Will external power supplies be affected by the upcoming EuP regulations in Europe?
Yes, as long as they have an output of less than 250W and supply just one output voltage at a time.
Thanks to EBV for its notes on the EC regulation no. 278/2009 which sets out new requirements regarding the environmentally-friendly design of external power supply units.
From 27 April 2010 onwards, only devices that meet the power consumption requirements specified in the regulation may be brought into circulation in the EU.
The regulations may not apply to all external power supplies. For example, as well as being restricted units with an output of less than 250 W, it also only applies to external power supply units designed for use with electrical and electronic goods used in the household and the office.
According to the EuP guide on EBV's website, the main requirements of the regulation relate to no-load power consumption and average efficiency and will come into effect at two different times.
Power supply units connected to the mains power source but not to the device that constitutes the primary load (e.g. telephone) are not allowed to consume more than 0.5 W if sold after 27 April 2010. In April 2011, an upper limit of 0.3 W will be set for AC/DC power supply units with a maximum output of 51 W as well as for external, low-voltage power supply units.
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