June 18, 2008 - EPEAT-certified green electronics sold in 2007 will save buyers nearly $4 billion dollars over the products' lifecycles, according to a new report from the nonprofit Green Electronics Council (GEC), which manages the EPEAT system.

EPEAT is a procurement tool to help institutional purchasers evaluate and select desktop computers, notebooks, and monitors based on their environmental performance. All EPEAT-certified products must meet 23 environmental criteria, including U.S. Energy Star and European RoHS requirements.

The market for such products is clearly expanding, according to the report. Sales of EPEAT-registered products worldwide in 2007 totaled more than 109 million individual units - a 150% increase compared to 2006, when the EPEAT system was first introduced. EPEAT desktop and laptop sales constituted more than 22% of total worldwide units shipped in 2007, compared with 10% in 2006.

“EPEAT’s market penetration and impact is expanding at an astonishing rate, with nearly every major computer manufacturer participating, the roster of registered products growing rapidly, and purchasers around the world specifying EPEAT-qualified products,” according to Jeff Omelchuck, executive director of GEC. “But the numbers reported today – which reveal the immense environmental benefit of the design and service changes motivated by EPEAT - are the essential measure of the EPEAT system’s success.”

Find details on the environmental benefits of EPEAT products here. Download the complete 2007 EPEAT Environmental Benefits Report here (PDF).