Standby power challenge

Many electrical appliances are required to operate in standby or 'ready' mode when not in use. This allows instant availability for the end user often activated by a remotely controlled device. Recently, the environmental impact of energy consumed by electrical devices in the standby mode has attracted the attention of governments and environmentalists alike. This paper discusses the environmental implications of standby operation on a global scale, the need for energy saving modes to improve standby performance, legislation and guidelines (including the Global 1W and the Whitehouse decree). The paper continues with a technical evaluation that includes; product classes affected, methods of achieving low standby performance, impact of topology choice and available semiconductor solutions. The conclusion considers present power budget limitations and recommends achievable standby guidelines that do not incur severe cost penalties.