The Department of Energy is attempting to make cell phone chargers more efficient, and it’s not just phone chargers that they are looking at. So many devices that we use everyday require charging from the laptop computers that many use for school, work or entertainment to tablet devices, music and of course, cellular phones. The Department of Energy wants to make some widespread changes that will keep all of those devices using power better and increasing energy savings all across the board. According to an announcement made on Monday, the Department of Energy is going to be setting new standards of energy efficiency for all of these devices as well as power cords from game consoles and other electronics.
According to DEO estimates, the new standards that will be set is going to reduce the amount of money spent on this excess energy by about four billion dollars. Of course, the money isn’t the only benefit of these new energy standards. There will also be a reduction of carbon emissions by about 47 million metric tons over 30 years. The standards will increase efficiency by about 30 percent. The DOE is working on this issue all around the board. Recently, they set final energy standards for metal halide lamps, which is a type of commercial lighting that is used in parking lots and by large department stores. They also set energy standards for quite a few household and commercial appliances.
The new DOE standards are part of the President’s climate change agenda. “Building on President Obama’s State of the Union address, which called for reducing carbon pollution and helping communities move to greater energy efficiency, the Energy Department today announced new efficiency standards for external power supplies,” the DOE said in a press release about the changes that are coming. There are other energy concerns that are still being addressed and debated, but this is a good start to what will soon become – if it isn’t already – an energy crisis, as fossil fuels get used up at a higher rate each year.
