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What is a Power Supply?
Power supplies are the devices that convert ac power from a wall outlet into dc power that can be used directly by electronic circuits. In addition to the external "ac adapters" commonly used by cordless tools and telephones, a wide variety of power supplies are found internally in computers, televisions, office equipment, and appliances. EPA estimates that there are more than 3 billion units in use in the US and about 10 billion in use globally.
These products are crucial to the operation of virtually all electrical devices, yet their energy efficiency can often be very low. In the US alone, it has been estimated that the total electricity flowing through power supplies is about 207 billion kWh/year, which is equal to about $17 billion/year, accounting for 6% of the national electric bill. EPA's research has indicated that approximately one-third of the electricity that flows through power supplies is consumed in the power supply itself. On average, these power supplies are only about 50 to 70% efficient, wasting 30 to 50% of the electricity flowing through them. Overall, 2 to 3% of US electricity could be saved through the use of more efficient power supplies.
This Web site offers information on activities, announcements, and upcoming events to encourage the development of more efficient power supplies.
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External power supply for cellular phone
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Internal power supply in personal computer
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What is EPA's Power Supply Strategy?
EPA is currently working with the power supply industry and other stakeholders to encourage the design and manufacture of more efficient internal and external ac-dc power supplies. The first phase of EPA's strategy is to focus on external power supplies given their vast numbers, low average efficiencies, and fewer technical challenges. EPA has developed a draft ENERGY STAR specification for single voltage external ac-dc power supplies. When final, this specification will apply to existing ENERGY STAR product categories, notably consumer electronics and office equipment, as well as other applicable non-ENERGY STAR product categories. The new external power supply specification will be phased into existing ENERGY STAR product categories as those specifications are revised.
Stakeholder Comments on the Draft 3 ENERGY STAR Specification for External Power Supplies
Power supply manufacturers and other interested parties have been encouraged to submit written comments on the Draft 3 ENERGY STAR specification for single voltage external ac-dc power supplies. To date, EPA has been given permission to post the following comments.
Third Draft ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria for External Power Supplies
Stakeholder Comments on the Draft 2 ENERGY STAR Specification for External Power Supplies
Power supply manufacturers and other interested parties have been encouraged to submit written comments on the Draft 2 ENERGY STAR specification for single voltage external ac-dc power supplies. To date, EPA has been given permission to post the following comments.
Chinese Power Supply Stakeholder Meeting, Beijing, China - June 21, 2004
The China Certification Center for Energy Conservation Products (CECP) will host a day-long meeting at the Beijing Hotel in Beijing, China on Monday, June 21, 2004 to discuss China's efforts in energy efficiency of external power supplies, as well as to discuss international progress and coordination. EPA will present on the ENERGY STAR program's progress with external power supplies. Other presenters will attend from Australia, USA, and China. Topics will include (1) international efforts in the energy efficiency improvement of power supplies; (2) China's efforts in the energy efficiency improvement of power supplies; and (3) discussion of the CECP specifications. For more information on this meeting or Chinese power supply efficiency initiatives, please contact Li Tienan, CECP, at litn@cecp.org.cn, or Zhang Guoqin, CECP, at zhanggq@cecp.org.cn.
Power Supply Stakeholder Meeting, San Francisco, California - May 24, 2004
EPA will host a half-day meeting at the Hilton San Francisco on Monday, May 24, 2004 to discuss feedback on the first draft of the ENERGY STAR single voltage external ac-dc power supply specification. Attendees will also hear about other power supply initiatives and data collection procedures and results. The meeting invitation has been extended to (1) manufacturers of external power supplies and their components; (2) companies that incorporate power supplies into their finished products; and (3) energy efficiency advocates.
Stakeholder Comments on the Draft 1 ENERGY STAR Specification for External Power Supplies
Power supply manufacturers and other interested parties have been encouraged to submit written comments on the ENERGY STAR specification for single voltage external ac-dc power supplies. To date, EPA has been given permission to post the following comments.
Apple 
BenQ
European Commission
Hewlett Packard
Mark Ellis & Associates
Natural Resources Defense Council
Novem
Panasonic
Phihong USA
Power Integrations
Sola/Hevi-Duty
Underwriters Laboratory
Valcom
EPA Response to Valcom
Chinese Stakeholder Meeting on the "Technical Specifications for Energy Conservation Product Certification for Single Voltage External Ac-Dc Power Supplies," Dongguan, Guangdong, China - April 6, 2004
In early April, the China Certification Center for Energy Conservation Products (CECP) hosted a meeting for Chinese manufacturers and other stakeholders to discuss energy efficiency and product certification of external power supplies. Sixteen meeting attendees representing linear and switch mode power supply manufacturers, a test laboratory and the China Power Supply Society expressed interest in cooperation between the US EPA's ENERGY STAR program and the CECP to create a harmonized voluntary energy efficiency level for single voltage external ac-dc power supplies. Topics discussed at the meeting included: 1.) Introduction to the ENERGY STAR program for power supplies; 2.) International cooperation on the development of the technical specifications; 3.) Introduction to the CECP's and CNIS's (China National Institute of Standardization) efforts on power supplies; 4.) Technical discussion of the CECP specifications; and 5.) Discussion of the minimum energy efficiency requirements of the Chinese national standard. For more information on this meeting or Chinese power supply efficiency initiatives, please contact Li Tienan, CECP, at litn@cecp.org.cn, or Zhang Guoqin, CECP, at zhanggq@cecp.org.cn.
Meeting Attendees 
ACEEE MT Symposium - March 2, 2004
EPA will be discussing its power supply strategy in coordination with China's Certification Center for Energy Conservation Products (CECP) on Tuesday, March 2, 2004, 3:00 - 4:30 pm during the ACEEE Market Transformation (MT) Symposium. For registration information, visit: www.aceee.org. 
Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) - February 23, 2004: EPA Makes Power Supply Announcements
EPA made four announcements during the plenary session at APEC: (1) the completion of a standardized test procedure for determining the energy efficiency of single voltage external ac-dc power supplies; (2) the release of a first Draft ENERGY STAR specification for single voltage external ac-dc power supplies; (3) coordination with the China Certification Center for Energy Conservation Products (CECP) to promote efficient power supplies; and (4) EPA's co-sponsorship of an international design competition for energy-efficient power supplies. EPA also outlined its intentions to partner with power supply manufacturers to promote energy-efficient power supplies through ENERGY STAR. These documents and EPA's plenary presentation are provided below:
ENERGY STAR: A Strategy to Improve the Efficiency of Power Supplies  (Power Point)
Test Method for Calculating the Energy Efficiency of Single-Voltage External Ac-Dc Power Supplies (580KB)
First Draft ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria for External Power Supplies (133KB)
Design Competition Media Advisory (23.6KB)
External Power Supply Test Method 
External Power Supply Test Form and Report41
Immediately following the plenary, APEC organized a one-half hour press event. During the press event, representatives answered questions regarding current power supply initiatives and the launch of the design competition. ENERGY STAR press kits were made available during APEC.
EPA Press Release (134 KB)
EPA Q&A Document (68KB)
Articles on ENERGY STAR at APEC 2004
Design Competition to Help Spur Market for Energy-Efficient Power Supplies - Power Electronics Technology Magazine; PETech Times, February 18, 2004
EPA Proposes Power Supply Efficiency Spec - Electronic Engineering Times, February 24, 2004
During APEC, there were also several presentations given on power supply efficiency during a session titled "Power Supply Efficiency Standards", held on Tuesday, February 24th at 8:30 a.m. For more information, visit the APEC Web site at www.apec-conf.org.
World-Wide Power Supplies Summit, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, California - February 22, 2004
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hosted a one-day power supplies summit on February 22, 2004 to bring together policy makers and energy-efficiency advocates who are considering the development of either voluntary specifications or regulatory standards to encourage the use of more energy-efficient power supplies in their respective markets. The purpose of the meeting was to provide updates on power supply efforts within each country and to discuss approaches to harmonize initiatives where appropriate. Representatives from Australia, Canada, China, Europe, and the United States provided input. Discussions included: power supply market research, test methodology for external and internal power supplies, and voluntary labeling and regulatory approaches.
Power Supply Workshop, Pacific Energy Center, San Francisco, CA - November 7, 2003
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Defense Council, California Energy Commission, and Pacific Gas & Electric cosponsored a one-day technical workshop on November 7, 2003 to discuss the energy efficiency and technical performance of single voltage external ac-dc power supplies and consumer battery chargers. The goals of the workshop were threefold: 1) present draft test procedures for external power supplies and battery chargers, 2) review efficiency data collected thus far, and 3) gather input regarding the best ways to standardize the process of measuring energy efficiency worldwide. The technical workshop brought together companies that produce external power supplies and battery chargers and their components, companies that incorporate these devices into their finished products, energy efficiency researchers and advocates, and government officials and regulators. Workshop materials, including presentations, meeting notes, and draft test procedures, are available to all interested parties at www.efficientpowersupplies.org.
Workshop Invitation, November 7, 2003 (182 KB)
International Letter of Support for Power Supply Test Procedure (239 KB)
Sample Test Report (32 KB)
Power Supply Workshop, Pacific Energy Center, San Francisco, CA - January 14, 2002
ENERGY STAR teamed up with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) on January 14, 2002 to sponsor a one-day workshop for companies to share information about the latest developments in power supply technologies. More than 70 people from 30 of the world's leading power supply manufacturers and buyers attended the workshop. Industry leaders in electronics, IT, and power supply participated in group and panel discussions to assess opportunities for accelerating the transition to more energy-efficient products.
Download workshop presentations:
Power Supply Introduction - Noah Horowitz (NRDC) (Power Point)
Background on standby use and energy savings opportunities - Alan Meier (LBNL) (Power Point)
Background on full load ("active") power use and energy savings opportunities - Chris Calwell (ECOS Consulting) (Power Point)
ENERGY STAR and Government Purchasing - Craig Hershberg (EPA) and Jeff Harris (LBNL) (Power Point)
Domestic and International initiatives: ENERGY STAR, Code of Conduct, Group for Energy Efficient Appliances (GEEA) - Craig Hershberg (EPA) (Power Point)
Workshop Invitation
Workshop Agenda
List of Attendees (Excel)
Pictures from Workshop -
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Workshop Summary
Stakeholder Correspondence and Other Industry Presentations
Design Competition Announced to Industry Champions - April 5, 2004 (32KB)
Design Competition Announced to Power Supply Manufacturers - April 5, 2004 (36KB)
Reminder E-mail to all ENERGY STAR Partners to Submit Comments on Draft Spec (16KB)
Reminder E-mail to Power Supply Manufacturers to Submit Comments on Draft Spec (15KB)
E-mail Accompanying Test Report for Single Voltage External Ac-Dc Power Supplies (25KB)
EPA Power Supplies Announcement Memo to all Partners (37KB) - March 22, 2004
Email to Stakeholders (45KB) - March 8, 2004
EPA Cover Memo for Draft Power Supply Specification (95KB) - March 8, 2004
Email to Stakeholders - February 6, 2004 (72KB)
Email to Stakeholders - January 22, 2004 (60KB)
Email to Stakeholders - December 18, 2003 (52KB)
International Letter of Support for Test Procedure (239KB) – December 18, 2003
External Power Supply Efficiency Sample Test Report (35KB) – December 18, 2003
The Road to Global Energy Savings Begins in China: Strategies for Improving AC/DC Power Supply Efficiency - Presentation to China Power Supply Society, Shanghai, China, November 10, 2003 - Chris Calwell (ECOS Consulting) (Power Point)
Power Supply Update Memo July 3, 2002
Power Supplies: A Hidden Opportunity for Energy Savings: Executive Summary - May 22, 2002
Power Supplies: A Hidden Opportunity for Energy Savings: Final Report - May 22, 2002
Manufacturer Incentives for Energy Efficient External Power Supplies: Draft - March 19, 2002
Power Supply Energy Efficiency, Challenges and Opportunities: PSMA Presentation - March 11, 2002
EPA is interested in the research and development of external and internal power supplies as it relates to existing ENERGY STAR product categories such as home electronics and office equipment. This Web page is not intended to advertise specific products or services. If you are interested in participating in future events, or have information to share regarding energy-efficient power supply technology, please contact Andrew Fanara at (202) 343-9019 or fanara.andrew@epa.gov.
Other Links of Interest
National Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee: The Australian Greenhouse Office
Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) Newsletter Quarterly Update
Information on the energy consumption of power supplies and a forum to initiate a global dialogue on energy efficient power supplies
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