Inside Strasbourg cathedral

The computer I have used in this example is the Apple iMac, 21.5 inch, 3.06GHz (model MB950). I have used the values for power consumption from the Energy Star Product Database.

Apple also publishes power consumption information for the iMac in their Environmental Report. I was interested to note that values for idle power consumption in the Energy Star database and the Apple report are different. The values for power consumption in off mode and sleep mode are the same. I suspect the difference in idle power consumption values is due to differences in the definition of idle.

I decided to use the power consumption values from the Energy Star database, as they are more likely to have been measured in accordance with the specification.

Here are the details of the iMac I used from the Energy Star database:

• Category: B
• Idle mode (W): 28.1
• Off mode (W): 0.8
• Sleep mode(W): 1.9
• E_TEC (kWh): 103.0
• CPU: Intel Core2 Duo
• Core speed (GHz): 3.1
• System memory (GB): 4
• Discrete GPU: no
• Hard drives: 1
• Operating system: Mac OS X

This iMac falls within category B in the Energy Star specifications. The specifications provide four different categories for desktop computers based on their capabilities. To be classed as category B, the computer must have equal to two physical cores and two gigabytes of system memory.

To qualify for Energy Star status, a category B desktop computer must have a typical energy consumption equal to or less than 175kWh per year. The typical energy consumption limit can be increased by adjustments made for additional system memory, a discrete GPU, and additional internal storage. The iMac we are looking at does not meet the requirements for any adjustments based on additional system memory, a discrete GPU, or additional internal storage.

The formula for calculating the typical energy consumption of a desktop computer is set out in the specifications. The formula calculates the amount of power the computer would use over the year, based on the power it uses in different states and the average amount of time spent in those states:

E_TEC = (8760/1000) x (P_off x T_off + P_sleep x T_sleep + P_idle x T_idle)

The P-values represent power consumption measured in watts.

The T-values represent time measured as a percentage of the year.

The amount of time the computer spends in each state (the T-values) is set out in the specification. For a desktop computer the percentage of the year spent in each state is below:

• Off: 55% (T_off = 0.55)
• Sleep: 5% (T_sleep = 0.05)
• Idle: 40% (T_idle = 0.40)

The power consumption for each state (the P-values) are determined by measuring the particular computer in accordance with the specification. I have used the values from the Energy Star database for the iMac:

• Off mode: 0.8W (P_off = 0.8)
• Sleep mode: 1.9W (P_sleep = 1.9)
• Idle mode: 28.1W (P_idle = 28.1)

When we put the P-values for this iMac and T-values for desktop computers into the formula, it looks like this:

E_TEC= (8760/1000) x (0.8×0.55 + 1.9×0.05 + 28.1×0.40)

E_TEC= 103.1

To meet the Energy Star requirements, this iMac needs typical energy consumption of of 175kWh or less. At 103.1kWh, the iMac meets the Energy Star requirements.

I was interested to note that the Energy Star database gives an E_TEC value for this iMac of 103.0, whereas my calculations came out as 103.1. I’m not sure where this discrepancy comes from, but in either case, the iMac’s typical energy consumption is well within the requirements.

Le Monde Apple en direct, Strasbourg

The most recent specifications for computers came into effect on 1 July 2009. The specifications set out the requirements that a computer needs to meet to use the Energy Star label. The most recent specifications for computers are set out in Commission Decision 2009/489/EC.

Here is a summary of the requirements for desktop computers (such as Mac Pros), integrated desktop computers (combined computer and monitor, such as iMacs), and notebook computers (such as MacBooks). The specifications go into a lot of detail for different computer set ups and capabilities. This is a broad overview of the numbers.

Desktop and integrated desktop computers must have a typical energy consumption of 138 – 204 kWh per year or less. This is based on the computer spending 55% of time off, 5% of time in sleep mode, and 40% of time idle.

Notebook computers must have a typical energy consumption of 40 – 88.5 kWh per year or less. This is based on the computer spending 60% of time off, 10% of time in sleep mode, and 30% of time idle.

The energy consumption requirements appear to be baseline figures. They do not take into account any active use of the computers.

In addition to meeting the energy consumption requirements, computers must also have power management enabled. The display must sleep after 15 minutes of user inactivity, and the computer must sleep after 30 minutes of user inactivity.

Strasbourg from above

Last week, I learnt that the EU sets limits on the amount of power equipment can use when it is in stand by mode and off mode. These limits were introduced through Regulation 1275/2008. This regulation was implemented under Directive 2005/32/EC.

I have since learnt that Directive 2005/32/EC has been repealed, and replaced by Directive 2009/125/EC. Both of these directives aim to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of a range of products. The new directive expands the scope of the old directive to include a wider range of products.

The regulation on stand by power consumption was based on the old directive. But, the old directive has been replaced. Is the original regulation still in force?

After much searching, I have not been able to find a definitive answer. But, here are my thoughts.

Directive 2009/125/EC states that references to the repealed directive will be construed as references to the new directive. This suggests to me that the regulation on stand by power consumption will continue, but now refer to the new directive instead the old one.

On a practical note, the new directive aims to achieve the same goals as the old directive, but covers a wider range of products. The regulations implemented under the old directive go some way to achieving those goals for specific groups of products. It seems counterproductive for the new directive to undo those regulations.

Is Regulation 1275/2008 on stand by power consumption still effective under the new directive? I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, I would say yes.

Building detail, Strasbourg

Last week, I set out to learn what EU policies were in place on computer energy consumption. I was disappointed when all I found was the EU Energy Star programme.

This week, I decided to escape the confines of the Europa pages, and see what Google could turn up for me. I ultimately ended up back on the Europa web site, but with far more interesting results.

I discovered the EU Ecodesign concept. Ecodesign seems to be a name the EU has applied to a collection of initiatives and legislation that aim to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of a range of products.

The overall framework for the Ecodesign principles was established by EU Directive 2005/32/EC. While the directive provides a foundation for Ecodesign, the details of how Ecodesign applies to specific products are contained in separate regulations.

I decided to look at Regulation 1275/2008 which sets out the requirements for stand by mode and off mode of household electrical and electronic equipment. The list of equipment it applies to covers most of the things you have plugged in to power sockets in your home, including computers.

The regulation sets limits for the energy consumed by equipment when it is in stand by mode and off mode. As far as I can tell, the limits apply to equipment that is sold in the EU. The requirements will be phased in over 4 years, starting in December 2008.

Here is a summary of the requirements.

1 year after the regulation is in force (December 2009):

• Power consumption in off mode must be 1 Watt or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation must be 1 Watt or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation and displays information (such as a clock) must be 2 Watts or less.

4 years after the regulation is in force (December 2012):

• Power consumption in off mode must be 0.5 Watts or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation must be 0.5 Watts or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation and displays information (such as a clock) must be 1 Watt or less.

The regulation also provides that equipment that is connected to mains power must have a stand by or off mode, and must also have a power management function which automatically switches the device into stand by mode or off mode when it is not being actively used.

Houses by the river, Strasbourg

I started on the Europa Policy Areas page, and went to the Energy section. The overview on the Energy Policy page suggests that EU energy policy primarily focuses on where energy comes from. Energy efficiency is mentioned, but seems to be a smaller area of the overall EU energy policy.

Under the Legislation tab, I found a link about Energy Efficiency, and from there a link to Energy Efficiency of Office Equipment. This took me to a page about the Energy Star programme.

You have probably seen the Energy Star stickers around. From a user’s perspective, Energy Star is a labelling programme. If office equipment meets certain specifications for energy use, they can display the Energy Star label.

I followed the link to the EU Energy Star page for more information. I had a look around, but did not come away with much. The content felt mostly like marketing, with some notable statistics thrown in.

Here are a few facts from the Consumers page and the Statistics page:

• The annual energy usage for a new home computer and printer can range from 40kWh-400kWh.
• An energy efficient computer and printer can save 150-200 Euros in electricity costs over its lifetime (5-6 years).
• Home office equipment accounts for approximately 9% of the average household electricity bill.
• Office equipment accounts for approximately 11% of electricity usage in the tertiary sector.

I am not quite sure what the tertiary sector is. The statistics are separated into residential, tertiary, and industry. So, I think the tertiary sector means office-based businesses.

I get the impression that there must be more to EU policy on computer energy consumption than the Energy Star programme. I went back to the Europa Energy Efficiency page to see if there were any other links that looked promising, but none stood out. Perhaps it is tucked away in another area of the broader EU energy policy.

What do they mean by the common EU interest?

I initially assumed the common EU interest referred to foreign affairs and trade outside the EU. But, as I discovered last week, foreign policy is handled by the Council of the European Union, not the European Commission.

Sign post, Strasbourg

I went back to the Europa web site and their section on the European Commission, to see if there was anything I had missed that might shed some light on the common EU interest. It described the European Commission as representing and upholding the interests of Europe as a whole. That doesn’t seem unique to the European Commission to me. Don’t the other EU institutions also represent and uphold the interests of Europe?

I moved to the European Commission’s own dedicated web site to see if I could discover more about the common EU interest. Nothing immediately stood out, but a link to the Commission At Work seemed most promising. I ended up at a Basic Facts section, where I found a better explanation of the European Commission and the common EU interest.

The description of the European Commission as representing the common EU interest seems to refer to the Commission’s role in proposing legislation. It sounds obvious, but the European Commission can not favour particular countries or interest groups; its focus is on the benefit of the EU as a whole.

As an aside, when the Commission proposes new legislation, it seeks input from groups affected by the legislation, and makes an assessment of the economic, social, and environmental impact of the legislation.

It seems that the European Commission represents the the common EU interest by proposing legislation that benefits all of the EU, not just a particular part of it.

I’m not sure why this description is reserved for the European Commission. I thought that all the EU institutions ultimately existed to benefit the EU as a whole.

I decided to start with the Europa website. Europa, I discovered, is the official EU website. It took a lot of clicking around, but I found what I wanted eventually, and I know a lot more about the EU than I did yesterday.

The European Union's main web site - europa.eu

The Europa front page has links to all sorts of interesting information. There are links to policy areas, consumer information, media, and official documents and legislation. Right at the top there is a Basic Information section. That looked like the place for me to start.

The Basic Information page was not what I was expecting. I expected the usual ‘about us’ page which would give me a bit of an overview and point me in the right direction for more information about how EU policies are created.

Instead, the Basic Information page had links to charts and graphs, slide presentations, and lessons. There was a link to EU fact sheets, which seemed like the best option. Sadly, the link took me to a notice saying the page no longer existed before redirecting me to a different web site, the European Parliament site.

On the European Parliament page, I noticed a section on the EU and its Institutions, which I though might help answer my questions. It turned out to be a list of recent articles and news items.

Having hit a dead end, I went back to the Europa Basic Information page. I clicked on the Panorama of the EU question and answer guide. I had avoided this link the first time because I generally don’t like the question and answer format.

The Panorama page was not your usual question and answer page. It read more like a corporate mission statement. Not particularly helpful. By this stage I was wondering, in frustration, why they didn’t have a summary that tells me what the EU actually does?

However, I did find my first useful snippet of information. There are 3 main EU institutions:

1. European Parliament, which represents the people of Europe;
2. Council of the European Union, which represents national governments;
3. European Commission, which represents the common EU interest.

I wondered what they meant by the common EU interest. I assumed it was most likely their foreign affairs and trade section. I was soon to find out this assumption was wrong.

As I was about the leave the Panorama page, I noticed some more links off to the side. One of them was What do we do? Maybe that would have the information I was looking for.

The What do we do? page seemed to cover the EU’s key policy areas, but nothing about where the policy originates.

As an aside, I was interested to notice that environment and climate change each seem to be separate policy areas. I’ll keep them in mind to explore another day.

I was still no closer to answering my questions about where EU policies come from. There was another link off to the side titled How are we organised? It seemed worth a try, and I was rewarded with a first page that actually looked promising.

The How are we organised? page had a summary of nine EU institutions, including the three important ones I found earlier. And, finally, there were the answers to my questions about where EU policy comes from and how it is implemented.

The European Parliament has shared responsibility for passing European laws, based on proposals put forward by the European Commission. The European Parliament is elected by the people every five years.

The European Parliament shares responsibility for passing EU laws with the Council of the European Union. The Council of the European Union is comprised of ministers from the national governments of EU countries. They are responsible for EU foreign policy, security policy, defence policy, and justice and freedom issues.

Within the Council of the European Union, overall EU policy is set by the prime ministers and presidents of the EU countries.

The European Commission is responsible for drafting proposed EU laws, which are presented to the European Parliament and Council to be passed. They are also responsible for implementing EU policies, using EU funds, and enforcing EU laws.

It appears that EU policy originates in the Council of the European Union. The laws then need to be passed by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

This process is roughly similar to the process in Australia, where new laws have to be passed by both houses of parliament.

Finally, EU policy and laws are all administered, implemented, and enforced by the European Commission, effectively the EU’s civil service.

European Parliament, Strasbourg

I was born in Australia and Graham was born in the United Kingdom. Over the last few years we have noticed a common trend with policy decisions and focus from our home countries. When a topic appears in one parliament, it soon appears in its foreign counterpart. Neither country mentions the other, but the overlap is uncanny.

DssW is an English limited company. The company is subject to English company law, and ultimately EU law. So EU legislation has a direct effect on our business and customers.

Coming from Australia, I know little about the EU and how it works. Australia can feel a long way from the rest of the world.

The EU seems to lead the way in many areas, including energy and environment policy, which is where my particular interest lies. I would like to find out where these policies come from. Specifically, who and what creates EU policy? And once created, how do the policies get put into practice within EU countries?

These are broad questions, and I don’t expect to find answers immediately. I will start by seeing what Europa has to offer. Europa appears to be the EU’s main web site. I’ve stumbled upon Europa in the past, and it seems to be a good starting point.