, nontoxic and free of petroleum products. SoyPrint is compatible with Hewlett-Packard business printers and Canon fax machines, and it makes paper easier to recycle or even compost. SoyPrint toners for other brands are expected to roll out this month.
Product:Western Digital Caviar GreenPower Hard Drive
Price: Starting at $70
How it saves: Reduce power use and increase energy efficiency with GreenPower hard drives, which are quieter and cooler than their counterparts. These drives save 4 watts to 5 watts per year compared to standard drives.
Product:LED Lights
Price: $220
How it saves: Powered by Brillia LED modules, these lights use 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and 30 percent less than fluorescents. They also last longer and emit very little heat.
Product:Encore Electronics Thin Client
Price: $110
How it saves: Reduce the power you use while computing by having multiple workers share a PC or server's computing power. One PC can power about 10 Thin Clients; one server can power about 30. A Thin Client uses only 5 watts to 10 watts a year, whereas a desktop uses about 350 watts.
Product:Solio Magnesium Edition Hybrid Charger
Price: $170
How it saves: This solar- and wall-powered portable charger has a USB input for devices like iPhones, and comes with a set of Universal iGo tips to connect to various phones. One hour of sun will give you 20 minutes of talk time, and its battery stores a charge for up to a year.
Product:Critical Links EdgeBox
Price: Starting at $2,500
How it saves: Replace four to six standalone communications devices with this small box that consolidates your phone system, e-mail server, web server, fax, security, VPN, data storage and more. It saves materials and power, and can be scaled from 10 to 300 employees.
Product:Dell OptiPlex 960 Desktop Energy Efficient
Price: Starting at $863
How it saves: This PC's energy-saving features let you use 43 percent less power than the previous model. Dell uses at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled plastic on the compact structure and up to 89 percent recyclable packaging. The desktop also has optional QuietKit technology to reduce noise by 60 percent.
Product:Occupancy Motion Sensor Llight Switches
Price: $18 to $62
How it saves: Don't waste electricity by leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms. With simple-to-install infrared occupancy detectors, you won't have to worry about anyone forgetting to flip the switch.
