80 PLUS Incentive Program: Energy-Efficient Office Electronics

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In today’s busy work environment, office work stations composed of desktop computers, notebooks, laptops, monitors and servers are being used many more hours than in the past.

You can reduce your energy consumption and save money by using the 80 PLUS program as a more energy-efficient power supply to your desktop computers and servers.

What is 80 PLUS®?

80 PLUS is an innovative incentive program funded by electric utilities that integrates more energy-efficient power supplies into desktop computers and servers. These power supplies reduce energy consumption and save money because they have a minimum efficiency of 80 percent when tested at each of the following load conditions of rated power supply output: 20 percent, 50 percent and 100 percent.

Qualifying computer units provide multiple direct current (DC) voltage outputs that reduce the need for costly electrical system upgrades.

Benefits of 80 PLUS®

• Reduces energy consumption and saves money
• Reduces computer maintenance costs
• Decreases building cooling costs
• Reduces heat output from computers
• Allows more computers to run on the same branch circuit
• Helps information technology managers avoid costly electrical infrastructure upgrades
• Increases computer reliability

80 PLUS® power supplies are only one of many key components specified within the Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

What is an Energy Star 4.0 Desktop Computer?

Energy Star 4.0 establishes efficiency requirements for all modes of a computer’s operation. This ensures energy savings when a computer is active and running basic applications, as well as in low-power modes.

Qualifying Energy Star 4.0 computers must also include an internal power supply that is at least 80 percent efficient. Energy Star® estimates that the new requirements can save 1.8 billion in energy costs over the next five years and prevent greenhouse gas releases equal to the annual emissions of 2.7 million vehicles.

New specifications include:

• Use of energy-efficient power supplies (such as 80 PLUS®)
• Efficient operation in Standby/Off, Sleep and Idle modes. Desktops must use less than 2 watts in standby mode
• Power management and user education features