By taking a fresh look at some familiar items, like PCs, lightbulbs, TVs, and utility meters, NXP has developed new ways to improve efficiency and, as a result, save a remarkable amount of energy.

Power supplies

When the power supply of a computer, monitor, or TV converts the voltage from a wall socket to the voltages the computer requires, as much as 40% of the applied energy can be lost in the process. NXP's power-supply chipset, called GreenChip, uses advanced IC technologies to cut power losses by as much as 50% and enable the world's most efficient power supply, with savings from standby to full power.

Lighting

Research shows that the electricity used to light homes, shops, offices, signs, public spaces, and streetlights accounts for roughly 20% of all electricity consumption worldwide. Switching from traditional incandescent bulbs to new technologies could save as much as 40% in electricity costs. NXP is a major supplier of components for Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) lighting and is driving the transition to an even more promising technology, called Solid State Lighting (SSL). Based on high-brightness LEDs, SSL delivers bright colors at a high intensity, while consuming less overall power and offering very long lamp life.

LCD TVs

The backlighting unit in a conventional LCD TV consumes a great deal of energy. Using new LED backlighting hardware, combined with complex optimization algorithms, NXP enables color dimming, a technique that results in the same brightness with a power savings of up to 70%. Since TV sets are the number-one consumers of electricity in most homes, transitioning to LCD TVs with LED backlight dimming could save a lot of energy, and, in turn, lower CO2 emissions. In fact, the technique is so energy efficient that, if it were deployed in only 10% of the world's TVs, would save 25 times the amount of energy that NXP uses in all of its IC manufacturing.

Utility meters

New, all-digital utility meters, called smart meters, represent the first step in creating a comprehensive network that will help reduce energy consumption. Equipped with programmable microcontrollers, smart meters track gas, electricity, and water consumption more precisely and, when outfitted with components for connectivity, can transmit usage data directly to the utility company. That eliminates the need for roving meter readers, which in turn saves on overhead and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases. It also makes it easier to identify and respond to outages.

As part of a next-generation network that includes home appliances, wireless communications, and the Internet, smart meters will make it easier for everyone to manage their consumption. Consumers will know exactly how much they're using when, and that can lead to better decision making, such as delaying a load of laundry to take advantage of lower latenight rates. More efficient consumption will, in turn, reduce the load on the power grid, leading to fewer outages and, ultimately, fewer power plants.

NXP is a leading supplier of microcontrollers and other components for smart meters, and is committed to expanding the market.