The U.S. Department of Energy and its contract partner, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), at the Savannah River Site (SRS) were recently recognized as a 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award winner, celebrating leaders in sustainable electronics procurement.

This national recognition by the Global Electronics Council (GEC), the non-profit organization managing the EPEAT ecolabel, emphasized the environmental benefits and energy-related savings obtained by SRS during 2023— including a total cost-savings of $122,338 due to the use of 17,157 EPEAT registered electronics purchased.

Use of EPEAT-qualified equipment during 2023 resulted in: o a reduction of 727,628 kilograms of CO2 equivalents; o a savings of 2,647,375 kilowatt-hours of electricity; o the elimination of 60,596 kilograms of solid waste; o a savings of 5,115,760 liters of water; and o a monetary savings of $122,338.

EPEAT registered products and SRS guidelines seek to minimize levels of toxic components, ensure the highest level of energy efficiency, incorporate recycled content, facilitate end-of-life recycling, and reduce unnecessary packaging.

One of the key contributors in this achievement is the SRNS Preferred Hardware List (PHL), which helps expedite the buying process for common supplies and standardizes technology to reduce overall risk.

"The list was developed to help end users choose a product model that is energy efficient, least impactful to the environment, and pre-approved by Counterintelligence and Security,” said Tracy Padgett, Requisition Security Review Coordinator and Supply Chain Risk Management Coordinator. “In addition, EPEAT allows SRS to efficiently address the lifecycle impacts of common electronic purchases.”

The PHL contains alternatives for frequently purchased items like computers, displays, printers, copiers, network equipment, mobile phones, servers, photovoltaic modules, inverters, and televisions.

“We are thrilled to be awarded the EPEAT Purchaser Award for the fourth consecutive year,” said Bruce Page, SRNS M&O Chief Information Officer. “As a winner, SRS receives a calculation of the environmental and cost benefits associated with our EPEAT registered purchases. We must continue to utilize EPEAT products to help meet our mission to protect the environment for future generations.”

The 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Awards virtual ceremony will be held July 25.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor and HII partnership company, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina