Energy efficiency options for external power supplies in Australia

Richard Collins, Punchline Energy, Australia
Shane Holt, Equipment Energy Efficiency, Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Australia

Keywords

external power supplies, regulatory impact statement, cost benefit analysis

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the analysis and results of options for improving the energy performance of external power supplies (EPS) in Australia. The energy performance levels and test methods are documented in Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS4665 which is based upon the US Energy Star test method and performance marking methods.

The Government process for analysing the options is a detailed report known as Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) which addresses methods and key requirements for analysis of proposed regulation and alternatives. The RIS process places significant demands on the level of data required, transparency of the assessment methodology, costs, benefits and other impacts on the community at large plus impacts on small business, industry and distributional issues. Whilst this may not be a challenge for single application products, such as a white good, the analysis for EPS identified methodological and data collection challenges peculiar to them and their end use. EPS are used in hundreds of applications and, as such, the cost benefit analysis of each type of EPS matched with each type of appliance highlighted the difficulty to obtain data for a comprehensive analysis across the major application types. In spite of the challenges, the conservative scenario analysis indicates greenhouse gas savings of 8.3 MT CO2-e to 2025 and a cost benefit ratio of 2.35 for Australia. The RIS also analysed the New Zealand case, which is not included in this paper, but indicated savings of 975 kT CO2-e to 2025 and a cost benefit ratio of 2.1 .