New Efficiency Standards Set for Battery Chargers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Energy Commission approved an energy efficiency standard aimed at reducing the amount of energy wasted from battery chargers commonly used to power cell phones, laptop computers, power tools and other devices — the first in the nation, according to the commission.
The requirements for consumer chargers used in cell phones, personal care devices and power tools will go into effect Feb 1, 2013, and industrial charger compliance for battery-operated machines like forklifts is required by January 1, 2014.
Compliance for small commercial chargers like walkie-talkies and portable barcode scanners is required by January 1, 2017.
“When you consider powering California’s plugged-in lifestyle, these new efficiency standards will save consumers money and energy,” said Energy Commission Chair Robert Weisenmiller. “The standards will reduce the wasted electricity from powering our day-to-day appliances by 40 percent and help California meet its strategic climate policy goals.”
The commission reports that the amount of energy used to charge batteries is increasing in the state. California households are home to an estimated 170 million chargers — an average of 11 battery chargers per household — and nearly two-thirds of the 8,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity consumed in California by battery charger systems is wasted by inefficiency.
As a result, the Energy Commission proposed appliance efficiency standards in April 2008, requiring battery chargers to consume less energy while providing the same performance.
Although many manufacturers produce energy-efficient electronic devices, many products on the market lack efficient charging technology, according to a statement from the commission.
The proposed standards could save nearly 2,200 gigawatt hours each year — enough energy to power nearly 350,000 homes or a city roughly the size of Bakersfield, Calif. Once fully implemented, California ratepayers are expected to save more than $300 million annually and eliminate one million metric tons of carbon emissions.
“As a result of the state’s forward-thinking, energy efficient building and appliance standards, California’s electricity consumption per capita has remained flat for the past 35 years compared to the rest of the nation, which has increased its energy consumption by at least 40 percent,” the commission’s statement said. “Since 1976, energy efficiency standards for appliances alone have saved California ratepayers $36 billion and 20,000 gigawatt hours.”
Commission staff collaborated with a variety of stakeholders — including the state’s major utility companies, environmental organizations, manufacturing interests and consumer groups — in a public process to develop cost-effective and feasible regulations. The commission received support from regional utility companies throughout the state, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environment California and a number of environmental groups and associations, as well as the government of Australia.
“Once again, California is setting the standard for energy efficiency, keeping the state’s dominance as the most energy efficient state per capita,” Weisenmiller said.
Alex Boesenberg, manager of Regulatory Affairs for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association — the Rosslyn, Va.-based group representing the industry — voiced concerns about the requirement.
“NEMA was not alone in having strong technically substantive concerns over feasibility,” Boesenberg said. “We remain concerned that some of the requirements are too stringent and were done in a broad brush stroke. “
The association was particularly concerned about life-safety equipment, which they tried to get exempted, Boesenberg said.
“They’re present in every building, but they’re not huge energy draws since there are only a few in every building,” he said.
Exit signs were exempted from the requirement, but no other products — which the association took as a loss, he said.
Boesenberg said although a rule at the federal level is currently in the works and will likely debut this year, the results of California’s requirement will likely have much of an impact since its data will not be available for about three years.
"(The California requirement) is far reaching, and we’re going to be tracking it," he said.