Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator Patricia Dillon, Dillon Environmental Associates & Maria Leet Socolof, Abt Associates Federal Environmental Symposium May 2, 2006

Overview of Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator Allows institutions to quantify the environmental benefits of electronics stewardship  Purchasing EPP products  Reducing energy consumption during use  Extending product life  Reuse and recycling of equipment For federal agencies, measures benefits of  Selecting EPEAT-registered products  Participating in the Federal Electronics Challenge

Overview of EEBC Tool (cont.) Translates performance criteria and activities into estimates of quantifiable environmental benefits  Support decision making and resource allocation  Report on program achievements Can be used to evaluate results of facility, agency or programmatic initiatives Currently focuses on computer equipment only Funded by the US EPA through a cooperative agreement with the University of Tennessee

Calculator Examples Criteria/ActivityMetric or “Benefit” RoHS Compliance Quantity of toxic heavy metals avoided – total and breakdown Hazardous waste reduction Energy Star Compliance Greenhouse gas emission reduction Energy savings Cost savings Use of Post Consumer Recycled Plastic Greenhouse gas emission reduction Energy savings Material conservation Municipal solid waste reduction Equipment Reuse & Recycling Greenhouse gas emission reduction Energy savings Material conservation Municipal solid waste reduction Hazardous waste reduction

How the Calculator Works Defines measurable criteria based on  EPEAT product attributes  FEC program activities Defines “baseline” products & activities by inventory metrics  E.g., quantity of hazardous material, energy use Calculates environmental performance or “benefit” of EPP product or activity compared to baseline Applies equivalency factors where applicable (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions) Incorporates life cycle data where possible

Sample Data Agency Can Get from Environmental Benefits Calculator Agency achieved the following environmental benefits:  X kWh of energy use reduced  X pounds of GHG emissions reduced  X pounds of toxic materials and hazardous wastes reduced  X pounds of non-hazardous materials reduced  X pounds of air and water emissions reduced  X pounds of waste diverted from landfills  X dollars of costs reduced or saved Purchase 1000 EPEAT qualified products Donate 200 computers Recycle 800 computers

Benefits Calculated for Each Criteria

Calculator Features User friendly Excel spreadsheet  Future web-based application User inputs based on data availability – E.g., FEC Annual Reporting Form Modularity allows 1, 2 or 3 life cycle phases  Purchase, use, and/or end-of-life disposition Analysis options for EPEAT purchases  Basic analysis: limited data inputs; more default values  Customized analysis: more data inputs; override defaults

Calculator Results Quantities for each metric – Aggregate – By product & criteria Graphs of results – By metric (mass-based, energy, cost) – By life cycle phase (purchase, use, eol) – By criteria Equivalents (future versions)

Sample Results Aggregate Savings by Inventory Metric

Sample Results Savings By Product & Criteria

Sample Graphs – Aggregate Mass-Based Results

Sample Graphs By Life Cycle Activity

Sample Graphs By Criteria