Saving energy to prevent global warming
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Environmental Performance of the Energy-Saving Mode
 (Ricoh Group/Japan)
To encourage more customers to use the energy-saving mode more often, it is important to drive the environmental benefits of using the mode home to customers. We are therefore actively communicating a comparison of the electricity consumption level (in terms of TEC*1) with the effective energy-saving mode activated on a Ricoh multifunctional digital full-color copier and with it not activated. The imagio MP C3500 series uses Ricoh's original Color QSU technology. Launched in May 2006, this model exhibits outstanding energy-saving performance, such as a recovery time of less than 18 seconds from energy-saving mode and about one-fourth the gross energy consumption of the previous model.*2 Users can substantially reduce their electricity consumption, electricity costs, and CO2 emissions (see the chart below) by using the energy-saving mode.
*1 |
TEC: Typical Electricity Consumption, presenting the assumed consumption level per week under typical conditions of use. |
| *2 |
A reference figure to compare the performance of the new imagio MP C3500SP with the previous imagio Neo C355 Model 75 using the revised Energy Star TEC Measuring Procedure, which became effective in April 2007. |
| *3 |
In terms of the TEC (Typical Electricity Consumption) value as defined by the International ENERGY STAR Program. Calculation based on the daily electricity consumption x five days (weekdays) + the electricity consumption in off-mode/sleep-mode x two days (weekends). |
| *4 |
Calculation based on 48 working weeks per year. |
| *5 |
Calculation based on 1 kWh = ¥23. |
| *6 |
Calculation based on CO2 conversion coefficient = 0.378 kg/kWh (based on the Guidelines for accounting and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial commercial sectors (2003) by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment). |
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Encouraging the Use of Energy-Saving Mode
(Ricoh Group/Japan)
Our customer survey shows that less than 10% of our customers use energy-saving mode regularly. To encourage the use of this helpful function to reduce environmental impact, Ricoh distributed stickers which aim to remind the user of the benefits of the energy-saving mode to customers and requested them to put the stickers on their Ricoh products. We have also prepared awareness-raising posters to encourage energy-saving and paperless operations.
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| Poster to encourage duplex printing (for Kyushu region) |
Poster to encourage energy- saving |
Developing Energy-Saving Products |
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Evolution of Energy-Saving Technology QSU
QSU (Quick Start-Up) is Ricoh's original energy-saving technology developed to achieve effective energy conservation for copiers. It enables quick recovery from energy-saving mode, allowing users to make copies whenever they need to. According to a customer survey, the longer it takes to recover from energy-saving mode,
the less energy-saving mode is used. Ricoh has poured its efforts into developing QSU technology in a way that satisfies both user-friendliness and energy conservation so that our customers will use the energy-saving mode more often. In 2001, we launched the imagio Neo 350 series, the first multifunctional monochrome copiers equipped with QSU, and received the Minister of Economy,
Trade and Industry Prize, the highest energy-saving award in Japan. Following that, we introduced HYBRID QSU, an integration of traditional QSU technology and capacitors (electric storage devices), in high-speed multifunctional digital copiers and have reinforced the lineup of QSU-equipped products ranging from low-speed monochrome copiers to high-speed copiers.1 In fiscal 2006, Ricoh developed Color QSU technology,
which adopts the IH2 fusing system and achieved a reduction in recovery time from energy-saving mode for multifunctional color copiers, which had been a difficult challenge. We also developed energy-saving printers that use our GELJET technology, including the IPSiO GX 2500 launched in September 2007, with maximum energy consumption of less than 35 watts, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of a fluorescent light.
*1 |
Capacitors are incorporated only in the 100V machines marketed in Japan. |
| *2 |
IH stands for "Induction Heating," a technology that heats metal instantly with the magnetic force generated by an electric current passing through a coil. This technology is also widely adopted in electric rice-cookers and stoves. |
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 QSU energy saving technology
GELJET Technology
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