Are you ready for Level VII efficiency?

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Level VII efficiency standards will impact numerous applications, from medical and industrial technologies to IT equipment as well as home appliances, lighting, consumer products, and HVAC systems.

Level VII tightens the constraints on energy consumption and addresses concerns about operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Increasingly, this is reflected in the need to meet global efficiency standards, including those mandated by the DOE.

The DOE has not yet set a formal enforcement date for Level VII, as it is still in its proposed rulemaking phase. When the proposed Level VII standards are finalized, they will undergo a standard two-year implementation window before taking effect.

Level VII efficiency specification

The current Level VII draft goes beyond existing specifications to further increase demands for efficiency and no-load operation (25% reduction in no-load power draw) as outlined in Table 1.

Table 1: Originally published in the Federal Register

These are still subject to revisions until the specifications are ratified. However, the consensus is that there will be little or no change to these specifications once the standard is in force. As with previous standards, there is likely to be harmonization with other global standards, such as the European CoC Version 5 Tier 2. Therefore, it is important that customers understand the impact of this forthcoming standard on their designs and the power supplies they incorporate today.

Level VII versus Level VI and previous DOE efficiency standards

As early as 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started a voluntary program to promote energy efficiency and reduce pollution, which eventually became the Energy Star program. However, it was not until 2004 that the first mandatory regulations dictating average efficiency minimums and no-load power consumption maximums were enacted. Designed to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability, the DOE standards fall under the authority of multiple legislative acts, including the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), and the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). 

As Table 2 below indicates, these standards have evolved quickly, and the incoming Level VII specification is drafted for higher efficiency and reduced no-load power draw when compared with the current Level VI specification. 

Table 2: Efficiency level requirements: AC-DC EPS single output.

1. Basic Voltage: Nameplate voltage ≥6 V.
2. Low Voltage: Nameplate output voltage <6 V and nameplate output current ≥550mA.

By establishing minimum efficiency requirements and encouraging the adoption of energy-saving technologies, the DOE standards help consumers save money on energy bills while contributing to a more reliable power grid.

Effect of the Level VII specification on design

While there is no date yet set for the implementation of Level VII, the incoming efficiency specification needs to be considered in light of development timelines. As for many products, Level VII will likely be in place by the time systems are ready for market launch. This is especially true in sectors requiring product certification, such as medical devices.

In many designs, the choice of an internal or external power supply is fundamental to the ability of a system to meet both its performance specifications and the relevant efficiency standards. To this end, power supply manufacturers should already be providing information on how their supplies match the various levels of efficiency.

For example, Advanced Energy (AE) is already offering power supply technologies that meet or exceed the requirements of Level VII as they currently exist. All Advanced Energy products are engineered with a focus on energy efficiency, leveraging advanced power management techniques, low-loss designs, and intelligent control algorithms to ensure compliance with efficiency standards and often surpass the stringent requirements set forth by regulatory bodies.

Most recently, Advanced Energy launched the new SLE33SPD series (Figure 1) of 33 W AC to DC wall mount USB-C power delivery adaptors for medical and industrial applications. These off-the-shelf devices are both ITE rated and medically pre-certified for IEC 60601-1, and are crucially compliant to meet the Level VII efficiency specification.

Figure 1: Advanced Energy's SLE33SPD series that is Level VII efficiency compliant.

Conclusion

As the world marches towards a greener future, energy efficiency standards such as Level VII will play an increasingly important role in shaping the landscape of electronic products.

Advanced Energy is leading the charge with innovative power supply solutions designed to meet and exceed the specifications mandated by global standards such as Level VII. As a result, choosing AE technologies for future designs will give OEMs confidence that they are complying with the latest regulations, while addressing customer expectations for energy-efficient electronics that both save money and contribute to a more sustainable environment.