Energy Star suffers a bit of a brownout

 

Other than the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, the single best thing the federal government has done to help us all live more environmentally friendly lives is to create Energy Star, the information arm of the EPA that steers us to the most energy-efficient appliances and gadgets as we research our big appliance purchases. Energy Star ratings for air conditioners, refrigerators, and computers are a godsend, and they have forced manufacturers to focus on energy efficiency with much more intensity than they otherwise might have.

That's why it's a bit of bad news to hear from Good Clean Tech that the latest revision of the Energy Star guidelines for computers, version 5.0, has been delayed. Why? "The specification relied upon a third-party benchmark test designed to examine performance-qualified energy efficiency of personal computers. But substantial delays at Ecma and BAPCo, the companies behind the test, have forced the EPA to scramble for a new metric." That's too bad because eventually, "Energy Star 5.0 will tighten requirements for power supplies, demand deeper sleep modes that consume less juice, and expand the program to encompass game consoles."

While we wait for the official specification, take a look at the current draft. It's long and complicated but pretty interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Willmott's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.