One Small Step for Engineers (don't tell Marketing)
By Doug Bailey, Power Integrations, Inc.
Lately, the press has been full of stories concerning the GM bailout, a proposed $25 billion payment intended to keep the last vestiges of the U.S. automotive industry from following the well-trodden path of decline – a trail littered with the empty shells of shipbuilding, textile, steel, semiconductor and other 20th century factories. Ignoring for one moment the political debate on whether the investment of such a large amount of taxpayer money is appropriate, what interests me is speculation that the Big Three’s declining market share is due to an insufficiently Green product mix.
Doug Bailey, Power Integrations, Inc.
By Doug Bailey, Power Integrations, Inc.
Lately, the press has been full of stories concerning the GM bailout, a proposed $25 billion payment intended to keep the last vestiges of the U.S. automotive industry from following the well-trodden path of decline – a trail littered with the empty shells of shipbuilding, textile, steel, semiconductor and other 20th century factories. Ignoring for one moment the political debate on whether the investment of such a large amount of taxpayer money is appropriate, what interests me is speculation that the Big Three’s declining market share is due to an insufficiently Green product mix.
This begs the question: Who made the choice not to be fuel efficient? Who has a say in deciding that consumers won’t pay the additional up-front costs (and, presumably, would prefer to pay for gas instead)? Obviously we can blame the marketing guys, accountants and managers, but what about the engineers and designers? Don’t they get to share some of the guilt? I think so.
I have learned from my experience gained working at Power Integrations that there is always a way to save energy and improve power efficiency. Often, being more efficient is simply a matter of better algorithms or smarter design choices, of more diligent analysis and being willing to try something new and challenging. We have consistently increased product efficiency and reduced power supply system cost with every new IC generation.
Let me illustrate with a story:
My Windows-based desktop PC, with its maxed-out RAM and aged microprocessor struggling to keep up with my kid’s addiction to EA’s Spore, just isn’t the capable machine it was when I first flipped the switch a few years ago. So, I decided it was time to upgrade performance and take advantage of all the energy-efficiency programs targeted at computers that have been implemented over the last few years.
As I began my search for a greener PC, I expected that there would be a good selection of ENERGY STAR-compliant models from which to choose. After all, the ENERGY STAR and 80 PLUS programs recommend that computer power supplies and servers should have 80% or greater energy efficiency. In July 2007, ENERGY STAR issued a major revision to its computer spec (version 4) which not only dealt with power management, but also adopted 80 PLUS efficiency standards. Additionally, Climate Savers, a consortium of interested computer and server-related stakeholders started by Google and Intel, proposed even more aggressive power supply efficiency goals (up to 90%).
As I walked down the PC aisle at my local electronics store, checking the list of features and benefits on each box, I was amazed to find that the ENERGY STAR logo was nowhere to be found. In fact, the only ray of efficiency sunshine in sight came from the line of Apple systems, which clearly stated their models were ENERGY STAR compliant.
Disappointed, I headed back home and visited the websites of the two largest computer manufacturers in search of an efficient home / home office desktop computer. One of the sites clearly directed me to the one ENERGY STAR-compliant desktop PC for home use that they offered. I wandered around the other website looking for a clue as to where they hid their compliant machines. After finally doing a search for ENERGY STAR, I stumbled upon a press release that identified the model number of a PC that could be specially configured to be compliant. (Interestingly, it wasn’t until I surfed to the small and medium business computer area that I found a wider selection of ENERGY STAR-compliant models.)
According to the 80 PLUS website, more than 635 power supplies have been certified to the efficiency spec. So, why is it that computer manufacturers aren’t offering a wide selection of ENERGY STAR-compliant models for home users to consider? Consumers have proven that they care about purchasing ENERGY STAR-efficient products such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc. Why should computers be any different?
In my opinion, engineers are powerful and have far more influence over the technical choices concerning products that appear on the store shelves than the managers, accountants and marketing guys. If the GM engineers who were responsible for such ‘ecobominations’ as the Hummer and design disasters as the Crown Victoria had shown a bit more foresight, perhaps jobs in Detroit would be a little safer today.
I call on all engineers working in whatever discipline – from bending metal to IC design to PC specification to building lighting and construction – to make one design choice today, no matter how small, that will benefit efficiency. No need to tell the boss. Hide it from the accountants. Ignore marketing (no change there). Go home and tell your wife, your kid or your dog. There are thousands of us in this business and if we all take one small step, perhaps we can have an effect worth noticing. In troubled times, with efficiency at the forefront of consumer consciousness, it’s quite likely that your most visible contribution will be saving jobs, as well as Joules.
About the author
Doug Bailey is vice president of marketing for Power Integrations, the leading supplier of high-voltage analog ICs used in energy-efficient power conversion. Before joining PI, Bailey was vice president of marketing at ChipX; he previously held senior-level management positions with Sapiential Prime, Inc., 8×8, Inc., and IIT, Inc., and design engineering roles with LSI Logic, Inmos, Ltd. and Marconi. Doug holds a B.Eng. from the University of Birmingham with a concentration in microelectronics and microwave devices.
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