Philips Chipset Claims Power Efficiency Boost

SAN FRANCISCO — Royal Philips Electronics NV Monday (March 20) added two new products to its GreenChip family of energy-efficient ICs, one for desktop PCs and one for notebook computers.

According to Philips (Eindhoven, the Netherlands), the GreenChip PC is a chipset based on an all-in-one design that increases the overall efficiency of desktop PC power supplies to more than 80 percent. The GreenChip SR, a secondary control IC for notebook adapters, improves the efficiency of laptop computer adapters by three to five percent, the company said.

The Philips GreenChip PC introduces a new topology that makes it easier and more cost-effective for PC power supply manufacturers to comply with energy efficiency specifications such as 80 Plus and Energy Star, Philips said. The GreenChip PC is based on patented Philips technology that integrates the standby supply into the main converter, reducing the number of external components required, the company said. Local secondary regulation also solves primary-side feedback issues and dramatically improves cross-regulation, Philips said.

According to Philips, most current desktop PC power supplies are only 60 to 70 percent efficient when operating, converting 30 to 40 percent of the AC power consumed by the computer into heat. By using efficient power supplies operating at 80 percent efficiency or greater, PC manufacturers can help business and home users save energy and reduce their electricity costs significantly, Philips said.

According to Ecos Consulting, switching to more efficient power supply designs in desktop computers could save approximately 11 to 22 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and $880 million to $1.8 billion in energy costs per year in the U.S. alone.

"The GreenChip PC chipset brings the highest level of integration to energy-efficient desktop power supplies — delivering considerable savings as a result," said Edwin Kluter, marketing manager for Philips Semiconductors integrated power product line, in a statement. "Initial customer response has been resounding, particularly as new regulations and initiatives such as 80 Plus and Energy Star make energy efficiency a major priority worldwide."

Philips said the GreenChip SR is the only secondary control IC available to integrate both synchronous rectification and primary feedback/control functionality. Used in notebook adapter designs, the GreenChip SR offers a wide operation range of 8.5 to 38 volts, minimizing the number of external components required and enabling simpler designs, Philips said.

The Philips GreenChip SR (TEA1761) is available immediately and is priced at 40 to 60 cents per unit in quantities of 100,000, Philips said. Samples of the GreenChip PC chipset, consisting of three ICs (TEA1771, TEA1772 and TEA1782), will be available in during the second quarter, the company said. The complete GreenChip PC chipset is priced at less than $5 in quantities of 100,000, Philips said.