What are the new standards for power supply design?

In 2014, the US Department of Energy formalized their newest mandatory standard and the EU’s voluntary Code of Conduct version 5 took effect. This white paper briefly explains the US and EU’s new standards and what they mean to power supply designers.

What are the labeling requirements for external power supplies?

Labeling requirements will be mandated to meet the same International Eficiency Marking Protocol for External Power Supplies Version 3.0 as the previous Level V standard. Globally, it is expected that other nations will soon follow suit with the DoE Level VI standard.

When will external power supplies become law?

Although there is not an oficial timeline for these voluntary standards becoming law, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who design external power supplies into their products would best be served to future-proof their designs to the latest regulations to ensure that they are in compliance in each region where their product is sold.

Do external power supply manufacturers comply with Level VI standards?

While the US is the only governing body to enforce compliance to the Level VI standard, most external power supply manufacturers have adjusted their product portfolios to meet these requirements. These adjustments are a direct response to the needs of OEM’s to have a universally-compliant power supply platform for their products that ship globally.

Do external power supplies have a power efficiency mandate?

At a global level, mandates for power efficiency exist for most consumer electronics and home appliances. External power supplies have had regulations dating back to 2004, when the California Energy Commission created one of the first mandates for efficiency of external power supplies used to power appliances or consumer electronic devices.

What is a basic voltage external power supply?

Basic-voltage external power supply means an external power supply that is not a low-voltage power supply EPSs DoE Level VI also defines power supplies as direct operation and indirect operation products. A direct operation product is an external power supply (EPS) that functions in its end product without the assistance of a battery.