Dell gets a jump on Energy Star 5.0
- 26 June, 2008 11:16
- Comments
When Energy Star 4.0 went into effect last year, it seemed to set a rather high bar for power supplies: In order for a computer to meet the standard, it needs a PSU with a minimum efficiency of 80 percent. But hardware vendor Dell already appears to have an eye on the next version of the Energy Star specification, which is slated to go into effect in July of 2009.
Over the past month, however, Dell has set a couple of new bars for PSU efficiency, unveiling the first 80 Plus Silver-certified PSU for desktops and just today announcing the first 80 Plus Gold-certified PSU for servers. The more efficient a power supply is, the less energy it wastes transforming incoming AC power into DC.
The 80 Plus performance specification is based on established criteria from Energy Star and the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI). It requires power supplies in computers and servers to be deliver 80 percent or greater energy efficiency at 20 percent, 50 percent, and 100 percent of rated load with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater.
Dell's Gold-certified PSU, the PS-2901-1D-LF, achieves 92 percent minimum efficiency at 50 percent of rated output. According to 80 Plus, the PSU's typical efficiency is an impressive 89.4 percent.
This power supply is not the same as the one the company includes in its M1000E blade chassis; it's a dedicated server-specific supply.
Earlier this month, Dell became the first major computer manufacturer to list an 80 Plus Silver-certified power supply for its desktops, the company reports. The Silver certification is "up to 8 percent more efficient than what is required to meet Energy Star 4.0, up to 3 percent more efficient than the Energy Star 5.0 draft [PDF]] and also meets the July 2009 PC requirements of the [CSCI]," according to the company.
Recommended
Join the Computerworld Australia group on Linkedin. The group is open to IT Directors, IT Managers, Infrastructure Managers, Network Managers, Security Managers, Communications Managers.
- Bookmark this page
- Share this article
- Got more on this story? Email Computerworld
- Follow Computerworld on twitter
- Governance For All - Empowering IT and Business Content Owners
- ESG Whitepaper: Integrated Computing Platform Survey
- Pathways Advanced ICT Leadership Development Program Course Outline and Big 6 2013
- How the Cloud Changes the Game for Line of Business Managers in Midsize Companies
- Accelerate Cloud and Composite Application Delivery
-
Australia remains black spot for Vodafone
-
Australia remains black spot for Vodafone
-
How to provide IT support to a dispersed workforce
-
Intel claims Haswell will offer 50 per cent more battery life in laptops
-
Intel claims Haswell will offer 50 per cent more battery life in laptops
