January 18, 2006—Battery chargers for cordless tools and appliances are the latest products eligible to earn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star label, which identifies energy-efficient products. Energy Star chargers will be at least 35 percent more energy efficient, notes the EPA.
Americans use some 230 million products with rechargeable batteries, says the EPA. More efficient chargers have the potential to save more than 1 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and over $100 million per year, while preventing the release of more than one million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Battery chargers—even when not actively charging a product—can draw as much as 5 to 20 times more energy than is actually stored in the battery. Energy Star guidelines for battery charging systems focus on “non-active” modes of recharging, including battery maintenance mode (charger is connected to a fully charged product), and standby mode (charger is plugged in, but no product is connected).
These new guidelines complement EPA’s existing Energy Star external power adapter specification, announced in January 2005. Power adapters are devices that convert high voltage power from a wall outlet into low voltage power for devices such as notebook computers, monitors, and other electronics.
To date, more than 20 external power adapter manufacturers have joined Energy Star and are producing energy-efficient models available with mobile phones, digital cameras, and other products.
For more information about Energy Star battery charging systems, visit the EPA Web site.
