Environmental benefits calculator available for evaluating computers

October 31, 2007

You can now calculate the environmental benefits of your EPEAT-registered desktop or laptop computer. The Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies at the University of Tennessee has developed the Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC) to assist institutional purchasers – including those in the Federal Electronic Challenge program – to quantifying the benefits of environmentally sound equipment. The tool is currently designed to evaluate desktop and laptop computers registered with EPEAT.

The metrics used to measure the environmental benefits of products include:

Savings in energy use
Savings in virgin material use (increase in recycled materials)
Savings in CO2 or greenhouse gas emissions
Savings in air emissions
Savings in water emissions
Savings is toxic materials
Savings in municipal solid waste generation
Savings in hazardous waste generation
Savings in cost

The University of Texas developed the calculator under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA and with support from Abt Associates and Dillon Environmental Associates.

The beta version of the calculator is in Excel format, but the EPA plans to make the calculator available soon as a web-based tool.

Posted by Rob Spiegel on October 31, 2007 | Comments (0)

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