‘Standby’ power set for eco-design rethink

By Anna McLauchlin

Date: 14/10/04

THE red light on your television that stays lit when you turn off MTV may seem harmless enough, but, in fact, 'standby' power is becoming a significant and growing energy guzzler, argues the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The group is asking the European Parliament to reinstate the issue of standby in its draft directive on the eco-design of energy-using products.

Home appliances like computers, fridges, televisions and even halogen lamps all consume energy even when they are not in use. An average video recorder, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), consumes 19 times more electricity in standby mode than when it is actually playing a video.

The WWF estimates this type of energy wastage accounts for up to 13% of total energy consumption in some countries in Western Europe. Globally it is equivalent to more than 14 very large nuclear power stations or up to 30 coal-fired power stations.

Elsewhere in the world there are legislative measures to bring down this type of energy consumption. Japan has had a standard on standby since 1999, which sets energy efficiency targets that manufacturers are obliged to reach on products including air-conditioners, heaters, photocopiers, fridges and freezers.

In 2001, the US issued an executive order ruling that executive agencies can only buy products whose standby power uses no more than one watt.

Energy cutting measures include reducing the power requirement of the standby mode, minimizing the time that the appliance is used in high-power mode, or even physically moving the appliance switch so that no power is consumed when the appliance is switched off.

The IEA forecasts that standby power consumption is set to be the largest source of domestic consumption by 2030, yet it is the area where there is the biggest potential for energy demand reduction. If policy measures are put in place, consumption could be reduced by 75% by 2030, it estimates.

"All we are asking is for the EU to have a legislative tool to force manufacturers to reduce standby on the products they make," says Germana Canzi at WWF.

"At the moment, there are only a few voluntary agreements, such as so-called codes of conduct for certain product categories. But we doubt that this approach is really adequate to the challenge we face, both on climate and security of supply."

In April MEPs agreed to include standby in their first reading of the EU's eco-design directive, which would lay down requirements for energy efficiency on certain products. But national governments in June decided the directive should not specify products to be covered until a solid evaluation had taken place. Under the current draft it will be left to the next stage of drawing up "implementing measures" to decide exactly which products and areas will be covered by the law.

Ramon Launa of the European Information & Communications Technology Industry Association (EICTA) supported the governments' position. "EICTA supports the overall aim of the directive but it must be applied appropriately and that means based on EU internal market law (Article 95 of the EC Treaty), not environment (Article 175).

Besides, there should be proper impact assessment beforehand to decide which products to include."

MEPs decided to move the legal basis of the draft text from internal market to environment. This means the law is likely to be less business- friendly. It will consider the Council of Ministers new text for a second time after the draft has been translated, which should be in November or December.

The WWF asked the European Parliament to reinstate the issue of standby in its draft directive on the eco-design of energy-using products. The organisation estimates the energy wastage caused by standby modes in home appliances accounts for up to 13% of total energy consumption in some countries in Western Europe.