Addressing the power crisis

摘要

The us epa (Environmental Protection Agency) estimates that 10 billion internal and external power-supply units are currently in use throughout the world, with an additional 1.6 billion to 1.9 billion units sold annually. Of these new units, 300 million will be sold in China alone. Clearly, unit inefficiency adds up to a huge waste of generated power. According to some estimates, power-supply-efficiency improvements could amount to 1 to 2% of all US electricity use (30 to 60 billion kWh/year). Globally, the saving could be about four times as much. So, power efficiency is now the name of the game when it comes to designing and selling power supplies. Mandatory and certification-based energy-efficiency regulations set by governmental agencies in the United States, China, and Europe are driving the movement. Technological advancements are being made to address these requirements cost effectively.