What are efficiency and standby power consumption?

AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount, provides a clear explanation of efficiency in switching power supplies and standby power consumption.

AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount, What Are Efficiency and Standby Power Consumption in Switching Power Supplies?

Efficiency: EFFICIENCY

Efficiency is defined based on the input active power and output power, as shown in the following formula.

This indicates the ratio between the energy supplied from the outlet = Input Active Power and the energy output from the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount = Output Power.

For example, when exchanging a 1000 yen bill, receiving 10 coins of 100 yen still makes 1000 yen. However, if an exchange fee of 100 yen is charged, and only 900 yen is received in the form of nine 100 yen coins, this can be expressed as an efficiency of 900 (output) ÷ 1000 (input) × 100 = Efficiency: 90%.

If the efficiency were 100%, it would be an ideal AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount. However, in reality, due to internal energy use and conversion losses, achieving 100% efficiency is impossible.

The above specification shows compliance with Level V of the efficiency standards defined by the California Energy Commission (CEC).

Considering the coin exchange analogy, it may feel quite inefficient, but AC adapters using transformer systems, which were mainstream nearly 20 years ago, commonly had efficiencies around 50%.
Since switching-type adapters became mainstream, efficiency has dramatically improved, and nowadays, most Products exceed 80% efficiency.

What Is Standby Power Consumption?

Standby power consumption specifies the amount of power consumed while in standby mode.
This refers to the electricity used even when the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount is plugged into the outlet but not connected to any device.

This can be compared to water droplets slightly leaking from a faucet, even when it is tightly turned off.
While a properly working faucet does not leak, it is technically difficult to make the standby power consumption of an AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount absolutely zero. If it is absolutely necessary to achieve zero standby power consumption, methods such as “unplugging the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount from the outlet” or “using a power strip with a switch to turn off power” are required, which is equivalent to shutting off the water at the main valve.

The above specification indicates that standby power consumption is 0.3W or less.

For high-efficiency AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount and switching power supplies, trust our company with a proven track record.

Related content