December 15, 2006—HP—reportedly the world’s largest PC vendor—recently announced that it plans to offer customers an 80 PLUS certified power supply option on its 7000 and 5000 Series of business PCs as early as January 2007. This action marks a major milestone for the 80 PLUS Program, according to the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA).
NEEA funded the program in 2004 to encourage computer manufacturers to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of their machines by installing highly efficient power supplies. NEEA was the first of 12 utility organizations in the US and Canada to sponsor the program.
80 PLUS sets the standard for what constitutes an energy-efficient power supply, meaning it is power factor corrected and at least 80 percent efficient in the AC-DC conversion process. The 80 PLUS Program certifies the power supplies and pays incentives to computer manufacturers for computers that use them to help cover the incremental cost of the better product. On average, 80 PLUS qualified computer models use 15 percent to 25 percent less electricity than typical computers, says NEEA.
Nearly all desktop computers and desktop-derived servers can take advantage of more efficient drop-in power supplies to cost-effectively cut energy consumption without costly, time-consuming redesigns of the entire computer, says NEEA.
Additionally, highly efficient power supplies are a key element of the recently released Version 4.0 Computer Specification from ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). The new computer specification features comprehensive performance requirements across all modes of a computer’s operation and requires use of a power supply that meets the 80 PLUS standard.
For more information about the new specification, which will go into effect July 20, 2007, visit the ENERGY STAR site.
