New California
Regulations: Energy Efficiency Requirements for External Power Supplies
June 2007 (07B-126)

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has created Appliance Efficiency Standards
for the performance of external power supplies and transformers provided with consumer products in California. These new regulations are based upon the ‘International Efficiency Marking Protocol’ under the Energy Star Program. Efficiency levels for the new California standard are shown below. 
 
                                   Designations for Transformer Efficiency Levels

Efficiency Level	Nameplate Power Output (Pno)	No-Load Power Criteria	Nameplate Power Output (Pno)	Percent Efficiency (Eff) Under Load Criteria
I	Category if No Other Criteria Met
II	Reserved for Future Use
III	0 to <10 watts 10 to 250 watts	< 0.5 watts < 0.75 watts	0 to 1 watt >1 to 49 watts >49 to 250 W	Eff > 0.49 x (Pno) Eff > 0.09 x Ln(Pno) + 0.49 Eff > 84%  (Eff >= 0.84)
IV	0 to 250 watts	< 0.5 watts	0 to 1 watt >1 to 51 watts >51 to 250 W	Eff > 0.50 x (Pno) Eff > 0.09 x Ln(Pno) + 0.5 Eff > 85%  (Eff >= 0.85)
V	Reserved for Future Use
VI	Reserved for Future Use

* Ln = the natural logarithm function.

Products Covered Under the Standard
These standards cover single voltage AC to AC or DC external (separate enclosure) power supplies and battery chargers rated no more than 250 watts, that convert mains (line) voltage to a lower voltage for utilization in an appliance or device re-charger.  Exempt products include dedicated external battery chargers and devices with a power output of more than 250 watts.

Compliance Timescales: The new requirements are effective for products manufactured after:
 January 1, 2007: Category III for IT and Audio Visual equipment (cell chargers, PCs, cameras, printers, PDAs).
 July 1, 2007: Category III for transformers with all other devices.
 July 1, 2008: Category IV for all devices.

Background
The electrical and electronic products industry is undergoing a revolution in green standards and requirements. Besides new chemical restrictions in construction, and recycling considerations at end of life, energy efficiency requirements during operation are coming and California’s new mandatory requirements are a forerunner of what can be expected.

The importance of energy efficiency requirements can be illustrated as follows. Many people leave their cell phone charger plugged in all the time as well as many other appliances that may have external chargers plugged into the wall (seasonal decorations, printers, appliances, etc.). These devices draw small amounts of power 24 hours per day/365 days per year. Increasing the efficiency of products such as these can have a tremendous impact.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that by defining energy efficiency standards for external power supplies (commonly called adaptors) at a Tier 1 technically achievable level of 35% more efficient then they are today, US citizens will save $636 million in electric bills in the country over the period from 2005-2015.  Correspondingly, this will decrease carbon dioxide emissions from power generation by 5.1 million metric tons. This assumes only a 50% adoption rate by 2015.1  

As more information continues to become available and awareness grows, new requirements are being proposed and implemented in a variety of countries.    

Future Developments
 United States: The U.S. Department of Energy, as per the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005), is codifying mandatory Energy Efficiency Requirements for transformers that are expected to be published shortly in 10 CFR 430.230(bb).
 Europe: The Energy Using Products Directive (2005/32/EC), a CE Marking Directive, requires companies to evaluate and improve their design, documentation, and management system processes to improve and comply with energy efficiency guidelines. These are being set per product category through Implementing Measures. EU Member States have to transpose into national law by August 2007, while the first Implementing Measures are expected during the second half of 2007.
 Other Counties: Many other countries are proposing to make this labeling mandatory, including Hong Kong. Other countries already have requirements or are implementing requirements. Effective April 1, 2008, Australia and New Zealand will require MEPS (Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards) Efficiency Category III. For more information, please visit http://www.energyrating.gov.au/eps1.html.

Why Compliance Matters
 The future is green.  Don’t be caught unprepared. Customers of electrical and electronic products want to save energy and money. Many customers are already aware of energy efficiency programs such as the Energy Star program and shop accordingly. As adoption and education of this spreads, your efficient products can be a differentiator for choice of quality and efficiency. Additionally, as California’s new standards illustrate, energy efficient requirements are becoming mandatory.  

How Bureau Veritas Can Assist You
 To assist you with determining the energy efficiency of your products, Bureau Veritas can measure power consumption under no load, as well as under-load efficiency testing. Testing can be conducted at any of our electrical laboratories in the U.S., Europe and Asia.  We recommend testing for energy efficiency in addition to ANSI/UL 1310 or IEC 60950 safety testing of the transformer. Transformers need to be both safe and energy efficient.
 Our Engineering Services Team can further assist you with design review and technical opinion consulting. Please contact your program manager if interested.

For More Information: For additional details or instructions on how to submit your sample, please contact your Bureau Veritas Program Manager, Client Services Representative, or one of the following: 
 Technical Contacts:
Hong Kong: Patrick Wong (patrick.wong@hk.bureauveritas.com)
Taiwan:  Mike Su (mike_su@adt.com.tw)
USA: Tom Heckmann (thomas.heckmann@us.bureauveritas.com)
 All other inquiries:
Scott Griggs (scott.griggs@us.bureauveritas.com)

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