External power adapters, also known as power
supplies, are crucial to the operation of virtually all small
electronic devices. As many as 1.5 billion are in use in the
U.S.A. That is about five for every person. The total
electricity flowing through all types of power supplies is
about 300 billion kWh/year, and 11% of the national electric
bill
They convert high voltage alternating
current electricity from the wall outlet to the low
voltage direct current power used to power electronic products,
like MP3 Players, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs),
Camcorders, Digital Cameras, Laptops, and Cordless and Mobile
Phones.
An adapter that has earned the ENERGY STAR
meets strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of
Energy (DOE) and on average is 30% more efficient than
conventional models. Not only that but they are often lighter
and smaller in size, which makes it easier for consumers to
transport products like laptops.
Consumers are now able to purchase a growing
variety of products that are packaged with ENERGY STAR
qualified power adapters. Products with qualified adapters are
identified with a special version of the ENERGY STAR label.