The Most Energy Efficient Color Laser Printers For 2022

Ever since the Energy Star classification rating has been put into practical use, color laser printers have ceased to be power gluttons. Before a laser printer can be energy star qualified, power consumption must adhere within the range specified. In order to comply and be energy efficient, advances in technology has to be implemented specifically in the print engine design that streamlines the printing process and together with the fuser design, which is the main printer component that eats up a lot of electrical energy. In addition, further printer innovation aims to complete a perfectly envisioned printer package. 

To be classified as energy efficient, manufacturers designed the fuser assembly to provide instant heat-on capability so it could be turned-off during moments when the color laser printer is idle. True to the design assumption, power consumption has indeed dropped substantially. Since printing conditions in offices are typically intermittent, the printer is devised to cut power automatically to the fuser but springs back to an active state whenever a new printing job is on the line. The new fuser design has eliminated the waiting time that is required to reach fusing temperature, thus intermittent printing can be handled effectively and be considered an energy star qualified device.

To meet the design criteria, energy star qualified printers undergo three varying levels to determine their energy usage. During printing mode, power use is expected to be high since all the components are operating. While waiting for a new print job, the printer shifts to the stand-by mode that reduces energy usage to as much as 85% (75watts). Moreover, when the print job frequency is far in between, the printer shifts to sleep mode where power consumption drops even further to less than 5 watts. The varying levels of energy use from printing mode, stand-by, and sleep mode makes the color laser printer precisely energy efficient.

Hereunder are eight color laser printers that meet the criteria of being energy star qualified along with their corresponding power consumption levels from power mode, stand-by mode, and sleep mode. To create a more comprehensive classification that is not just in terms of its energy efficient status, the upfront cost of the printer is included.

Remember, when looking for a color laser printer to boost printing productivity, choose one that is energy efficient. Since there are hundreds of printer models available today, choosing an energy star qualified printer guarantees low and practical power consumption.