Big Energy Savings from Battery-Powered Products By a 3-0 vote
at the end of last week, the California Energy Commission
adopted a minimum energy efficiency standard for battery
chargers, making California the first state in the nation to do
so. If you’re wondering why – here’s the reason…The products and
gadgets that make our lives productive and fun are increasingly
using rechargeable batteries and associated charging systems to
support user mobility and convenience. Unfortunately many of the
battery-powered devices on the market today still use
inefficient and outdated charging systems, wasting most of the
energy consumed as heat. On average, two thirds of the charge
energy is wasted as heat. In the worst cases less than 3 percent
of the charge energy reaches the product! The standard will help
ensure that the charging systems used in new products sold in
California charge efficiently and stop charging once the
batteries are full. The standard will cover small and large
consumer and non-consumer products t