SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Whatever you call it, the humble AC adapter, external power supply, plug pack, plug-in adapter, domestic mains adapter, line power adapter, wall wart, or power brick is due for significant changes next month.
The U.S. Level VI energy-efficiency regulation, aimed at energy savings in external power supplies, goes into force on February 10, 2016, and will impact all OEMs selling into the U.S. market. The European Union (EU) also is expected to harmonize with the new efficiency standard.
This article includes a quote (& pun) from one power supply vendor,
"It's a two-pronged approach," said Johnson. "The regulation addresses active mode when the adapter is powered up and supplying power to the end product. Under the regulation, efficiency is increased by roughly five percent."
But the big change is at no load when the adapter is plugged into the wall – like a cell phone charger – and nothing is connected to it, Johnson added. "Power consumption at Level IV was .5 watt and at Level VI it's decreasing to .1 watt, which when you talk about the millions of adapters in the market it's significant in power savings."
Another article can be found at http://www.metlabs.com/blog/energy-star-2/external-power-supplies-must-meet-level-vi-energy-efficiency-requirements-for-u-s-doe-by-february-2016/
US Department of Energy has an information page with several linked documents
https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/28
"Rulemaking for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies Energy Conservation Standard"
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Saturday January 02 2016, @11:36AM
1,000,000,000 (a billion adapters)
500,000,000w (500Mw)
1 medium-small coal plant
compiling...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 02 2016, @12:41PM
I think a billion is low. I've got about 15 of them myself.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RamiK on Saturday January 02 2016, @01:18PM
I chose a number that correlates well with a single coal plant, not the projected amount of adapters in every household. There's also TV boxes, routers, switches, computers and computer monitors, powered usb hubs, electric razors, fans and ACs idling-by all consuming similar 1/2 a watt give or take...
Besides, it doesn't matter. Grids are designed to contend with harmonics as AC and factory's motors jump start, resulting in them producing large excesses of power and are build very bulky infrastructure(literally; bigger everything). As a result, reducing average consumption without touching peak consumption will only increase the power utility bill per kilowatt since the bill really reflects the peak costs (as they determinate the cost of infrastructure) rather than the running costs of operating power grids. That's to say, I doubt even 1 coal plant will get shutdown over this.
compiling...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 02 2016, @04:33PM
That is some circular logic.
Coal plants are being shut down all the time [eia.gov] and replaced with natgas. Since natgas has much better ability to vary output, reducing baseline consumption is a big win.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Saturday January 02 2016, @06:33PM
Not really. While it's true the turndown ratios of gas are 10-12 times better then coal (which really has none), the emissions are horrible under 50% and crappy under 75%. That is, you're saving some gas, but releasing unburnt methane to the atmosphere that's 25times worse than co2 while modulating. I'm not sure just how well the regulations have caught up with this, but I know many gas plants can't even go below 50% already since it triggers the emissions controls. So, obviously they go below 50% all the time and pay off the inspectors to look the other way.
Anyhow, it's true that reducing baseline is a win. But it's not a big one. A big win will be getting nuclear plant built. And preferably built in in 2005 rather than 2025...
compiling...