Purchaser Profile

Missile Defense Agency
       
Federal Government
2017 EPEAT Purchaser Award – 2 Stars

2016 EPEAT Purchaser Award – 2 Stars
Howard Finkel

Missile Defense Agency purchases EPEAT-registered computers, displays, and imaging equipment.
December 2014
MDA 8400.01-INS, December 2014
Policy
b. Acquiring U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Electronic Product
Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-Silver and EPEAT-Gold registered electronics for
95 percent of annual COTS electronics purchases, when the EPEAT standard applies and where
such products meet our performance requirement and are cost effective over the life of the
product. Currently, EPEAT has registered desktop computers, laptop computers, thin clients,
computer monitors, televisions, and imaging equipment. EPEAT categories are included in the
Definitions in the Glossary. In the future, other electronics (e.g., servers, cell phones, smart
phones) will be added to the EPEAT registry. MDA will include the added categories in these
requirements upon their registration with EPEAT.
c. Acquiring ENERGY STAR®-certified and Federal Energy Management Program
(FEMP)-designated electronics for all purchases when an EPEAT standard is not established.
5. RESPONSIBILITIES
a. All MDA Organizations and Personnel, as applicable, will:
(1) Require that all MDA contracts requiring the purchase of electronic equipment
contain sustainable electronics management requirements metrics and direction. This equipment
is generally classified as IT assets used in the performance of the MDA mission, including laptop
and desktop computers, monitors, servers, switches, and cell phones. These asset listings and
metrics are based on compliance targets in all applicable E.O.s, the “Energy Policy Act of 2005”
(Reference (p)), the “Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007” (Reference (q)), the FAR,
FGC/EPEAT procurement reporting, ERRC disposition reporting, and conformance with DoD
Chief Information Officer (CIO) instruction and guidance.
(3) Use available specifications and model templates applicable to electronics
stewardship for contracts as appropriate.
b. Contracting/Purchasing and Government Purchase Cardholders Personnel will administer
contracts containing sustainable electronics management requirements based on all federal
electronics stewardship compliance targets; MDA, FGC/EPEAT, ERRC, and Office of the
Secretary of Defense (OSD) Sustainability and Chemicals Reduction reporting requirements; and
DoD CIO instruction and guidance to:
(1) Ensure that all applicable FAR parts, specifically FAR Subparts 23.2, 23.4 and 23.7
for sustainable electronics management standards (e.g., MDA’s requirement for EPEAT-Silver
or EPEAT-Gold, FEMP-designated or ENERGY STAR®/FEMP products) are included in all
new solicitations, contracts, and contract modifications, as applicable. Reinforce the
requirements with the contractor when appropriate during contract performance.
(2) Guide program/technical personnel on procurement requirements and clauses
governing electronics purchasing.

MDA 4700.03-INS, July 2013
3. POLICY. It is the MDA’s policy that:
a. GP and sustainable acquisition shall be integrated into both MDA daily operations and in
the earliest phases of acquisition activities to minimize the impacts on mission, human health,
and the environment, while meeting performance parameters. The goal of the Agency is to
advance sustainable acquisition to ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions, including task
and delivery orders for products and services with the exception of acquisition of weapon
systems, are energy efficient (ENERGY STAR® or Federal Energy Management Program
(FEMP) designated), water-efficient, biobased, environmentally preferable (e.g., Electronic
Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) certified), non-ozone depleting, contain
recycled content, or are non-toxic or less toxic alternatives, where such products and services
meet Agency performance requirements.
b. Procurement decisions shall compare lifecycle costs between green and non-green
products and services instead of basing the decision solely on purchase price.
c. To the maximum extent practical, preference shall be given to contractors providing green
support services and products by including environmental factors in selection criteria.
Over their lifetime, compared to products that do not meet EPEAT criteria, the 3.635 EPEAT registered electronics purchased by Missile Defense Agency in 2016 will result in environmental impact reductions including:

  • Reduce use of primary materials by 380 metric tons, equivalent to the weight of 10 tractor-trailer 18-wheelers
  • Avoid the disposal of 2.7 metric tons of hazardous waste, equal to the weight of 22 refrigerators
  • Eliminate the equivalent of 6 U.S. households’ solid waste for a year—10.7 metric tons
  • Avoidance of 1.6 metric tons of water pollutant emissions

 

Energy-Related Savings
EPEAT’s requirement that registered products meet the latest ENERGY STAR specifications means these products will consume less energy throughout their useful life, resulting in:

  • Savings of 1 million kWh of electricity—enough to power 84 U.S. homes for a year
  • Reduction of 185 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions— equivalent to taking 133  average U.S. passenger cars off the road for a year
  • $110,190 in lifetime cost savings

*EPEAT Purchasing Tier indicates how many EPEAT categories are specified in the organization’s purchasing agreements