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Computer Key Product Criteria

Equipment Specification
Computers
  • Use energy efficient power supply.
  • Operate efficiently in multiple modes of operation (Off, Sleep, and Idle).
  • Include and enable power management features of the system and provide user education about these features.

You Should Know...

General: By leaving the machine on around the clock, you run up your electric bill, you suck in dust and you make yourself more vulnerable to power surges.

An ENERGY STAR label is not a guarantee that your machine is saving energy. Always check to ensure that the ENERGY STAR features are enabled.

Computers: A well-designed ENERGY STAR qualified computer will not lose its network connection, which could lead to a loss of data, while in the low-power or sleep mode. Additionally, ENERGY STAR qualified computers with networking capabilities have the ability to enable and disable Wake On LAN for Sleep mode, allowing greater use of low power modes without a loss of IT system maintenance capabilities.

Monitors: Switching on and off the monitor five times or more a day increases the frequency of faults in power transistors in the control and deflection parts only after the machine has been used 20 to 30 years.

Screen Savers: Despite common belief, a screen saver does not save energy. In fact, more often than not, a screen saver will not only draw power for the monitor but will also keep the CPU from shutting down.

Games: Many popular computer games, when running in the background while multitasking, will not allow the computer to go to sleep-even if the game is paused.

Key Product Criteria for ENERGY STAR Qualified Computers

Version 5.0 Energy Efficiency Requirements: Effective July 1, 2009
Product Type Requirements
Desktops, Integrated Computers
  • Category A: <= 148.0 kWh
  • Category B: <= 175.0 kWh
  • Category C: <= 209.0 kWh
  • Category D: <= 234.0 kWh

Note: Computers with more advanced memory, graphics, or hard drive capability may qualify for additional energy allowances (capability adjustments) above these amounts.
Notebooks and Tablets
  • Category A: <= 40.0
  • Category B: <= 53.0
  • Category C: <= 88.5

Note: Computers with more advanced memory, graphics, or hard drive capability may qualify for additional energy allowances (capability adjustments) above these amounts.
Workstations

TEC Power (PTEC): <= 0.28 * [PMax + (# HDDs * 5)] W

Note: Where Pmax is the maximum power drawn by the system as tested per the test procedure in Section 4 of Appendix A, and #HDD is the number of installed hard drives in the system.
Small-Scale Servers

Off Mode: <= 2.0 W

Idle State:

  • Category A: <= 50.0 W
  • Category B: <= 65.0 W
Thin Clients

Off Mode: <= 2.0 W

Sleep Mode: <= 2.0 W (if applicable)

Idle State:

  • Category A: <= 12.0 W
  • Category B: <= 15.0 W
*For a description of Categories for TEC or Idle Criteria, and capability adjustments, please refer to the Version 5.0 ENERGY STAR Computers Eligibility Criteria PDF
Version 5.0 Power Supply and Power Management Requirements for Computers: Effective July 1, 2009
Efficient power supply requirements
  • Internal power supplies: 85% minimum efficiency at 50% of rated output and 82% minimum efficiency at 20% and 100% of rated output, with Power Factor > 0.9 at 100% of rated output for power supplies with >= 75W output power
    OR
  • External power supplies: either ENERGY STAR qualified or meet the no-load and active mode efficiency levels provided in the ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Single Voltage External Ac-Ac and Ac-Dc Power Supplies, Version 2.0.
Power Management
  • Monitor Sleep Mode: within 15 minutes of user inactivity
  • System Sleep Mode: within 30 minutes of user inactivity*
  • Wake On LAN and Wake Management features (for some systems)
*Does not apply to thin clients or small scale servers.

Key Product Criteria for ENERGY STAR Qualified Monitors
(effective January 1, 2005)

On Mode Sleep Mode Off Mode
Tier 1 Maximum Allowable Power Consumption:
Effective January 1, 2005 		Y = 38X + 30.
Y is expressed in watts and rounded up to the nearest whole number and X is the number of megapixels in decimal form 		<= 4 watts <= 2 watts
Tier 2 Maximum Allowable Power Consumption:
Effective January 1, 2006 		If X < 1 megapixel, then Y = 23; if X > 1 megapixel, then Y = 28X.
Y is expressed in watts and rounded up to the nearest whole number and X is the number of megapixels in decimal form 		<= 2 watts <= 1 watt

Monitor: A commercially-available, electronic product with a display screen and its associated electronics encased in a single housing that is capable of displaying output information from a computer via one or more inputs, such as VGA, DVI, and/or IEEE 1394. The monitor usually relies upon a cathode-ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or other display device.

Monitor’s On Mode: The product is connected to a power source and produces an image. The power requirement in this mode is typically greater than the power requirement in Sleep and Off Modes.

Monitor’s Sleep Mode: The reduced power state that the computer monitor enters after receiving instructions from a computer or via other functions. A blank screen and reduction in power consumption characterize this mode. The computer monitor returns to On Mode with full operational capability upon sensing a request from a user/computer (e.g., user moves the mouse or presses a key on the keyboard).

Monitor’s Off Mode: The lowest power consumption mode which cannot be switched off (influenced) by the user and that may persist for an indefinite time when a computer monitor is connected to the main electricity supply and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. For purposes of this specification, Off Mode is defined as the power state when the product is connected to a power source, produces no images, and is waiting to be switched to On Mode by a direct signal from a user/computer (e.g., user pushes power switch).