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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 02 2016, @05:38PM
> ... I would be rather astonished if private consumers' waste usage were anywhere near the major cause of excess electricity use.
Regulation (and regulators) often go for the easy marks (regardless of the amount of technology and cost required), not the targets that make the most sense in terms of the total system... [Aside: this may explain why auto emissions are so heavily controlled (popular opinion on Detroit is negative), while giant coal power plants (and diesel engine trucks) are only recently being required to clean up?]
I'm waiting for someone to claim that the magic "invisible hand" should take care of this problem of wasted electricity (from idle ac adapters), and that no gov't regulation is required...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 02 2016, @06:18PM
I'm waiting for someone to claim that the magic "invisible hand" should take care of this problem of wasted electricity
OK Ill bite. Why wouldnt it? How do you prevent cheating like in the case of VW trying to meet gov regulations?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday January 02 2016, @10:06PM
I'm waiting for someone to claim that the magic "invisible hand" should take care of this problem of wasted electricity
What makes you think the "invisible hand" hasn't? It's worth noting here that we aren't speaking of an important problem.