Purchasing Toolkit – Consumer Electronics

ENERGY STAR® – Telephony (Cordless Telephones, Answering Machines)

Criteria for ENERGY STAR Qualified Telephony products

Product Category Standby Mode Power Consumption
  • Additional Handset
 <= 1 watt
  • Answering Machine
  • Cordless Telephone
  • Multi-Handset Cordless Telephone
 <= 2 watts
  • Answering Machine with SST
  • Cordless Telephone with SST
  • Multi-Handset Cordless Telephone with SST
  • Combination Cordless Telephone/Answering Machine
  • Multi-Handset Combination Cordless Telephone/Answering Machine
 <= 2.5 watts
  • Combination Cordless Telephone/Answering Machine with SST
  • Multi-Handset Combination Cordless Telephone/Answering Machine with SST

Note: Mobile/cellular and corded telephones may not qualify for ENERGY STAR at this time.

External Power Supply Requirements:

  • Any power consumed by the external power supply must be included when metering the unit for ENERGY STAR qualification.
  • All telephony products designed for use with external power supplies must use external power supplies that meet or exceed the ENERGY STAR requirements for single voltage external ac-dc and ac-ac power supplies.
  • Telephony manufacturers who incorporate external power supplies in their product design must use products that meet or exceed the ENERGY STAR specification for single voltage external ac-dc and ac-ac power supplies.

Cost Savings for ENERGY STAR Qualified Telephony

Below is a comparison of ENERGY STAR versus non-ENERGY STAR qualified products, based on the ENERGY STAR Simple Savings Calculator, Version 6.0. The calculator allows users to quantify expected energy and cost savings and estimate greenhouse gas emission reductions. This information can be used in business cases comparing ENERGY STAR qualified products and non-qualified products

Cost-Savings Example
Equipment 400 Cordless Phones (5 year life)
ENERGY STAR Non-ENERGY STAR
Annual Lifetime Annual Lifetime
Energy Consumption (kWh) 4,584 32,088 11,976 83,832
Energy Cost
(@ 11.6¢/kWh)		 $532 $2,125 $1,391 $5,552
Maintenance Cost $0 $0 $0 $0
Total Operating Cost $532 $2,125 $1,391 $5,552
Purchase Price   $22,000   $22,000
Total Life-cycle Cost   $24,125   $27,552
Total Energy Savings (kWh) 7,392 36,960    
Total Energy and
Maintenance Cost Savings		 $858 $3,427    
Emissions savings
(kg CO2 )		 1,478 7,392    
Payback Period 0 years (based on initial purchase price of $55 per unit)

The emissions savings resulting from purchasing 400 ENERGY STAR qualified cordless telephones, instead of 400 non-qualified units, are equivalent to planting 145 trees.

Sample Procurement Language for ENERGY STAR Qualified Telephony

You may wish to use the following procurement language in contracts to ensure you receive ENERGY STAR qualified telephony. As with all purchases, be sure to ask the appropriate questions to ensure that you get exactly what you want.

The vendor must

  • Verify that the model has been qualified to bear the ENERGY STAR symbol by a manufacturer participating in the ENERGY STAR initiative.
  • Provide telephony products that meet ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency. This means that products must not exceed maximum energy consumption in Standby mode, as per the Criteria section above.
  • Ensure that ENERGY STAR qualified products meet user requirements for performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness.

For bulk purchases and/or lease/maintenance agreements, include the provisions that - where applicable - the vendor must

  • Deliver all qualified products properly configured for current ENERGY STAR specifications.
  • Ensure that installation services include the full activation and proper configuration of any automatic energy-saving, power-down and/or power management features in order to maximize energy efficiency.
  • Ensure that maintenance services include the full re-activation and proper re-configuration of any automatic energy-saving, power-down and/or power management features to the terms of the current ENERGY STAR specifications at the time of service.
  • Customize sites and train users in order to maximize the energy efficiency of installed products.
  • Not disable power-management features except at the specific request of site staff.
  • Provide on-going customer support on all energy-saving, power-down and power management features.

Information Resources for ENERGY STAR Qualified Telephony

List of Models

Canada and the United States share ENERGY STAR qualified product lists.

On-line and downloadable lists of qualified models include the following information:

  1. Organization Name
  2. Brand Name
  3. Model Number
  4. Type
  5. Frequency
  6. Technology
  7. Spread Spectrum Technology (SST)
  8. Watts in Standby

How to Access

The list of qualified models on the U.S. ENERGY STAR Website at http://energystar.gov.

Product specifications for telephony are available on the ENERGY STAR website.

Original Data Source

Data supplied to EPA and NRCan by participating manufacturers.

Update Frequency

ENERGY STAR criteria are updated as required.

The list of qualified models on the ENERGY STAR website is updated as manufacturers report new information.

Definitions

Cordless Telephone: A commercially available electronic product with a base station and a handset whose purpose is to convert sound into electrical impulses for transmission. Most of these devices require an external power supply for power, are plugged into an ac power outlet for 24 hours a day, and do not have a power switch to turn them off. To qualify, the base station of the cordless phone or its power supply must be designed to plug into a wall outlet and there must not be a physical connection between the portable handset and the phone jack.

Answering Machine: A commercially available electronic product - also known as a telephone answering device (TAD) - whose purpose is to provide analog or digital storage of outgoing and incoming telephone messages by connecting to the telephone line between the phone and the phone jack. Most of these devices require an external power supply for power and are plugged into an ac power outlet for 24 hours a day. To qualify, the answering machine or its power supply must be designed to plug into a wall outlet.

Combination Cordless Telephone/Answering Machine: A commercially available electronic product in which the cordless telephone and answering machine are combined into a single unit and which meets all of the following criteria: the answering machine is included in the base station of the cordless telephone; it is not possible to measure the power requirements of the two components separately without removal of the telephone casing; and the unit is connected to the wall outlet through a single power cable. Most of these devices require an external power supply for power, are plugged into an ac power outlet for 24 hours a day, and do not have a power switch to turn them off. To qualify, the combination unit or its power supply must be designed to plug into a wall outlet.

Additional Handset: A commercially available electronic product with a handset, charging base and battery, designed for use with Multi-Handset capable phone systems. To qualify, the charging base of the cordless phone or its power supply must be designed to plug into a wall outlet and there must not be a physical connection between the portable handset and the phone jack.

Multi-Handset Model: This cordless phone system requires only one base and phone jack and, as the name implies, can support multiple cordless handsets. Each handset added to the system comes with a battery and a charging base.

Cellular Telephone: A cellular telephone uses radio waves to connect to the cellular telephone carrier. Cellular telephones are not eligible to carry the ENERGY STAR mark under this specification as they are not considered cordless telephones.

Corded Telephone: Corded telephones provide the same services as cordless telephones except that there is a physical connection between the handset and the jack, which limits the user's mobility while using the telephone. Corded telephones may or may not require an external power supply for power. Corded telephones and combination units are not covered by this cordless telephone specification and may not qualify as ENERGY STAR.

Spread Spectrum Technology (SST): There are two types of spread spectrum technology, direct sequence (e.g., digital spread spectrum or DSS) and frequency hoppers. Both types are available in some digital telephony products to provide enhanced transmission range, extendable portable numbers, and additional security.

Standby Mode: Lowest power consumption mode which cannot be switched off (influenced) by the user and that may persist for an indefinite time when an appliance is connected to the main electricity supply and used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Note: The standby mode is usually a non-operational mode when compared to the intended use of the appliance's primary function.2 For the purposes of this specification, standby mode is the condition in which the product is connected to a power source and is inactive (i.e., the unit is not transmitting a conversation or recharging a low battery); in TAD the product is idle. In this mode, conventional units may consume energy to operate circuitry and to overcharge rechargeable batteries.

2 This definition is consistent with IEC 62301: Household Electrical Appliances - Measurement of Standby Power.

Active Mode: The product is connected to a power source and is transmitting telephone conversation, and/or playing/recording a message, and/or supplying current to a low battery to charge it. The power requirement in this mode is typically greater than the power requirement in Standby Mode.

Disconnect: The product is disconnected from all external power sources.

External Power Supply (EPS): A component contained in a separate physical enclosure external to the telephony product casing and designed to convert line voltage ac input from the mains to lower dc voltage(s) for the purpose of powering the telephony product. An external power supply must connect to the telephony product via a removable or hard-wired male/female electrical connection, cable, cord or other wiring. For an expanded definition of an External Power Supply, please see the latest ENERGY STAR EPS specification.

Product Specification Summary
Name of current specification ENERGY STAR Technical Specifications for Telephony - Qualifying Criteria - Version 2.1
Effective date of current specification November 1, 2008
Notes on future updates  
Reminder: Always check the ENERGY STAR website to ensure you have the most current product specifications and other program information.

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