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Determination for Non-Class A

External Power Supplies

This page presents additional information on a

determination due to be published by

December 19, 2009, as well as instructions

for intersted party comments, and contact

information. Return to the Battery Charger and

External Power Supplies page for information

on all of the U.S. Department of Energy's

(DOE) activities related to these products.

Background

Section 301 of the Energy Independence and

Security Act of 2007 (EISA) amended the

Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA),

creating a subset of external power supplies

called Class A External Power Supplies. These

devices are "able to convert to only 1 AC or

DC output voltage at a time" and have

"nameplate output power that is less than or

equal to 250 watts." (42 U.S.C. 6291(36)

(C)(i)) Section 301 of EISA also amended

EPCA, establishing minimum standards for

Class A EPSs effective July 1, 2008, and

directing DOE to conduct two successive

rulemakings to review and possibly amend the

energy conservation standards for external

power supplies, the first of which is to be

completed by July 1, 2011.

Section 309 of EISA amended EPCA instructing

DOE to "[n]o later than 2 years after the date

of enactment ... issue a final rule that

determines whether energy conservation

standards shall be issued for external power

supplies or classes of external power

supplies." (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(I)).

Because DOE cannot conduct a determination

analysis on whether it should issue energy

conservation standards for a product for which

standards have already been set, DOE is

interpreting these sections jointly as a

requirement to determine, in a separate

rulemaking to be completed by December 19,

2009, whether energy conservation standards

shall be issued for external power supplies

that are not classified as Class A External

Power Supplies. DOE refers to such products

as Non-Class A External Power Supplies.

Determination

DOE is required to publish its determination

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by December 19, 2009.

Documentation

At this time no documentation exists for this

rulemaking.

Interested Party Comments

DOE welcomes comments and inquiries

from interested parties during the designated

comment period for this

rulemaking. Information for submitting

comments will be posted on the Web site prior

to the initiation of the comment period.

Contact Information

Victor Petrolati

Project Manager

(202) 586-4549

Printable Version

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Content Last Updated: 04/30/2009

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Battery Chargers and External

Power Supplies

A. This page describes

rulemaking activities and

regulations regarding

energy efficiency for

battery chargers and

external power supplies.

Some of the following

documents are available

as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.

Download Adobe Reader.

Statutory Authority

Rulemakings in Progress

Current Regulations

Past Rulemakings

Contact Information

Statutory Authority

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) (Pub. L.

94-163) established an energy conservation program for major

household appliances. Learn more about the laws and regulations

related to appliances & commercial equipment standards.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) (Pub. L. 109-58),

amended section 325 of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6291 et seq.) in part by

adding subsection 325(u) that directs the U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE) to establish a test procedure, hold a scoping workshop, and

conduct a determination analysis of energy conservation standards for

battery chargers (BCs) and external power supplies (EPSs). (42 U.S.C.

6295(u))

BC and EPS excerpts from EPACT 2005, August 8, 2005 (PDF 205

KB)

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) (Pub.

L. 110-140) significantly amended EPCA with regard to the energy

conservation program for BCs and EPSs.

Section 301 defines and sets efficiency standards for Class A external

power supplies (42 U.S.C. 6291(36)(C)) (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)). EISA

2007 directs DOE to publish a final rule by July 1, 2011, to determine

whether the standards set for Class A EPSs should be amended and, if

so, to include any amended standards as part of that final rule. The

statute further directs DOE to publish a second final rule by July 1,

2015, to again determine whether the standards in effect should be

amended (again including any amended standards as part of that final

rule).

Section 309 modifies the statutory provision which directed DOE to

Register for Email Updates

The Department is firmly committed to

informing the public of developments

associated with this rulemaking.

Register to receive email updates on

rulemaking for battery chargers and

external power supplies.

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perform the determination analysis (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(I), as

amended). Specifically, EISA 2007 removed BCs from the

determination (leaving only EPSs) and changed the deadline for

completing the determination to two years after the date of enactment

(i.e., by December 19, 2009). Because DOE is already required to

perform two rounds of rulemakings to consider amended efficiency

standards for Class A EPSs, the determination analysis under 42 U.S.C.

6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(I) should not include these products. Therefore, DOE

is interpreting 42 U.S.C. 6295 (u)(1)(E)(i)(I) as a requirement for a

determination analysis that will consider in its scope only EPSs other

than Class A. This determination is scheduled for issuance by

December 19, 2009.

Section 309 also requires DOE to issue a final rule prescribing energy

conservation standards for BCs, if technologically feasible and

economically justified, by July 1, 2011 (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(II).

This rulemaking will be bundled with the rulemaking for Class A EPSs,

as the products are closely related and the provisions have the same

statutory deadline.

Section 310 requires all test procedures for covered products to be

amended to include test procedures for standby- and off-mode energy

consumption. For BCs and EPSs, these amendments were required to

be completed by December 31, 2008. (42 U.S.C 6295(gg)(2)(B))

BC and EPS excerpts from EISA 2007, December 19, 2007 (PDF

133 KB)

BC and EPS excerpts from EPCA as amended by EISA 2007,

December 19, 2007 (PDF 139 KB)

Back to Top

Rulemakings in Progress

In response to EISA 2007, DOE provided a report to Congress detailing

its planned schedule for meeting the required rulemaking deadlines for

all covered products, including BCs and EPSs. The report was published

in February 2008.

Report to Congress on Appliance Energy Efficiency Rulemakings

– Implementation Report: Energy Conservation Standards

Activities, February 2008 (PDF 311 KB)

The following list gives the rulemaking schedule for BCs and EPSs as

set forth in the report. Click on a rulemaking to learn more about it.

Determination: Non-Class A EPSs; Final Action Date December

2009; Docket EERE-2009-BT-DET-0005

Standards: BCs and Class A EPSs; Final Action Date July 2011;

Docket EERE-2008-BT-STD-0005

Standards: Class A EPSs; Final Action Date July 2015

In addition to these rulemakings, DOE is considering a rulemaking to

develop a test procedure for measuring the active-mode energy

consumption of BCs. No further information about this rulemaking is

available at this time.

Back to Top

Current Regulations

Test Procedures

The current test procedures for BCs and EPSs were developed as part

of a rulemaking process establishing test procedures for several

products contained in the EPACT of 2005. The test procedures were

subsequently amended to include provisions for measuring standby

mode and off mode energy consumption, as directed by EISA 2007.

Final Rule, EPACT 2005 Test Procedures, Federal Register,

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December 8, 2006 (PDF 706 KB)

Final Rule, Test Procedures for Battery Chargers and External

Power Supplies (Standby Mode and Off Mode), Federal Register,

March 27, 2009 (PDF 462 KB)

Energy Conservation Standards

Battery Chargers

There are currently no energy conservationstandards for battery

chargers.

External Power Supplies

Section 301 of EISA 2007 established minimum efficiency standards for

Class A EPSs effective July 1, 2008. The provision is reproduced here:

(6) EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR CLASS A EXTERNAL POWER

SUPPLIESIN GENERAL- Subject to subparagraphs (B) through (D), a class

A external power supply manufactured on or after the later of

July 1, 2008, or the date of enactment of this paragraph shall

meet the following standards:

Active Mode

Nameplate Output Minimum Efficiency (decimal equivalent of a

percentage)

<1 Watt 0.5 times the nameplate output

1 to not more than 51

Watts

The sum of 0.09 times the natural logarithm of the

nameplate output and 0.5

>51 Watts 0.85

No-Load Mode

Nameplate Output Maximum Consumption

Not more than 250

Watts 0.5 watts

A.

NONCOVERED SUPPLIES- A class A external power supply shall

not be subject to subparagraph (A) if the class A external power

supply is—

manufactured during the period beginning on July 1, 2008,

and ending on June 30, 2015; and

i.

made available by the manufacturer as a service part or a

spare part for an end-use product—

I. that constitutes the primary load; and

II. was manufactured before July 1, 2008.

ii.

B.

MARKING- Any class A external power supply manufactured on

or after July 1, 2008, or the date of enactment of this paragraph

shall be clearly and permanently marked in accordance with the

External Power Supply International Efficiency Marking Protocol,

as referenced in the Energy Star Program Requirements for Single

Voltage External AC-DC and AC-AC Power Supplies, version 1.1

published by the Environmental Protection Agency.

C.

Definitions

Battery Charger

42 U.S.C. 6291(32) as amended by Section 135 of EPACT 2005

The term battery charger means a device that charges batteries for

consumer products, including battery chargers embedded in other

consumer products.

External Power Supply

42 U.S.C. 6291(36)(A) as amended by Section 135 of EPACT 2005

IN GENERAL- The term external power supply means an external power

supply circuit that is used to convert household electric current into DC

current or lower-voltage AC current to operate a consumer product.

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Consumer Product

42 U.S.C. 6291(1)

The term consumer product means any article other than an

automobile, as defined in section 32901(a)(3) of title 49 of a type—

which in operation consumes, or is designed to consume, energy

or water with respect to showerheads, faucets, water closets, and

urinals; and

A.

which, to any significant extent, is distributed in commerce for

personal use or consumption by individuals without regard to

whether such article of such type is in fact distributed in

commerce for personal use or consumption by an individual,

except that such term includes fluorescent lamp ballasts, general

service fluorescent lamps, incandescent reflector lamps,

showerheads, faucets, water closets, and urinals distributed in

commerce for personal or commercial use or consumption.

B.

Class A External Power Supply

42 U.S.C. 6291(36)(C) as amended by Section 301 of EISA 2007

IN GENERAL- The term class A external power supply means a

device that—

is designed to convert line voltage AC input into lower

voltage AC or DC output;

I.

is able to convert to only 1 AC or DC output voltage at a

time;

II.

is sold with, or intended to be used with, a separate

end-use product that constitutes the primary load;

III.

is contained in a separate physical enclosure from the

end-use product;

IV.

is connected to the end-use product via a removable or

hard-wired male/female electrical connection, cable, cord,

or other wiring; and

V.

has nameplate output power that is less than or equal to

250 watts.

VI.

i.

EXCLUSIONS- The term class A external power supply does not

include any device that—

requires Federal Food and Drug Administration listing and

approval as a medical device in accordance with section

513 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21

U.S.C. 360c); or

I.

powers the charger of a detachable battery pack or charges

the battery of a product that is fully or primarily motor

operated.

II.

ii.

Detachable Battery

42 U.S.C. 6291(52) as amended by Section 301 of EISA 2007

The term detachable battery means a battery that is—

A. contained in a separate enclosure from the product; and

intended to be removed or disconnected from the product for

recharging.

B.

Back to Top

Past Rulemakings

Test Procedures (from EPACT 2005)

Docket Number: EE-RM/TP-05-500

Test procedures for BCs and EPSs were developed as part of a

rulemaking process establishing test procedures for several products

contained in EPACT 2005. To facilitate review of the relevant portions

of this Final Rule, DOE highlighted the terms "battery charger" and

"external power supply" throughout the final rule.

Final Rule, EPACT 2005 Test Procedures, Federal Register,

December 8, 2006 (PDF 706 KB)

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Learn more about the EPACT 2005 test procedures

Determination Analysis (from EPACT 2005)

Docket Number: EERE-2006-DET-0136

EPACT 2005 required DOE to issue a final rule to determine whether to

issue energy conservation standards for battery chargers and external

power supplies. DOE initiated this determination analysis rulemaking in

2006, which included a scoping workshop on January 24, 2007, at DOE

headquarters in Washington, DC. The determination was underway and

on schedule for issuance by August 8, 2008, when EISA 2007 was

enacted.

Learn more about the EPACT 2005 determination analysis

Test Procedures (from EISA 2007)

Docket Number EERE-2008-BT-TP-0004

Section 310 of EISA 2007 required DOE to amend its existing test

procedures for both BCs and EPSs to measure to energy consumed in

standby mode and off mode. It also authorized DOE to amend by rule

any of the definitions for active, standby, and off mode so long as DOE

took into consideration the most current versions of Standards 62301

and 62087 of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Final Rule, Test Procedures for Battery Chargers and External

Power Supplies (Standby Mode and Off Mode), Federal Register,

March 27, 2009 (PDF 462 KB)

Contact Information

Victor Petrolati

Project Manager

(202) 586-4549

Back to Top

Printable Version

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Webmaster | Web Site Policies | Security & Privacy | USA.gov

Content Last Updated: 05/01/2009

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