Power-saving ICs pay back in carbon cuts

Energy savings from EcoSmart technology are accumulating at an accelerating rate as market uptake of energy-efficient products continues to grow.

Power Integrations reckons it has saved consumers and businesses around the world more than an estimated US $3 billion on their energy bills with its EcoSmart energy-efficiency technology.

The technology has prevented an estimated 20 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions from power plants since its introduction in 1998 - roughly equal to the annual emissions of over three million cars.

Most electronic products require power supplies to convert high-voltage AC power from the electrical utility to low-voltage DC power.

Power Integrations' EcoSmart chips intelligently manage the flow of power through the power supply, dramatically improving efficiency and reducing standby power waste by up to 95%, all without adding to the cost of the end product.

Worldwide consumer product and appliance efficiency laws, regulations and voluntary programs are contributing to the replacement of most of the outdated technologies such as discrete electronic components or the notorious copper-and-iron transformers known as "energy vampires".

These older technologies deliver power inefficiently, often consuming two or three times the amount of power needed by the end product and wasting substantial amounts of energy while the product is in "standby" or no-load mode, or otherwise not in use.

"Energy savings from our EcoSmart technology are accumulating at an accelerating rate as market uptake of energy-efficient products continues to grow", said Balu Balakrishnan, President and CEO of Power Integrations.

"It took seven years to achieve our first billion dollars in savings, and we've reached the three-billion mark just three years later".

"The growing demand for energy and the environmental impact of energy generation are among the greatest challenges facing the world today", added Balakrishnan.

"While alternative energy sources hold great promise for the future, our EcoSmart technology is providing significant savings today without increasing the cost of electronic products".

Power Integrations' Green Room website contains a wealth of information on the issue of energy waste from inefficient power supplies, as well as wide range of technical support aids to assist in the design of energy-efficient power supplies.

The site also features a comprehensive guide to energy-efficiency standards around the world, and is home to "Mr Green", a blog chronicling important developments in the area of energy efficiency standards, regulations and other green matters.

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