Tech: What is 80 PLUS®

What is 80 PLUS®

80 PLUS is an innovative, electric utility-funded incentive program to integrate more energy-efficient power supplies into desktop computers and servers. Participating utilities and energy efficiency organizations across North America have contributed over $5 million of incentives to help the computer industry transition to 80 PLUS certified power supplies.

To date, over 2,000 power supplies have been certified and many local and major computer manufacturers are selling qualified computers. Additionally, large commercial and institutional consumers are specifying 80 PLUS in their procurement policies at increasing rates.

80 PLUS now certifies power supply products for high efficiency performance in server applications with the inclusion of a category of testing for Redundant Single Output server power supplies.

Industry efficiency performance has improved dramatically over the four years of 80 PLUS' existence enabling 80 PLUS to announce higher efficiency levels of Certification (Bronze, Silver, Gold)

http://www.80plus.org/

What is the 80 PLUS specification?

The 80 PLUS performance specification requires multi-output power supplies in computers and servers to be 80% or greater energy efficient at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater. This makes an 80 PLUS certified power supply substantially more efficient than typical power supplies and creates a unique market differentiation opportunity for power supply and computer manufacturers.