External power supplies (EPS) have come a long way to raise efficiency in recent years. During the 1990s, the number of electronic devices grew rapidly and in turn, so did the need for adapters for things like laptops, cell phones and other consumer electronics. Not only were efficiencies well below 60 percent, external power supplies stayed connected to the mains power when the devices were turned off. Together, “no-load” power consumption and low efficiency place high demands on energy grids and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
After some unsettling predictions concerning EPS’ potential burden on energy consumption, recent years have seen EPS efficiency regulations
from California, the U.S. government and several international governments. In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Independent Security Act (EISA) to harmonize efficiency standards in the U.S., starting with the Level IV standard and followed by Level V. The most recent EISA standard — the Department of Energy (DOE)-implemented Level VI — drastically reduced no-load power dissipation limits versus the preceding DOE standards. If your end product includes an EPS, make sure it complies to the latest U.S. and international efficiency standards in order to access your intended market.
The DoE Level VI Standard
DOE Level VI became mandatory in 2016. The standard applies to all direct and indirect operation EPSs including lower-voltage DC-output, multiple-output voltage EPSs and those with output power above 250 watts. For external power supplies that range from one to ≤49 watts, it limits no-load power consumption to 0.100 watts. Units in the 49- to 250 watt range cannot exceed 0.210 watts of power.
Polytron Devices recently introduced two AC/DC external power supplies that meet the efficiency requirements of DOE Level VI as well as Europe’s proposed Code of Conduct (CoC) Tier 2 efficiency standards. IP1019 and MIP1019 Series single-voltage power supplies are offered with output power ranging from 15 to 24 watts and accept 100- to 240-volt input voltages. The 2.46 by 1.61 by 1.34-inch adapters feature:
- an interchangeable plug.
- built-in over voltage and short circuit protection.
- <30,000 hours MTBF.
The IP1019 targets industrial applications, and the MIP1019 carries UL/CUL 60601-1, EN60601-1, UEC60601 3rd edition as well as FCC, CE and CB medical safety approvals.
Stay Current With Efficiency Standards
Customers and regulators worldwide now demand power supplies that save energy and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. When selecting an external AC/DC power supply, consult with the supplier to see if the unit meets the latest efficiency standards. Polytron Devices’ IP1019 and MIP1019 meet both DOE Level VI and CoC Tier 2 criteria so you can be sure your product complies with these important regulations.
For more information about Polytron Devices’ Level VI-compliant IP1019 and MIP1019 external power supplies, visit our product pages.