Research Could Reduce Energy Gadgets Use In Idle Mode
Lausanne, Switzerland (AHN) – Research on changing transistor design could result in curbing energy loss in gadgets when they are in idle mode.
Right now, gadgets continue to consume power even when they are in idle mode, resulting in large amounts of wasted power and higher energy bills for consumers. The problem comes from transistor design. Today’s transistors are never completely closed even when they are turned off.
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, is working on a project to increase energy efficiency in transistors. The project is called Steeper after the transistors it is focusing on, the transistors get their name because they make an abrupt change when they switch between on and off states.
The goal of the Steeper project is to make gadgets and household appliances 10 times more energy efficient when they are being used and to virtually eliminate the energy they consume when they are idle.
About 10 percent of all energy used is consumed by gadgets and appliances in standby mode.
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