Mobile Efficiency for Plug-Load Devices - Developing a Portfolio of Advanced Efficiency Solutions: Plug-Load Technologies and Approaches for Buildings - Phase II

Why do mobile devices, like smart phones, use significantly less energy than plugged devices, like computers, while offering comparable functionality to users? This question naturally arises as users of mobile devices experience undistinguishable web browsing, video streaming, and other services from their battery-operated mobile devices. Can researchers learn from the design principles for mobile devices in order to close the mobile energy gap and save energy consumption for billions of plug-load devices?
Design principles define the technical steps engineers take to create new devices. The legacy design principle for plug-load devices is to focus on functionality and performance first and deal with energy efficiency later once the device is fully developed. This legacy principle results in vastly suboptimal energy efficiency of devices. Only the largest and most profitable mobile businesses, like Apple®, have been able to overcome this legacy and consistently follow energy-efficient design principles.
This project aims to save energy by applying the mobile design principles to plug loads and delivering four design principles for energy-efficient development of plug-load devices. These are the methodology document, technical standard, virtual prototype, and real-life reference design. With these principles, any engineers properly skilled in the design and production of standard electronic devices can assess the opportunities for energy savings.
Consistent use of the new technology can reduce the annual energy consumption of targeted home and business electronic plug-load devices in California’s homes and offices by 20-50 percent and achieve statewide cumulative savings through 2022 of 1.6–4 terawatt-hours, depending on the range of addressable products and depth of per unit savings. (A terawatt is a trillion watts.)