The result is wasted money for building owners and operators. These products sense the presence or absence of office workers and turn the attached equipment on and off accordingly, saving enough electricity to enable payback periods of less than two years in many cases. Manufacturers suggest using the products to control a variety of devices that can be turned off when not in use, including calculators, coffee warmers, space heaters, and computer monitors.
Some products come with the power strip and occupancy sensor as an integral unit.
These products also often provide two sets of outlets, one controlled by the occupancy sensor, the other uncontrolled. This configuration allows equipment that must be kept on all the time, such as fax machines, to be plugged into the same strip. Other products feature a sensor and a relay device that can be plugged into a separate power strip to cover multiple devices. For companies that already own power strips, this could be the best choice. Monitors and timers.