EPA Setting Energy Standards for Gaming Consoles

EPA Setting Energy Standards for Gaming Consoles

Standards take effect July 1, 2010 and bring some energy efficiency to gaming.

10.16.2008 — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is trying to bring energy efficiency to the gaming world as part of it's EnergyStar program. (via Good Clean Tech) 

The EPA aims to add the Xbox 360, PlayStation and Wii gaming consoles to Version 5.0 of its Energy Star program, which is due out in July 2009.

The guidelines require the systems to:

• Use less than one watt during 'off' mode
• Use less than 5 watts during 'sleep' or 'auto-off' mode
• Enter sleep mode after an hour of inactivity
• Settop box and DVD/Blu-ray playback must be within 10 percent o Energy Star requirements

According to the EPA, the new standards will take effect July 1, 2010. The EPA says this "will give game console manufacturers design lead time, while also ensuring Energy Star qualified game consoles will offer consumers significant energy savings."

The new standards might not result in tremendous savings, but every bit helps today.

Power Adapters Background

Why are external power adapters important?

External power adapters, also known as power supplies, are crucial to the operation of virtually all small electronic devices. As many as 1.5 billion are in use in the U.S. — that’s about five for every person. The total electricity flowing through all types of power supplies is about:

• 207 billion kWh/year,
• $17 billion a year, or
• 6 percent of the national electric bill.

However, these devices tend to be very inefficient. Left unchecked, by 2010, the energy use from consumer electronics and small appliances could account for almost 30 percent of a typical home’s electricity bill. Encouraging the use of more efficient power adapters will help stem this growing energy consumption.

The new guidelines for power adapters will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions; in the U.S. alone, more efficient adapters have the potential to save:

• over 5 billion kWh of energy, and
• prevent the release of more than 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent to taking 800,000 cars off the road.

Consumers will soon be able to purchase a variety of products such as cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, and camcorders that are manufactured with ENERGY STAR qualified power adapters. Products with qualified adapters will be identified by the a new ENERGY STAR EPS graphic in product promotional materials and/or store displays on product packaging, literature, and/or store displays.

Eventually, these new efficient adapters will be incorporated into a wide spectrum of products including laptops, cordless phones, office equipment, and other products, and also sold separately as replacement adapters.

Who can participate in the ENERGY STAR Adapters program?

ENERGY STAR is currently recruiting adapter manufacturers that offer ENERGY STAR qualified adapters and consumer electronics manufacturersthat make products using ENERGY STAR qualified adapters.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills.