Efficient Power Supply Contest

A reader writes: "In the June (paper) issue of Scientific American, there is a mini-article descibing the energy being wasted by power supplies in computers. Those things are only 60-70% efficient in converting line-voltage AC to low-voltage DC, and there are so many millions of them out there that a modest efficiency increase could trim $1billion or more from the annual energy costs of the USA. Well, various governmental agencies are seeking to get improved power-supply efficiency into the marketplace. The central "clearinghouse" site is at efficientpowersupplies.org, and details of their contest are in this PDF."

Comments

Re:a small step

[WarriorPoet42]

Also one should take into consideration someone using a 500W is only getting 350 at 70% effecient. If you had a PS that was 90%, you would only need a 400W.
Now that you have a smaller PS, you might could drop a fan or two. This now decreases your power load on your new 400W.
Savings on effeciency == savings everywhere

Bulbs, man...

[neurocutie]

Uh I think you'd get a lot farther by convincing everybody to use those fluorescent bulb replacements for the standard 40-75watt incandescent bulbs -- the technology is already here and on the market, it yields long term savings in bulb costs AND short term energy savings of a much high percentage (perhaps going from 30% to 70%) instead of the more incremental improvements on 60-70% of PC switching supplies, plus I'm sure a far greater proportion of total national energy is used on those bulbs and lighting than PC power.

In short, there is almost NO reason to not use those fluorescent bulbs and it would result in a far greater amount of energy savings right now...

Re:Power losses in switching power supplies - cost

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm a professional engineer, and have done several designs of switchers that were better than 95% efficient. But they cost more to make, so dream on, it's not going to happen in the mainstream with out some sort of mandate. The tricks are simple, better inductors (cost more for bigger copper and more ferrite), synchronous rectification (fet and drive costs more than a diode), taking care to be clever about quiescent currents (more engineering time) and so forth.

Doug Coulter, owner
C-Lab
http://clab.mystarband.net

Re:Company Changes...

[QuantumRiff]

I work at a small community college and we have been swapping out CRT's for LCD's whenever a computer is upgraded. We have found that the extra cost is justified by several factors.

The space savings are significant in the computer labs especially. Students now have room to put their books out in front of them, between themselves and the screen. (we had crowded labs before, the desks are narrow and close together.).

The power savings are good. Before, students would forget to turn off the monitors when class was done. It still happens, but when those LCD's go into powersave mode, they use almost nothing.

The rooms stay sooo much cooler. Our AC was always running in the computer labs before, with 30 17" CRT's going (and PC's). but the LCD's produce so little heat that the room stays nice and cool, and the AC is off more than it is on. (lots of energy savings there).

My back is very thankfull, and every time i have to move a CRT monitor across campus, I am reminded about how thankfull my back is.