The 80plus power supply performance specification requires all multi-output power supplies in servers and computers to be 80% and above energy efficient. This rating makes any certified power supply more efficient than other typical power supplies. 80plus is simply an initiative that was developed by an innovative energy company to promote energy efficiency in power supply units. This has greatly reduced electricity use and bills as compared to when using less energy saving power units.

Every power supply’s efficiency varies depending on the amount of power being delivered. To qualify for 80plus power supply certification a power supply has to achieve at least 80% efficiency at three specified loads of 20%, 50% and 100% of the maximum rated power with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater at 100% load. This is why it’s so important to choose a power supply capacity that is appropriate to the device being powered. For much higher wattage suppliers, higher efficiency levels can be reached easily and that’s why gold and platinum certifications are less available for consumer level supplies of reasonable capacity for some machines like the typical desktop machine.

Efficiency certifications are divided into basic level, bronze level, silver level, gold level and the platinum level which specifically requires 0.95 or higher power factor for servers. The higher the power factor, the lesser power consumption used. Efficiency of any given power supply is generally its output power divided by its input power with the extra power being converted into heat. To get 80plus certified supplies that meet all the requirements, the internet is by far the best resource for such information. There are sites that give a list of all certified 80Plus Power Supply products that meet the necessary standards and one can easily confirm that online. Not all companies meet these requirements and so caution is advised when purchasing such products. It is always good to be aware of the existence of substandard products.

Manufacturers who meet the 80plus power supply standards and manufacture certified products are normally given rebates. 80plus certification has almost become the market standard and most of the power supply unit manufacturers have added the 80plus requirements to their products. There are many leading providers of this high performance certified products for computing devices and systems that deliver on all levels with exceptional performance and efficiency. Do an online research and you will be amazed by the range of options you have when purchasing 80plus certified products.