80 Plus

The 80 Plus program is being implemented by Ecos Consulting on behalf of utilities and energy efficiency organizations throughout the United States. Participating electric utilities and efficiency organizations are offering financial incentives paid to PC and power supply manufacturers for qualifying units.

To qualify, power supplies must have a minimum efficiency of 80% when tested at each of the following three load conditions: 20%, 50% and 100% of rated power supply output. The test procedure for such measurements may be found at www.efficientpowersupplies.org.

While 80 Plus is a voluntary program, agencies such as FEMP have announced that they will pay a premium for 80 Plus qualified computers. Energy Star is also proposing similar efficiency levels for the next revision of their computer specification.