Danvers, MA -- RISO, Inc., a leader in digital printing technology, announced today that a recent third party study verified that RISO's digital duplicators and HC5500 inkjet printer use up to 95 percent less energy than comparable toner-based printing devices.  As part of a "comparative energy consumption test," Buyers Laboratory, Inc. (BLI) measured the energy usage of RISO printers against digital multi-functional printers (MFPs).  In addition to demonstrating a substantial reduction in the overall amount of energy consumed, RISO printers were found to provide users with potential cost savings of thousands of dollars in energy consumption over a five-year lease.

"The results from BLI validate the energy efficiency claims that we have made around our digital duplicator and full color inkjet printers for some time," said David Murphy, vice president of marketing for RISO, Inc.  "More than ever, it is important for businesses to make purchasing decisions that positively impact their bottom line.  RISO printers are not only a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solution, but these results prove that they are also the smartest investment for companies when it comes to their printing and copying needs."

The tests were conducted in BLI's 10,000-square-foot testing facility in Hackensack, NJ under ambient conditions of 72F (+/- 10 percent).  BLI's lab evaluation tested RISO's CZ180, EZ220, EZ390 and EZ590 digital duplicators, which offer variable speeds from 60 to 130 pages per minute (ppm), along with the 120 ppm HC5500 inkjet printer.  In addition to using significantly less energy at 60 ppm than the lower-speed MFP and printer models, the RISO units use less energy at 80 ppm and 100 ppm.  Plus, all four duplicator models and the HC5500 inkjet printer offer energy costs that are considerably less than the comparable models tested.

In addition to the BLI results, RISO has recently launched a number of online tools that will help its customers improve their energy efficiency including:

- An Energy Savings Calculator on its website (http://us.riso.com).  With this useful tool, anyone can see the dramatic energy savings that a RISO digital duplicator or HC5500 will provide when compared to an electrophotographic copier or MFP. 

- A Power Consumption White Paper is available on the white paper section of RISO's website and provides an analysis of power consumption by office equipment.  Office equipment currently consumes about 7 percent of commercial electricity, totaling nearly $1.8 billion in costs to businesses.  The white paper also outlines "green" business practices that will help organizations reduce energy costs, comply with potential government regulations and make a positive impact on the environment.

- The complete BLI "Comparative Energy Consumption Test" is also available on the RISO website.  The results include a breakdown of the side-by-side comparisons and data collected when BLI tested RISO's ink-based printers against competing toner-based printers.

RISO's digital duplicators earned the ENERGY STAR rating for low energy use, requiring as little as two amps of electrical current when producing copies, or less energy than three light bulbs.  RISO high-speed duplicators and inkjet printers are ideal for large copy volumes and offer flexible printing options, which accommodate the needs of companies of all sizes.  Businesses and organizations are able to print what they need, such as flyers, newsletters, forms and outreach communications expediently and for a very low cost.

To request more information about RISO's complete suite of digital printing solutions, call 1-800-876-7476.  Visit RISO's blog at http://risoprinter.blogspot.com.