Korea National energy saving efforts paying off
Korea is seeing good progress in its efforts to conserve energy by reducing standby power levels. Standby power is the energy an electrical product consumes when it is switched off, and Korea’s national goal is to reduce the level of standby power for all electrical products to 1 watt by 2010.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy has set intermediate goals for targeted products including televisions, computers, monitors, printers, multifunction printers, set-top boxes and microwaves. Under a new labeling program, products that exceed the Ministry’s recommended standby power levels must carry a yellow warning sticker.
As of July 2009, 4,580 electrical products met the Ministry’s intermediate goals regarding standby power, compared with only 2,418 at the end of 2008. This represents an 89.4 percent jump. The most dramatic improvement was observed among printers, which saw an almost threefold increase in the number of power-saving models on the market.
Companies are working actively to develop technology in this area and are voluntarily cutting production of items that use high levels of standby power. Consumers are also doing their part, showing a preference for power-saving products when they are available.
If the current positive trend continues, Korea can expect to save nearly 56.2 billion won (about $45 million) worth of energy every year.
Topics: Asia, conservation, Economy, energy, Governance, knowledge economy, Korea, soceity, technology
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