The California Energy Commission will host a public workshop on April 26 to seek input about a revised draft staff report and draft proposed energy efficiency regulations for computers, computer monitors and signage displays.
The draft standards were initially released one year ago. The revised March 2016 analysis is available here. "The revised proposal primarily focuses on updating and clarifying standards for desktop computers," the California Energy Commission says.
"Proposed standards vary by computer type — notebook and desktop computers, workstations, and small-scale servers — and allow the industry flexibility to choose how to comply. Standards would take effect Jan. 1, 2018. A more stringent standard for units with graphics cards would take effect Jan. 1, 2019," the energy commission wrote on its blog.
The standards include changes to computers’ idle modes, improved automatic power management and more efficient monitors — but don’t affect performance.
A staff analysis from the commission says the new rule-making would save hundreds of millions of dollars in energy consumption. Computers, monitors and displays use about 5 percent of California’s electricity.
Meeting details are available here.
