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ENERGY STAR
Information to Facilitate Discussion of How to Address External Power Supplies under
ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements for Set Top Boxes
Requirements as Proposed in the Draft 3 Set-top Box (STB) Specifications for Manufacturers and
Service Providers:
STBs that use an external power supply (EPS) must use one that meets ENERGY STAR
requirements.
Manufacturers and Service Providers may use an ENERGY STAR qualified EPS
manufactured by an ENERGY STAR partner, or may test an EPS that has not been qualified
under ENERGY STAR to confirm that it is capable of meeting the ENERGY STAR EPS
specification.
The above requirements apply to both newly-manufactured STBs and those that are
refurbished or reconfigured to meet the ENERGY STAR STB criteria.
Stakeholder Feedback Leading to EPA Reconsideration:
Stakeholders commented that replacing a EPS on a STB that is being refurbished or that
remains in the field and meets the ENERGY STAR requirements through a firmware or
software update may not be cost effective.
Stakeholders questioned why the Draft 3 STB specifications proposed a requirement for
EPSs, but not for internal power supplies.
Stakeholders commented that requiring STBs to meet a primary ENERGY STB specification
as well as an ENERGY STAR EPS specification was akin to imposing double requirements -
specifications for the end-use product as well as specifications for a particular component.
They contended that the measure of a STB's energy efficiency should be its kWh/year, when
tested to the ENERGY STAR STB test procedure, and not the efficiency of particular
components the manufacture chose to use in the product's design.
Stakeholders mentioned a desire to avoid the waste that would be generated by replacing
EPSs in refurbished STBs.
EPA Proposal to Address EPSs in the Final Draft STB Specifications:
EPA recognizes the benefit of improving the energy efficiency of STBs in the field and of
encouraging improved efficiency of all other refurbished or reconditioned STBs as well as the
difficulty and environmental concerns associated with replacing the EPSs in these boxes.
EPA continues to see the benefit in encouraging the use of energy-efficient EPSs and sees
inclusion of EPS requirements in end-use products as a means of raising the efficiency while
also lowering the cost of efficient EPSs.
Thus, EPA seeks stakeholder feedback on the following proposal to address EPSs in
ENERGY STAR qualified STBs:
o Newly-manufactured STBs that use an EPS must use an ENERGY STAR qualified EPS,
or one that has been tested to and can pass the ENERGY STAR test procedure for EPSs
(no change from the requirements put forth in the Draft 3 STB specifications),
o Refurbished or reconfigured STBs that can meet the energy-efficiency performance
requirements in the ENERGY STAR STB specification do not need to use an ENERGY
STAR qualified (or equivalent) EPS.

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