Evaluating Games Console Electricity
Use: Technologies and Policy Options
to Improve Energy Efficiency
by
Amanda Elizabeth Webb
Volume 2: Progress Reports and Published
Papers
Submitted for the degree of Engineering Doctorate in
Sustainability for Engineering and Energy Systems
Supervised by
Professor Chris France (University of Surrey) and
Dr Kieren Mayers (SONY Computer Entertainment Europe
Limited)
Centre for Environmental Strategy
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
University of Surrey
June 2014
© A.E. Webb 2014
Disclaimer
This EngD Thesis represents the work and opinions of the author. It should not be taken to
represent the opinions or position of SONY Computer Entertainment Europe Limited, SONY
Computer Entertainment Incorporated or any other SONY company and their employees
unless stated as such.
Declaration of Originality
I confirm that the submitted work is my own work and that I have clearly identified and
fully acknowledged all material that is entitled to be attributed to others (whether
published or unpublished) using the referencing system set out in the programme
handbook. I agree that the University may submit my work to means of checking this, such
as the plagiarism detection service Turnitin® UK. I confirm that I understand that assessed
work that has been shown to have been plagiarised will be penalised.
Contents

6 Month Progress Report

12 Month Progress Report

18 Month Progress Report

Mid-course Dissertation

30 Month Progress Report

36 Month Progress Report

42 Month Progress Report

48 Month Progress Report

Estimating the energy use of high definition games consoles

Energy Savings of the Console Manufacturer Industry Proposal

Excerpt from “Energy Efficiency of Games Consoles: Self-Regulatory Initiative to
further improve the energy efficiency of Games Consoles”
Amanda Webb
6 Month Progress Report
6 Month Progress Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report documents the progress made to date on the Engineering Doctorate (EngD)
research project “Life-cycle energy management of games consoles” at Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe (SCEE), the industrial sponsor.
As a manufacturer of games consoles, Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (SCEI) is
subject to an increasing policy focus on the environmental impacts of their products.
Particular attention is being paid to the energy efficiency of electronic goods. This is the
result of numerous Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies which have highlighted the usephase as being responsible for a high proportion of the overall life-cycle impacts. Therefore,
efforts to reduce these impacts are likely to yield significant reductions in electricity use
and carbon dioxide emissions.
SCEE is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of Sony PlayStation® products
in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania.
PlayStation® consoles have developed very rapidly since the first version released in 1995.
Today, consoles perform a wide variety of functions including music and media playback,
online gaming and internet browsing in addition to game-play. High definition is now
standard. As a consequence, the energy consumption of the products has increased in line
with the increased functionality and technical complexity.
In the regions covered by SCEE, and globally, numerous instruments have been employed
to regulate the amount of electricity consumed by gaming products and to drive demand
for more energy efficient products, an example of which is labelling to inform consumers.
The first section of this report discusses the instruments currently in use for promotion of
energy efficiency in electronic products, highlighting any with specific reference to games
consoles. There is also an in-depth discussion of the different stakeholders with an interest
in this area.
There is a lack of accurate information regarding both the energy consumption of games
consoles and, importantly, their usage patterns. This has led to incorrect conclusions being
drawn by independent bodies and organisations involved in the energy efficiency arena.
The second section, therefore, covers the power consumption of consoles and proposes
how this should be measured, initially with respect to the PlayStation®3, the primary SCEE
product. There are no standard methods for testing games consoles which has led to a
variety of bodies, including the ENERGYSTAR® program and NRDC, adapting methodologies
designed for other products and applying them to consoles. These adaptations are critically
discussed resulting in recommendations for the PlayStation®3 testing protocol. A key issue
is the applicability of existing definitions of the power using modes available on games
consoles and how energy consumption varies between modes. This includes standby,
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active, idle, pause and off modes. Consideration also needs to be given to these modes
when performing different functions i.e. media idle, media pause etc.
Section 5 considers the life-cycle thinking and its application to games consoles. Existing life
cycle assessment (LCA) studies are compared to assess the consistency of the results. This
will help to identify where environmental hotspots lie within the product life cycle and also
show where further research is required. The potential application of carbon foot-printing
to SCEEs’ products is also explored drawing on previous research based in the electronics
sector.
Section 6 discusses the use of consoles by consumers. Console functionality has increased
significantly over a relatively short time period and there is little public domain information
available regarding which functions consumers use and the frequency with which they use
them. This section reviews available data sources and proposes research to address these
data gaps. An area which has been focussed on for action by members of the NGO
community is that of “power-save” functions (NRDC, 2008). This is due to the reported
large potential energy savings. The possibilities for improvements are covered in the study.
Similarly, little is known about consumer’s behaviour when switching off their consoles.
This will also be addressed by the study.
The report concludes with a consideration of the main research questions to be addressed
and a plan for future work over the period of the EngD project. In addition, a detailed plan
for the next 6 months of research is described.
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GLOSSARY
AEC – Annual Electricity Consumption
ANEC – The European consumer voice in standardisation
APD – Auto Power Down
APP – Adjusted Peak Performance
BAT – Best Available Technology
BD – Blu-ray Disc
BEUC – European Consumers’ Organisation
BNAT – Best Not yet Available Technology
BSI – British Standards Institute
CE – Consumer Electronics
CEA – Consumer Electronics Association
CPU – Central Processing Unit
cSTB – complex Set Top Box
DG ENTR – Directorate General Enterprise and Industry
DG TREN - Directorate General Energy
DoE – Department of Energy (United States)
DVD – Digital Versatile Disc
EC – European Commission
eceee – European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
ECOS – European Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardisation
EEB – European Environmental Bureau
EMS – Environmental Management System
EngD – Engineering Doctorate
ErP – Energy related Products
EU – European Union
EuP – Energy using Products
FLOP – Floating Point Operation
GAO – Government Accountability Office
GPU – Graphics Processing Unit
HD – High Definition
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IEA – International Energy Agency
IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission
IM – Implementing Measure
IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPP – Integrated Product Policy
ISFE – Interactive Software Federation of Europe
ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation
JRC – Joint Research Centre
kWh – Kilowatt hour
LCA – Life Cycle Assessment
Mbps – Megabits per second
MEEuP – Methodology for the study of Eco-design of Energy-using Products
MEPS – Minimum Energy Performance Standards
MTP - Market Transformation Programme
NGO – Non–Governmental Organisation
NRDC – Natural Resources Defence Council
PAL – Phase Alternating Line
PAS – Publicly Available Specification
PC – Personal Computer
PCF – Product Carbon Foot-printing
PSN – PlayStation® Network
RAM – Random Access Memory
RoHS – Restriction of Hazardous Substances
SCEE – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
SCEI – Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated
SD – Standard Definition
SME – Small/Medium sized Enterprise
TEC – Typical Energy Consumption
UEC – Unit Electricity Consumption
USEPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency
VA – Voluntary Agreement
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VIP – Virtual Intelligence Platform
WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
WOL – Wake On Lan
XMB – Cross Media Bar
List of Tables
Table 1 Illustration of vertical and horizontal coverage of product by the EuP Directive ..... 10
Table 2 Summary of the requirements under the EuP Lot 6: standby and off-mode losses
(European Commission, 2008) ............................................................................................... 12
Table 3 Summary of the EuP product Lots which have Implementing Measures in force .... 14
Table 4 Summary of the ENERGYSTAR® V5.1 requirements for games consoles.................. 19
Table 5 Summary of the instruments in use for the promotion of energy efficient products
............................................................................................................................................... 28
Table 6 Sales data for consoles sales during the period 4th January 2009 – 2nd January 2010
............................................................................................................................................... 39
Table 7 Summary of the available data on power consumption of consoles in active mode40
Table 8 summary of the available data on average time spent in each mode by consumers
for consoles ............................................................................................................................ 56
Table 9 Total cost of testing for the different scenarios ........................................................ 84
List of Figures
Figure 1 Organisational structure of Sony Corporation (Sony, 2010b).................................... 2
Figure 2 Image of a PlayStation®3 games console with a typical handheld controller ........... 5
Figure 3 Diagram showing the effect of standards and labels on the sales of energy efficient
products (Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program, 2005) .......................... 8
Figure 4 Graph showing the idle power use in 8 high specification PCs (Department of
Environment Heritage Water and the Arts, 2009) Those below the green line comply with
ENERGYSTAR® requirements. ................................................................................................ 17
Figure 5 Labels used in the Korean “Energy Boy” scheme. a) indicates those products which
achieve the standards and b) those which do not ................................................................. 23
Figure 6 Example of the EU Energy Label .............................................................................. 26
Figure 7 Diagram showing the different stakeholders involved in energy efficiency policy . 33
Figure 8 Graph showing the voluntary reductions made in energy consumption of consoles
by both Microsoft and Sony ................................................................................................... 39
Figure 9 Graph demonstrating the relationship between computations per KWh from 1940
to present............................................................................................................................... 45
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Figure 10 Data from the ISFE study for hours spent playing video games per week, split by
age group and platform (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2008)........................ 53
Figure 11 Graph demonstrating the frequency of use by consumers of the different
functions available on PlayStation®3 ..................................................................................... 54
Figure 12 Graph demonstrating the frequency of use by consumers of the different
functions available on Xbox 360 ............................................................................................ 54
Figure 13 Calculation used to estimate the Annual Electricity Consumption of consumer
electrical appliances (TIAX, 2007) .......................................................................................... 55
Figure 14 Gantt chart documenting the proposed tasks and due dates for the next 6 months
of research ............................................................................................................................. 63
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ i
GLOSSARY.................................................................................................................................. iii
List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. v
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. v
CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................. vi
1.INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ...................................................................................... 1
1.1.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) Ltd ................................................... 1
1.2.
What is a games console? ........................................................................................ 2
1.3.
Current Definitions ................................................................................................... 3
1.4.
Energy and Power..................................................................................................... 5
2.INSTRUMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES .................................. 7
2.1.
Standards and Labels ................................................................................................ 7
2.1.1.
2.1.1.1.
European Union - Energy using Products (EuP) Directive 2005/32/EC ................ 9
Lot 3 Preparatory Study ................................................................................. 15
2.1.2.
US ENERGYSTAR® ............................................................................................... 17
2.1.3.
Top Runner ......................................................................................................... 21
2.1.4.
Korea - Energy Boy ............................................................................................. 22
2.1.5.
TCO ..................................................................................................................... 24
2.1.6.
International Energy Agency (IEA) “1 - Watt Plan” ............................................ 25
2.1.7.
United States - Green Gaming Act ..................................................................... 25
2.1.8.
EU Energy Label .................................................................................................. 25
2.1.9.
EU Eco-label........................................................................................................ 26
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2.2.
Voluntary versus Mandatory .................................................................................. 29
2.3.
Section Conclusion.................................................................................................. 30
3.STAKEHOLDERS ..................................................................................................................... 32
3.1.
NGOs ....................................................................................................................... 33
3.1.1.
NRDC .............................................................................................................. 33
3.1.2.
European Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardisation (ECOS) 34
3.1.3.
Greenpeace .................................................................................................... 34
3.1.4.
European Environmental Bureau (EEB) ......................................................... 34
3.1.5.
European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee) ......................... 35
3.2.
Consumer Organisations ........................................................................................ 35
3.2.1.
BEUC............................................................................................................... 35
3.2.2.
ANEC .............................................................................................................. 35
3.3.
Member States ....................................................................................................... 35
3.3.1.
UK ................................................................................................................... 35
3.3.2.
Denmark......................................................................................................... 36
3.3.3.
Belgium .......................................................................................................... 36
3.4.
Producers/Manufacturers ...................................................................................... 36
4.CONSOLES AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION ............................................................................. 38
4.1.
History of Consoles ................................................................................................. 38
4.2.
Market Share .......................................................................................................... 39
4.3.
Console Testing....................................................................................................... 40
4.4.
Mode Definition...................................................................................................... 40
4.5.
Test Procedure and Standards ............................................................................... 42
4.6.
Performance Indicator............................................................................................ 43
4.7.
Current Focus for Energy Efficiency Improvements ............................................... 45
5.ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTS ................................................................... 48
5.1.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Games Consoles .................................................... 48
5.2.
Product Carbon Foot-printing (PCF) ....................................................................... 49
6.CONSUMER RESEARCH ......................................................................................................... 51
6.1.
Existing Data ........................................................................................................... 51
6.1.1.
NRDC – Lowering the cost of play (NRDC, 2008) ........................................... 51
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6.1.2.
Nielsen – the State of the Console (Nielsen, 2007) ....................................... 51
6.1.3.
ISFE (Nielsen) 2008 – Video Gamers in Europe 2008 .................................... 52
6.1.4.
Report
GameVision Europe - Autumn 2009, European Consumer Intelligence
53
6.1.5.
TIAX – Energy Consumption by Consumer Electronics in US Residences
2007 (TIAX, 2007) ............................................................................................................ 54
6.2.
Virtual Intelligence Platform (VIP) .......................................................................... 56
6.3.
Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) Input ........................................ 56
7.RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PROJECT PLANNING ................................................................ 59
7.1.
Research Scope ....................................................................................................... 59
7.2.
Research Aims ........................................................................................................ 59
7.3.
6 Month Work Plan ................................................................................................ 59
7.3.1.
Console Testing .............................................................................................. 60
Aims ......................................................................................................................................... 60
Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 60
7.3.2.
Consumer Research ....................................................................................... 60
7.3.3.
Analysis of data available for LCA and carbon foot-printing ......................... 61
7.3.4.
Stakeholder Analysis ...................................................................................... 61
8.CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 64
9.REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 65
10.APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ 72
Appendix 10.1 – Proposal for console testing ..................................................................... 72
SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 73
CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 74
DEFINITIONS............................................................................................................................. 75
Games console..................................................................................................................... 75
Off ........................................................................................................................................ 75
Active ................................................................................................................................... 75
Standby ................................................................................................................................ 75
Idle ....................................................................................................................................... 75
Pause ................................................................................................................................... 75
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND ............................................................................................ 75
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AIMS ......................................................................................................................................... 77
OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................. 77
HYPOTHESIS ............................................................................................................................. 77
SAMPLE .................................................................................................................................... 77
METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 80
Testing Requirements .......................................................................................................... 80
Accuracy............................................................................................................................... 80
Test Equipment.................................................................................................................... 81
Test Conditions .................................................................................................................... 81
COSTS ....................................................................................................................................... 81
Equipment ........................................................................................................................... 81
Testing ................................................................................................................................. 82
Total Costs ........................................................................................................................... 84
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 84
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1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
This report discusses the progress made to date regarding the Engineering Doctorate
(EngD) research project “the Life-cycle energy management of games consoles”.
Firstly the Industrial Sponsor, SCEE, is introduced and the relevance of this project for the
company discussed. This includes an introduction to the relevant legislation and
instruments within which consoles are considered, in addition to the broader background
for the project.
An initial literature review follows which includes a detailed consideration of games
consoles and their usage by consumers, the energy efficiency of electronic goods and
policies and measures employed to improve this and also a discussion of the potential for
carbon foot-printing and LCA studies for consoles.
The report concludes with a summary of research questions and activities which will guide
the research for the remainder of the project.
This topic is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, in Europe in 2009 over 15.5 million
consoles were sold (VGChartz, 2011). This indicates why consoles are being focused on as a
product group. Secondly, the energy consumption of consoles has been shown to increase
when comparing subsequent generations. For example, the Sony PlayStation® consumed 8
W in active mode, compared with 150 W for the original PlayStation®3 model (NRDC,
2008). The NRDC also reported that the energy use of consoles in the US used an estimated
16 billion kWh of electricity. The proliferation of consoles is also increasing with emerging
markets being a focus for console manufacturers; something which will only exacerbate the
problem. There has been no research to date on this topic and therefore there is great
potential to add to the knowledge base in this area. This will help to improve the energy
efficiency of consoles and reduce the impact of these products on the environment.
1.1. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) Ltd
Sony Corporation was founded in May 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in a crippled
post-war Japan (Sony, 2010a). Initially repairing radios, the business has grown extensively
and now manufactures products including cameras, computers, televisions and games
consoles. Today Sony employs over 171,000 people worldwide.
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Figure 1 Organisational structure of Sony Corporation (Sony, 2010b)
Figure 1 above shows the organisational structure of the Sony Corporation as of October
2009. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) sits within the “Networked Products
and Services Group”.
SCEE is responsible for “the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation® Portable,
PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3 hardware and software in 109 territories across Europe,
the Middle East, Africa and Oceania” (SCEE, 2010). The area that is covered by SCEE is
delineated by those countries which receive the Phase Alternating Line (PAL) television
signal. The most recent console produced by SCEE is the PlayStation®3 which was originally
released in 2007 and superseded by a “slim” model released in September 2009.
1.2. What is a games console?
Games consoles are increasingly becoming viewed as an entertainment device. The range
of functions has grown significantly as subsequent generations of consoles have been
released. Whilst game playing remains the most used function, the use of other functions is
increasing (GameVision Europe, 2009). More recent additions include web browsing, set
top box functions and downloading movies to an internal hard drive. Games consoles also
have a broad audience which is facilitated by this increase in functionality. See Section 6 for
more information.
In the past, console use was perhaps associated in the public mind with teenage boys who
used them for playing video games. Today consoles have a secure place at the centre of
home entertainment in households across the world, as shown by studies such as the ISFE
Video Gamers in Europe (2008), which reports data for users up to 50 years old.
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It is also important to consider the definition of a Games Console. This section compares
the definitions in use at present. The definition of a games console is becoming a more
contentious issue as the capabilities of consoles continue to extend beyond that of gaming.
It is vital when considering which other products consoles should be compared to,
regarding energy consumption and efficiency measures, that an accurate definition of the
product and its functions is available.
One example of this is the need to address the increasing multi-functional nature of
consoles. The importance of this has not only been shown by the number of functions
available, but it is supported by consumer research which reports that these auxiliary
functions are being used with increasing frequency by consumers (see Section 6). It is also
important to note that consoles of the same generation do not always offer the same
functionality. However, a definition which does not address the all available functionality
may lead to some products “slipping through the net” and potentially avoiding regulation
as a result of an incomplete definition.
1.3. Current Definitions
The definition given in the EuP Preparatory study (AEA, 2009) for games consoles is as
follows:
A “Games Console” is a mains powered stand alone device which is marketed as a product
providing video game playing as its primary function through an external screen and which
has the following features:
Hardware Architecture
• CPU
• System memory
• Video architecture
• Network architecture
• Optical drives (to be defined)
• Hard drives or other internal memory (optional)
• Mains connected internal or external power supply unit
Input devices
• Typically hand held controllers or other interactive controllers rather than keyboards or
mice
Optional Secondary functions
• Optical disk playback
• Digital picture viewing (via an external screen)
• Digital music playback
Excluded components or functionalities:
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• Integrated screens
• Conventional Personal Computing (PC) operating systems
• Internal batteries for powering products over extended periods of time
The description of consoles offered by the Australian study on Home Entertainment
Equipment (The Equipment Energy Efficiency Programme, 2009) is:
A game console or video game console is an interactive device that sends a signal to a
display device (such as a television or monitor) in order to display and control video games.
These devices are similar in make up to a computer however the term game console is used
to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use predominantly for playing
video games. A game console usually consists of a CPU, RAM and an audiovisual
coprocessor. Some console have memory cards to save, load, and delete files, while newer
models have hard drives installed to save the data on the console itself. A console is
designed to connect to special hand held controls rather than a mouse or keyboard.
The ENERGYSTAR® Computer requirements V5.0 (EnergyStar®, 2009a) defines a Games
Console as follows:
A standalone computer-like device whose primary use is to play video games. Game
consoles use a hardware architecture based in part on typical computer components (e.g.,
processors, system memory, video architecture, optical and/or hard drives, etc.). The
primary input for game consoles are special hand held controllers rather than the mouse
and keyboard used by more conventional computer types. Game consoles are also
equipped with audio visual outputs for use with televisions as the primary display, rather
than (or in addition to) an external or integrated display. These devices do not typically use
a conventional PC operating system, but often perform a variety of multimedia functions
such as: DVD/CD playback, digital picture viewing and digital music playback.
All of these definitions address two key aspects; firstly the use of special hand-held
controllers and secondly that consoles do not include a display device. Figure 2 shows a
PlayStation®3 console with a typical handheld controller which is the main input device.
It is also clearly stated that although similar in nature to a PC, the operating system of a
console is not the same as a PC. Games consoles are essentially computers and therefore
share their basic architecture with that of a conventional PC, including the CPU, RAM and
hard disk storage (for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360). However, due to the high dependence
of consoles on graphics, as opposed to information, consoles incorporate powerful
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). In contrast, PCs use their CPUs and specialised graphics
cards to process graphics.
In terms of the purpose of a console, all of these definitions state that although game-play
is the primary function, consoles also perform other functions. However, these have been
limited to DVD/CD playback, digital picture viewing and digital music playback. Although
the extra functionality has been acknowledged, this is certainly not an exhaustive list and
precludes important functionality including internet browsing, set top box functions and
streaming video. It is essential to include these functions in the scope of the definition,
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especially as they become more widely available and used by more consumers. However, it
is likely that in the near future that any definition will be out-of-date due to the rapidly
changing nature of consoles. Therefore, available functions will need to be regularly
revisited and updated accordingly.
Figure 2 Image of a PlayStation®3 games console with a typical handheld controller
1.4. Energy and Power
To ensure consistency and understanding throughout this report, energy, power and the
relationship between the two, will be discussed here. The following definitions and
equations are taken from (Bird, 2007).
Power can be defined as the rate of doing work or transferring energy and is calculated
using the following equation:
P = VI
(1)
Where P = power (Watts)
V = voltage (volts)
I = current (amperes)
Electrical energy (joules) = Power x time
(2)
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Therefore, combining (1) and (2) gives:
Electrical energy = VI x t
Although the unit of energy is the joule, when dealing with large amounts of energy the
kilowatt hour (kWh) is used. 1 kWh = 1000 watt hours. Converting this to seconds gives
1000 x 3600 = 3 600 000 watt seconds or joules.
It is important to define the following two terms, which will be used throughout this report
–
Energy Efficiency – comparative measure of energy required to achieve a particular
performance (International Electrotechnical Commission, 2010).
Improvements in energy efficiency can be defined as “a reduction in the energy used for a
given service”, for example lighting or heating (World Energy Council, 2010).
Energy Consumption – the energy consumed when providing a given service.
Simply measuring and comparing the energy consumption of two similar products, when
providing a given service, will not give any indication of efficiency. Whilst they may be
providing a similar service, for example light, one may be providing a greater luminance
whilst consuming the same amount of energy. This would therefore be more efficient.
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2. INSTRUMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
MEASURES
The increasing amount of electronic equipment in the home and the workplace, and their
associated energy use, has led to legislation and other instruments being implemented to
help combat growing energy consumption. The EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) reports that,
despite numerous energy efficiency policies and programmes introduced at national and
EU level, electricity consumption has continued to grow. For instance, residential electricity
consumption grew by 1.8% in the period 2003-2004 (Institute for Environment and
Sustainability, 2007). Furthermore, (Keirstead, 2006) states the proliferation of domestic
appliances and smaller household units as drivers for a reported 3% per annum increase in
domestic electricity consumption since 1970 in the UK.
In response to these trends the Marrakech process was initiated which supports the
implementation of sustainable consumption and production projects to promote “social
and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems by de-linking
economic growth from environmental degradation” (UNEP, 2009).
It has been highlighted by (Gupta and Ivanova, 2009) that very few or no papers exist on
global energy efficiency governance, in contrast to large numbers covering local and
national energy governance. This stems from the lack of a global agency with a mandate to
promote energy efficiency. Despite this ad-hoc, regional approach to implementing energy
efficiency programmes, many have been extremely successful. For instance it is estimated,
that for those Lots of the EuP Directive which have implementing measures in force, 12% of
the electricity consumption of the EU will be saved by 2020 (European Commission, 2010b).
2.1. Standards and Labels
As stated by Wiel et al. (2006) energy efficiency standards and labels have been
implemented by governments around the world for over 30 years. They provide a means
by which cost effective and energy efficient technology can be stimulated. It is also stated
by (Dernbach, 2007) that energy efficiency and conservation is “equitable and sustainable”
making it a desirable policy option.
Standards and labels essentially adjust the rules that govern the marketplace in an attempt
to accelerate the uptake of newer, more energy-efficient technology (Wiel et al., 2006).
(Mills and Schleich, 2010) also discuss the market incentives created by the generation of
consumer information in the form of labels which encourage manufacturers to design more
energy efficient products. Figure 3 below shows the effect that labels and standards have
on the energy efficiency of products on the market. One example of this effect is the sales
of refrigerators in the US when more stringent ENERGYSTAR® requirements were
introduced in 2001. After introduction, no ENERGYSTAR® qualified refrigerators were sold
for the first two months, but by 2004 the market share of qualified refrigerators had risen
to 30% (Greenbiz, 2005).
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Figure 3 Diagram showing the effect of standards and labels on the sales of energy efficient
products (Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program, 2005)
Standards for energy efficiency may be categorised into three types (Collaborative Labeling
and Appliance Standards Program, 2005):
1. Prescriptive standards – these require a particular feature or device to be installed
in new products. The requirement for APD discussed in ENERGYSTAR® V5.1 is an
example of this. See Section 2.1.2 for more detail.
2. Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) - these prescribe certain levels of
efficiency, or power consumption, which must be achieved. For instance the limits
that would be imposed on the active power use of consoles by the proposed
ENERGYSTAR® V5.1, as described below, are an example of MEPS.
3. Class average standards – these state average efficiencies of a product which need
to be achieved. There is no specification of how this is achieved. The “Top Runner”
programme, also described below, is an example of this approach.
Labelling serves as a source of information to describe to consumers the energy
performance of a product. This can either be information about the energy use, energy
efficiency or the cost of running the appliance. Generally, labels take two forms
(Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program, 2005):
1. Endorsement labels – these labels are given to products which have achieved
compliance with a certain set of criteria. The ENERGYSTAR® program is an example
of this type of labelling.
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2. Comparative labels – these simply give information about the energy efficiency of
the product which allows consumers to make an informed choice. The EU eco-label
is one example of this.
The following sections discuss current legislation, standards, labels and initiatives which
cover the topic of energy consumption and efficiency. Instruments have been chosen based
on their specific relevance to games consoles and/or their approach to energy efficiency
e.g. voluntary or mandatory, maximum or minimum standards and so on. This is not an
exhaustive list of all measures relating to the energy efficiency of appliances, as many
instruments demonstrate only subtle differences.
2.1.1.
European Union - Energy using Products (EuP) Directive
2005/32/EC
Introduced in 2005, the EuP Directive provides a framework for setting eco-design
requirements for energy using products within the EU. The intention behind this legislation
is to act as a preventive measure to optimise the energy use of products, whilst maintaining
their functionality (European Parliament and Council, 2005).
In addition to fulfilling part of the EU Commissions’ Integrated Product Policy, it is
anticipated that legislation such as this will help the European Community to achieve its
targets under the EU climate and energy package, which became law in June 2009. These
targets have been collectively termed the “20-20-20” targets, which includes at least a 20%
reduction of EU 1990 greenhouse gas levels and a 20% reduction in primary energy uses
through improvements in energy efficiency (Europa, 2010a).
In October 2009, the Directive was recast as “the framework for the setting of eco-design
requirements for energy-related products”, referred to as ErP (European Parliament and
Council, 2009). Although a seemingly small change, it addresses the acknowledgement that
many products that do not consume energy in use can have an impact on energy
consumption, for example insulation and windows. This recast will allow the Commission to
propose eco-design requirements for these products in addition to energy using products.
The definition of energy using products from Article 2(1) (European Parliament and Council,
2005) is:
“Energy-using product means a product which once placed on the market and/or
put into service, is dependent on energy input (electricity, fossil fuels, renewable energy
sources) to work as intended, or a product for the generation, transfer and measurement
of such energy…”
Whereas energy-related products are defined in Article 2(1) (European Parliament and
Council, 2009) as follows –
“Energy-related product, means any good that has an impact on energy
consumption during use which is placed on the market and/or put into service, and
includes parts intended to be incorporated into energy-related products….”
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For the case of consoles, the definition of an energy-using product is more appropriate,
although the broader definition of energy-related products does still apply.
As part of the framework, a product must fulfil three criteria for it to be deemed necessary
to create eco-design requirements. These are, as stated in Article 15 (2a,b,c) (European
Parliament and Council, 2005) as follows:

The EuP shall represent a significant volume of sales and trade, indicatively
>200,000 units within the Community;

The EuP shall, considering the quantities placed on the market and/or put into
service, have a significant environmental impact within the Community; and

The EuP shall present a significant potential for improvement in terms of its
environmental impact without entailing excessive costs.
As part of the European Commission’s working plans, products are identified which are
considered priorities for the adoption of implementing measures. The product groups are
split into Lots, which represent individual products or groups of similar products. At present
there are 24 Lots, 9 of which have already had implementing measures adopted (European
Commission, 2010c).
To date, 31 product categories have been targeted for eco-design requirements. Some of
the Lots are horizontal in nature, for example Lot 6: Standby and off- mode losses, which
applies to all products which have a standby mode. In contrast, Lot 3: Sound and Imaging
Equipment is an example of a vertical Lot, which only applies to the products specified
within it. Some appliances, therefore, will have to comply with numerous Lots. This is
illustrated in Table 1.
Two Directorates within the EC are responsible for the EuP Directive. These are DG
Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR) and DG Energy (DG TREN).
Table 1 Illustration of vertical and horizontal coverage of product by the EuP Directive
Lot Number
Lot 3 Sound and Lot 6 Standby and
Imaging equipment
off-mode losses
Games console
Covered
Covered
Television
Not covered
Covered
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Games consoles fall under ENTR Lot 31: Sound and Imaging Equipment, which also contains
projectors and video recorders.
Each Lot undergoes a similar process of evaluation, which is summarised below (European
Commission, 2010b):

A Preparatory study;

A Consultation Forum (consultation of all interested stakeholders);

An Impact Assessment;

A Regulatory Committee; and

A scrutiny by the European Parliament.
Currently, Lot 3 is still at the Preparatory study stage, with the completed study anticipated
during April 2010. The Preparatory studies usually consist of seven tasks which aim to build
a knowledge base regarding the products covered by the Lot. The tasks for Lot 3 are as
follows:
1.
Definition;
2.
Economic and Market Analysis;
3.
User Behaviour;
4. Assessment of Base-Case;
5. Technical Analysis of Best Available and Best Not Available Technology
(BAT and BNAT respectively);
6. Improvement Potential; and
7. Policy and Impact Analysis.
The Preparatory study enables the following stages of the process to proceed on the basis
of good information about the nature of the product/s. This is intended to ensure
subsequent standards are achievable while also effectively improving the energy efficiency
of the targeted products. The Preparatory study for Lot 3 is discussed in detail in Section
2.1.1.1.
Games Consoles will also be subject to the requirements in the following Lots:
 TREN Lot 6 Standby and off-mode losses – This regulates the power consumption
during times when electrical and electronic household and office equipment is in
standby. Standby modes are defined as follows in Article 2(2) (European
Commission, 2008):
1
It is important to highlight that the two Directorates have, in some cases, given the same
numbers to Lots. Lot 3 under DG ENTR is the Sound and Imaging Equipment Lot, whereas
Lot 3 under DG TREN is for Personal Computers and Computer Monitors.
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“a condition where the equipment is connected to the mains power source, depends on
energy input from the mains power source to work as intended and provides only the
following functions which may persist for an indefinite time:
o
Reactivation function, or reactivation function and only an indication of
enabled reactivation function, and/or
o
Information or status display.”
In order to allow manufacturers enough time to comply the requirements are implemented
in two stages. These requirements are summarised in Table 2 below.
Table 2 Summary of the requirements under the EuP Lot 6: standby and off-mode losses
(European Commission, 2008)
Mode
Power limit after 1 Power limit after 4
year (W)
years (W)
Off
1.0
0.5
Standby (only providing reactivation
function)
1.0
0.5
Standby (only providing information or
status display)
2.0
1.0
In addition, after four years, equipment must offer a power management function which
switches off the equipment when not providing the main function.
 DG TREN Lot 26 Networked Standby – this is a relatively new product lot with the
Preparatory study currently at the task 4 stage. This Lot was created in response to
Lot 6 which identified that networked standby operating conditions have a large
potential for saving energy. Networked Standby Mode is defined as follows
(European Commission, 2010a):
“A condition during which the equipment is directly or indirectly connected to the mains
power source and provides the following functions”:
o
Reactivation via network;
o
Network
integrity
communication:
communication paths; and
o
Reactivation, information and status display: standby functions according
to EC 1275/2008 (Lot 6 regulation) may also be provided.
maintaining
the
external
An example of this for a PlayStation®3 would be the Bluetooth connectivity which is
maintained with controllers. This allows consumers to wake a console from standby using
only the controller.
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The Directive allows either a Voluntary Agreement (VA) or an Implementing Measure (IM)
to be set. An IM, as defined in Article 2(3) (European Parliament and Council, 2005), is a
measure adopted pursuant to the EuP Directive which lays down eco-design requirements
for defined EuPs or for environmental aspects thereof. These requirements are mandatory.
In contrast a VA (the preferred approach to implementing the EuP Directive) is an
agreement between industry and the Commission with no legislative implications. As yet
no VAs have been agreed. Annex VIII of the Directive gives a list of “indicative criteria to
evaluate the admissibility of self-regulatory initiatives (VAs) as an alternative to an
implementing measure”. These are as follows:
1. Openness of participation;
2. Added value;
3. Representativeness;
4. Quantified and staged objectives;
5. Involvement of civil society;
6. Monitoring and reporting;
7. Cost effectiveness of administering a self-regulatory initiative;
8. Sustainability; and
9. Incentive compatibility.
One Lot which is pursuing a voluntary agreement is complex Set Top Boxes (cSTB). A more
in-depth discussion of this, and of the voluntary and mandatory approaches, can be found
in Section 2.2.
The setting of requirements for the EuP Directive follows a procedure known as
Comitology. This is shown by the reference made in Article 19 concerning the Committee
procedure with reference to Council Decision 1999/468/EC which lays down the
procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission
(European Council, 1999).
Comitology is a decision making procedure which leads to the adoption of implementing
measures. The EU adopts approximately 3000 IMs per year.
There are four types of committee involved in the process:
1. Advisory;
2. Management;
3. Regulatory; and
4. Regulatory with scrutiny.
To date, the EuP Directive has had some success. Already nine product Lots have
implementing measures in place (shown in Table 3 below), which it is claimed will save
approximately 341 TWh of electricity annually, by the year 2020 (European Commission,
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2010c). Four product categories have voluntary agreements currently under consideration,
including Lot 18: Complex Set Top Boxes, Lot 5: Machine tools, Medical imaging equipment
and Lot 4: Imaging Equipment.
Table 3 Summary of the EuP product Lots which have Implementing Measures in force
Product Lot
Implementing Measure for entry into force
Lot 5: Televisions
12th August 2009
Lot 6: Standby and off-mode losses of EuPs
7th January 2009
Lot 7: Battery chargers and external power 27th April 2009
supplies
Lot 8-9: Tertiary Lighting
13th April 2009
Lot 11: Electric motors 1-150 kW
12th August 2009
Lot 11: Circulators in buildings
12th August 2009
Lot 13: Domestic refrigerators and freezers
12th August 2009
Lot 18a: Simple set top boxes
25th February 2009
Lot 19: Domestic lighting (general lighting 13th April (amended 1st September 2009)
equipment)
However, the EuP Directive has not been free of criticism. The European Environmental
Bureau (EEB) are concerned that the Directive is not taking an holistic approach (European
Environmental Bureau, 2009). They also suggest that the consultants undertaking the
Preparatory studies disregard issues concerning the end-of-life phase and harmful
chemicals due to the existence of other legislation which covers these topics. Although this
may be true to a certain extent, this is easier to say than do. It has also been shown that
when consultants try to take a more holistic approach, industry perceives giving attention
to issues such as WEEE as covering aspects of their products which are already subject to
regulation and have been given sufficient consideration already. In addition (Siderius, 2007)
describes the method for setting eco-design requirements as “fuzzy” and the criteria for
evaluation of voluntary agreements as “ambiguous”. These statements are both true.
However, the so called “fuzzy” method for setting eco-design requirements is necessary for
a number of reasons. Firstly, as has been shown throughout this section, the breadth of
product coverage by this single instrument is huge. Therefore, a step by step methodology
is unlikely to fit numerous product groups. It is also the intention that subsequent IMs and
VAs will be created for individual product groups. Within these a more structured
methodology may be included which is specific to a certain product. Secondly, this also
allows stakeholders to approach the eco-design problem without preconceived ideas of
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where efforts should be focused. This promotes more innovative thinking which is likely to
be achieved at lower cost, rather than following a prescribed methodology. Regarding the
ambiguous criteria for VAs, they are by nature ambiguous. Until they are being considered
with respect to a specific product group, it is almost impossible to be more specific. It is
also important to focus on the projected large energy savings for those Lots with IMs
already in force.
2.1.1.1.
Lot 3 Preparatory Study
The consultants undertaking the Preparatory study for Lot 3 published the Draft Task 1-5
report in December 2009 (AEA, 2009). The main points pertaining to games consoles are
summarised below:
 The variation in power consumption during active use amongst the current
products on the market is primarily due to the amount or processing power
provided by each product;
 Sales of consoles on the market today are expected to fall by 60% year on year;
 Assumed lifetime of a console is 5.5 years and the stock of games consoles is
expected to peak at 87million units;
 Two scenarios suggested for 2014 – either a 50% or 100% move to thin client
gaming;
 Current games consoles on the market are designed and developed over long
periods of time with high end gaming machines typically launched to market with
state of the art components offering high levels of computing power for the day;
 Game console usage expected to increase as game-play and other functionalities
increase in sophistication;
 Daily usage of a typical console currently on the market consists of 30minutes
active use, 1hour 25minutes idle, 10hours in standby and the remaining time
switched off;
 It is suggested that using BAT, the active power demand of a HD console should not
exceed 99W;
 The following are suggested as ways to improve the energy efficiency of consoles:
o
Improvements to the power management functionality of consoles could
result in significant energy savings;
o
Introduction of additional components to reduce the need to run nongaming applications through the high specification components;
o
Include additional power management functionality; and
o
Maximise processor performance by scaling to reduce power consumption
when performing functions which do not require maximum computing
performance.
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Numerous issues regarding some of the key points within the study were noted by console
producers. These include the following:
o
Move to thin client gaming – A thin client console is one which uses remote
processing power provided by a server farm. It is suggested that the thin client will
only draw the power required to perform the selected function, thereby reducing
energy consumption. However, the study states that the active mode use hours of
the servers to support thin client gaming is expected to be 24 hours. Therefore, the
provision of this service needs to be assessed and compared to the energy
consumption of current consoles to evaluate the potential savings that could be
made. The suggested scenarios for thin client gaming uptake have been created
using market data which shows that console sales are falling. This is based on
market data for only the first 6 months of 2009 which missed the annual peak sales
for the Christmas period and also the launch of the PlayStation®3 slim model. They
are therefore likely to exaggerate the uptake of thin client consoles. A further
significant doubt is that thin client gaming would require extremely fast, reliable
broadband. In the UK, British Telecom has just released “BT Infinity” which will
offer download speeds of up to 40 Mbps. This is due to be rolled out between June
2010 and March 2011 across the UK. The Government has also recently pledged
“super-fast broadband” (speeds of 50 Mbps) under a Labour government (The
Telegraph, 2010). The energy consumption of server farms, and the power needed
to transmit information, would need to be calculated to ensure that energy savings
would be achieved. (Koomey, 2007) reports the electricity cost of servers in the US
in 2005 as $2.7 billion, which constitutes 1.2% of the total US electricity sales. This
represents a large amount of energy which will increase significantly under the
proposed scenarios for thin client gaming. A thin client console would also only
offer gaming capabilities; therefore consumers would need to buy numerous other
appliances to fulfil the current functionality offered by games consoles. Thin clients
are not included in the study, despite being suggested as a possible replacement.
o
Average usage of consoles and switch off behaviour – This is explored in more
detail in Section 5. The AEA study has taken information from numerous consumer
surveys which are frequently based on what consumers say they do, rather than
tracking actual behaviour. This may result in usage being underestimated and the
switching off of console being overestimated. This is a phenomenon known as the
“value-action gap”. Discussed by (Cheung and Leung, 2007) in relation to recycling
rates among undergraduates, when comparing the figures for how much they
purport to recycle and actual recycling rates there exists a large discrepancy. This is
because people want to be seen to act in an environmentally responsible way.
o
Gaming PCs are not included in assessment – games consoles are not compared to
Gaming PCs despite both products primary function being to deliver game playing
capability. The reasoning behind this argument can be seen when you consider the
idle power consumption of a high specification PC (which could be used for gaming)
can reach up to 160 W, as shown in Figure 4. This is greater than the active power
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reported by the NRDC for the PlayStation®3 (NRDC, 2008). Considering that high
specification PCs offer similar functionality to games consoles, the suggestion of
limiting active power use to 99 W is shown to be disproportionately targeting
consoles. Dedicated gaming PCs, which have an even higher specification, would
consume even more power than those considered in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Graph showing the idle power use in 8 high specification PCs (Department of
Environment Heritage Water and the Arts, 2009) Those below the green line comply with
ENERGYSTAR® requirements.
2.1.2.
US ENERGYSTAR®
One of the longest standing voluntary initiatives relating to the power consumption of
electrical and electronic goods is the US ENERGYSTAR®. It is a programme intended to
stimulate market transformation through the promotion of energy efficient products and
practices, thereby protecting the environment by reducing energy consumption
(EnergyStar®, 2010). Similar to the EuP, product groups are selected on the basis that the
potential exists to make significant energy savings.
ENERGYSTAR® is a joint programme of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
the US Department of Energy (DoE) which was introduced in 1992 (US EPA DoE, 2010).
Originally established for energy efficient computers (US EPA DoE, 2003), the programme
has grown significantly and now covers a large number of product categories including
appliances, building products, computers and electronics, heating and cooling, lighting and
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fans and plumbing. These categories now cover over 60 product types with more being
added all the time.
The success of the program is difficult to assess and there is evidence both for and against
the effectiveness of the ENERGYSTAR® program. As stated by (McWhinney, 2005), the
ENERGYSTAR® label allows consumers to easily identify efficient products that save money
and energy and, more importantly, stimulate demand for high-efficiency products. In 2008
however, the Inspector General found that the Greenhouse Gas reduction claims made by
the program were inaccurate and based on faulty data (US EPA DoE, 2008). In addition, an
article in Consumer (Consumer Reports, 2008) discusses the long lead time for designing
new tests. Rapid changes in product design and functionality allows some products to be
endorsed by the program despite consuming large amounts of energy. One example of this
is refrigerators with ice-makers; the test methodology does not take into account this
function and so it is switched off during testing. More recent criticism has come from the
US Government Accountability Office (GAO) which submitted “bogus” products, all of
which were approved on the basis of information which was not verified by the program.
This has led to the GAO labelling the ENERGYSTAR® as “ a self-certification program
vulnerable to fraud and abuse” (US GAO, 2010). As a result the US EPA has taken
immediate action, regarding product verification, to “protect the label” (as stated by
Kathleen Vokes during a webinar in March 2010).
Despite this controversy estimates show that in 2007 annual carbon savings for consumer
electronics, as a result of the ENERGYSTAR® program, were 2.6 million tonnes of carbon
(MtC), with the total for all product categories reaching 22.4MtC (Sanchez et al., 2007).
Although the program is voluntary the label itself does carry a trademark. Therefore, the
use of the label on products which have not been approved through the program will be
subject to legal action under trademark law. This is an important facet to the label which
eliminates some of the common misgivings related to VAs (See Section 2.2 for further
information).
The most relevant development for this research is the publication of the ENERGYSTAR®
draft of program requirements for Games Consoles, Version 5.1 (EnergyStar®, 2009b). This
proposes limits for the energy consumption of games consoles in different operating
modes and when performing different functions. There are three tiers of requirements
which will be introduced in July 2010, July 2011 and July 2012 respectively, with each tier
becoming more stringent. The requirements are summarised in Table 4 below.
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Table 4 Summary of the ENERGYSTAR® V5.1 requirements for games consoles
Requirements
Mode and/or function
Tier 1 Effective July
1, 2010
Tier 2 Effective
July 1, 2011
Sleep: Wireless
AP/Router functions not
engaged
≤ 2.0 W plus an
additional 0.7 W for
Wake On Lan (WOL)
enabled devices
≤ 1.0 W plus an additional 0.7 W for
Wake On Lan (WOL) enabled devices
Sleep: Wireless
AP/Router functions
engaged
≤ 10.0 W
Auto Power Down
A console in any
other state than
A console in System Idle, Game Play Idle,
Game Pause, Media Play Idle and Media
Game play, Game
Pause, Game Play
Idle or Media Play
must auto-power
down within 1 hour
of user inactivity.
The console must be
shipped with these
settings enabled by
default.
Pause, or any state other than Game
Play or Media Play must APD within 1
hour of inactivity. After an automatic
wake event the console must power
down immediately after performing
required system maintenance and
downloads or STB functions. The
console must be shipped with these
settings enabled by default.
≤ 5.0 W
Tier 3 Effective
July 1, 2012
≤ 5.0 W
Note the average sleep mode power shall not exceed this
allowance while the console is set to act as a wireless access
point
System Idle
When operating games published on or
after the effective date of Tier 2
requirements, the console must
automatically save a user’s place in a
game.
≤ 45.0 W
≤ 25.0 W
Note the average idle
power shall not exceed
this allowance
STB Functions
The device should come within 10% of
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the Tier 2 Version 2.0 Specification for
STBs when not in game play and adhere
to STB requirements for APD.
Media Functions
≤ 35.0 W Note
that the average
active power shall
not exceed this
allowance
At present, the final document is being prepared and is expected imminently. The draft
received many comments from stakeholders outlining some issues and concerns. This
included the following:
o
Although appreciated that consoles have been separated from PCs due to their
different architecture, the failure to consider gaming PCs with consoles
disproportionately targets consoles. It is suggested that consoles should not be
subject to more stringent “idle” and “media playback” power caps than those for
home PCs; and
o
Games consoles vary hugely both within and between generations, as can be seen
by comparison of the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation®3. Therefore, on the basis
of their different functionality and power consumption, it is suggested that
requirements for high definition consoles be considered in a separate standard. It is
also proposed that any requirements agreed for the current generation will not be
applicable to future generations. This is due to the development of next generation
consoles representing a paradigm shift, rather than simply an updated model of
the same console.
It is hoped that these points will be addressed in the final version.
An interesting new aspect to the most recent ENERGYSTAR® Program, Requirements for
Computers Version 5.0 (EnergyStar®, 2009b), was the introduction of the Typical Energy
Consumption (TEC) calculation. This takes into account the proportion of time that a
computer is in different modes i.e. how many hours a day, and calculates the annual
energy consumption. The calculation is shown below:
TEC = (8760/1000) * (Poff * Toff + Psleep * Tsleep + Pidle * Tidle)
Where
Px = power values in Watts
Tx = time values in % of year
This provides a useful metric for estimating the average energy consumption of electrical
appliances, based on average consumer use patterns and the average energy use in the
different modes.
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Due to the complex nature of games consoles and the large range of functions they
perform, the TEC calculation will have to be adapted to include this complexity. This will be
informed by the console testing as discussed in Section 4.3.
The EuP and ENERGYSTAR® programs are the most advanced in terms of tackling the issue
of the energy consumption and efficiency of games consoles. The most interesting aspect
to note is that the EuP will most likely implement mandatory requirements, whereas
ENERGYSTAR® is a voluntary programme. Of greatest concern to SCEE, and other console
manufacturers, is that once the ENERGYSTAR® voluntary requirements are agreed and
published, these will be adopted by the EuP into mandatory requirements. This will have
huge implications unless the concerns of console manufacturers, as outlined above, are
taken into account.
2.1.3.
Top Runner
The “Top Runner” Program has been introduced in Japan in response to increasing energy
demands and an energy supply structure which is characterised by “an intrinsic fragility”
(Ministry of EconomyTrade and Industry, 2008). This is due to a lack of domestic energy
resources and hence concerns over future energy security. The program addresses energy
use in the commercial, private and transport sectors and was introduced in 1999 when the
Energy Conservation Law was revised.
The program targets products based on similar criteria to those set out in the EuP. This
includes the following three criteria:
o
Products should be commonly used in Japan;
o
Products should require a sizeable supply of use-phase energy; and
o
Products should have a potential for energy efficiency improvements.
Once a product has been selected, the most efficient model currently available on the
market is identified. This is labelled the “Top Runner” and the energy efficiency of the
product sets the standard to be achieved. Although a regulatory scheme, the program is
described as having “relatively weak legal leverage” with the main threat being the
“naming and shaming” of those who do not comply. Due to the strong role that brand
image and corporate pride plays in the Japanese culture this has so far been enough to
encourage compliance (Leonardo Energy, 2006).
The policy is aimed at manufacturers and importers, and therefore focuses on the supply
side, rather than the demand side, of product markets (Nordqvist, 2006). One of the
greatest facets to the program is its flexibility. If all products achieve the standards before
the deadline, then new targets will be set to take account of the improvements. The setting
of these standards involves committees with representatives from universities,
manufacturers, consumer organisations and trade unions.
Compliance is calculated using a “fleet average” approach whereby manufacturers can
continue to sell less efficient models as long as they are offset by increased sales of more
efficient models. It is also important to highlight that specific consideration is given to
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performance of products in addition to their power consumption. This ensures that
products are not simply compared using their power consumption, but also the function
which is provided as a result of this power consumption. The issue of performance has
been raised by producers of HD consoles. Comparisons of current generation consoles in
active mode show that the Nintendo Wii uses much less energy. However, it has a lower
graphical output. Therefore, a simple comparison of the power consumption would not be
reasonable. Factors such as television screen size, for example, will be taken into account.
Further consideration is given to games console and performance in Section 4.6.
The product groups covered by the Top Runner program include:
o
Passenger vehicles;
o
Air conditioners;
o
Fluorescent lights;
o
Cathode ray tube televisions;
o
Copying machines;
o
Computers;
o
Magnetic disk units;
o
Freight vehicles;
o
Video cassette recorders;
o
Electric refrigerators and freezers;
o
Gas and oil space heaters;
o
Gas cooking appliances;
o
Gas and oil water heaters;
o
Electric toilet seats;
o
Vending machines;
o
Microwave ovens; and
o
Oil filled transformers.
As stated by (Siderius, 2007) the Top Runner Program has a different approach to the EuP;
it “aims at the best” whilst the EuP is focussed on “eliminating the worst” – an aim which
has more negative connotations.
2.1.4.
Korea - Energy Boy
This is an initiative specifically directed at standby power consumption in Korea. It involves
three main steps:
1. Mandatory reporting of standby power consumption for target products;
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2. Mandatory indication of standby warning product label which is shown on products
that do not meet the standby requirements (See Figure 5); and
3. The voluntary indication of the Energy Boy label for those products which meet the
standby requirements (See Figure 5) (Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Korea
Energy Management Corporation).
The target products include:
o
Computers;
o
Monitors;
o
Multi-function devices;
o
Televisions;
o
Video Cassette Recorders;
o
Home audio products;
o
DVD players;
o
Set-top boxes; and
o
Modems.
a)
b)
Figure 5 Labels used in the Korean “Energy Boy” scheme. a) indicates those products which
achieve the standards and b) those which do not
The specifications for the program requirements are given in the “e-Standby Program
Application Regulation” as part of the Rational Energy Utilization Act. If a product is found
to be non-compliant manufacturers face a fine of up to $5000 US Dollars per model.
It is anticipated that the program will reduce power consumption in 2010 by 1,100
GWh/year, rising to 6,800 GWh/year in 2020. This falls in line with the IEA “1 Watt Plan”,
discussed below in Section 2.1.6.
Although not listed as a target product group, games consoles could fall under both multifunction devices and/or home audio products.
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2.1.5.
6 Month Progress Report
TCO
An international, voluntary labelling program, TCO brings together many features of IT
products relating both to the environmental and performance aspects of products (TCO
Development, 2010). This is intended to ensure that environmental improvements do not
result in a reduction of product performance.
At present the label covers the following product groups:
o
Displays;
o
Desktops;
o
Notebooks;
o
All In One PCs;
o
Projectors;
o
Printers;
o
Headsets; and
o
Mobile Phones.
All products that carry the label are independently tested by accredited laboratories and
the program performs regular after-market checks and test rounds. There are seven
requirement areas for the TCO label including:
1. Production – plants need a certified Environmental Management System (EMS) in
place, i.e. ISO 14001;
2. Social Responsibility;
3. Hazardous Substances – excluded substances include Lead, Mercury, Hexavalent
Chromium and Cadmium;
4. Flame Retardants – these requirements are beyond those detailed in the
Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive;
5. Climate - energy efficiency requirements in line with those for ENERGYSTAR®;
6. Recycling – e-waste is a growing problem. This encourages products to be designed
for recycling at the End-of-Life; and
7. The useful life of a Product – required for products to have a 1 year guarantee and
a 3 year guarantee for spare parts.
This is a much more sustainability oriented program, by combining factors such as social
responsibility and user satisfaction, rather than just environmental as many of the other
labels are.
Games consoles are not covered by this program although it does indicate additional
criteria which could be used to assess the life cycle of a console, and ways in which these
different impacts could be measured.
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2.1.6.
6 Month Progress Report
International Energy Agency (IEA) “1 - Watt Plan”
The IEA launched its “1 Watt” Plan in 1999 in order to reduce standby power consumption
in all appliances to 1 Watt. The aim was to harmonise energy policies relating to standby
power, in addition to ensuring that the same definition and test standard were used.
Standby was focussed on as it is estimated that 1% of global carbon dioxide emissions can
be attributed to appliances consuming power in standby mode (International Energy
Agency, 2007).
2.1.7.
United States - Green Gaming Act
In September 2009, a Bill was introduced which requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct
a study of video game console energy efficiency. A hearing was held on the 11th March
2010 where it was stated by a representative from the American Council for an Energy
Efficient Economy (ACEEE) that a PlayStation®3, whilst running, consumes as much energy
as two refrigerators. Even the most energy efficient fridge freezer consumes 0.56 kWh per
day, as opposed to 0.13 kWh for a PlayStation®3 which is assumed to be on for 45minutes
per day. It was also stated by the Senator who introduced the bill, Robert Menendez, that
“some consumers leave their games consoles on 24hours a day”. This is typical of
assumptions made surrounding the use of games consoles. Research to address these
assumptions is discussed in Section 6.
2.1.8.
EU Energy Label
The EU Energy label provides an easily understandable, graphical indication of appliance
energy efficiency. The rating runs from A to G where A is the most efficient and G the least.
Products currently carrying the energy label include cars, washing machines, refrigerators,
dishwashers and light bulbs. The label enables consumers to compare appliances by their
energy efficiency, thereby encouraging manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their
products as this becomes an important factor in the purchasing decision of consumers.
The label was created in response to European Council Directive 92/75/EEC (European
Council, 1992) which called for the harmonisation of national measures on the publication
of information on energy consumption. This has resulted in various Directives
implementing the requirements for individual product groups and stating the information
which must be included on the label. An example of the Energy label is shown in Figure 6.
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Figure 6 Example of the EU Energy Label
2.1.9.
EU Eco-label
The voluntary EU Eco-label scheme was introduced back in 1992 to encourage businesses
to market environmentally sound products (Europa, 2010b). The product categories
covered are diverse, but most importantly for this study electronic equipment are covered,
specifically including personal computers and televisions with refrigerators, lighting and
washing machines to be included in the near future. At present, there is no indication that
games consoles will be covered by this label.
Criteria are set for products on the basis of comprehensive studies of the life cycle of the
product and the associated environmental impacts.
Other Eco-labels in Europe include the Nordic Eco-Label and the Blue Angel programme in
Germany. Most relevant in the Nordic Eco-label programme are the computer
requirements, based on ENERGYSTAR®, and the audio visual equipment requirements. The
environmental requirements include power consumption, energy efficiency, design and
materials and user information (Nordic Ecolabelling, 2009).
The Blue Angel scheme is the oldest labelling programme in Europe and today
approximately 10,000 products over 80 product categories carry the label (The Blue Angel,
2010). The criteria stated for workstation computers, for example, are ergonomic design,
optimised energy consumption and low pollutant emissions.
All of these labelling programmes are voluntary.
The above instruments have been summarised according to key characteristics in Table 5.
Instruments that satisfy any of the listed criteria are indicated by a  symbol. Those
instruments that partially satisfy a characteristic are shown by (). For example, Top
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Runner does not have tiered requirements as such, but the requirements are updated as
necessary, therefore simulating tiered requirements but on a more ad hoc basis.
The table shows that there are numerous available instruments which tackle the issue of
power consumption and energy efficiency of electrical appliances. This demonstrates that a
mix of policy approaches is needed in order to generate an impact on the energy efficiency
of appliances. At present, the coverage of games consoles is minimal but it is likely that, as
a result of focus on this product group by the European Commission and the US EPA and
DOE, this will increase. In addition, as these two initiatives continue to develop and are
implemented, the requirements for these will be transferred across to the other
programmes. This process highlights the importance for SCEE, and console manufacturers
in general, to ensure that any requirements are based on a good understanding of the
product group. It is also interesting to note that only the EuP and Top Runner instruments
do not use any form of labelling. This shows that policy targets consumers, through
education, in order to stimulate the demand for more efficient products.
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Table 5 Summary of the instruments in use for the promotion of energy efficient products
Instrument
Voluntary
Mandatory
EuP


ENERGYSTAR®

Label


Top Runner
Energy Boy

EU Eco-label


Regulation
Games Consoles
considered




Tiered
2
requirements

()



EU Energy Label
Standard

TCO


Nordic Eco-label


Blue Angel


2
Tiered requirements are requirements which increased in their stringency at set intervals. For instance, Lot 6 requires standby power draw to be less than 1 W after 1
year and less than 0.5 W after 4 years.
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2.2. Voluntary versus Mandatory
As described in the above sections, various instruments exist to promote energy efficiency.
One interesting aspect to consider is whether mandatory or voluntary measures are likely
to be most effective in this area. This section explores the advantages and disadvantages of
voluntary and mandatory measures, with specific consideration given to games consoles.
As stated by the European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC) and ANEC, the European voice
in standardisation, the Eco-design Directive “gives priority to voluntary industry
agreements if certain preconditions are met” (2009). These criteria can be found listed
under Section 2.1.1.
(Segerson and Miceli, 1998) identify two types of voluntary agreement:
1. “The Carrot approach” - those that induce participation by providing positive
incentives such as cost sharing or other subsidies, e.g. ENERGYSTAR® program; and
2. “The Stick approach” – those that induce participation by threatening a harsher
outcome, e.g. legislation, if a voluntary agreement cannot be reached. The EuP
Directive is an example of this.
Voluntary agreements tend to be more flexible in their nature and therefore longer term.
For example developments in technology, which cannot be foreseen during the drafting of
a measure, are more easily incorporated into VAs. In contrast, there are long lead times for
changing the details of IMs. Although this is often a result of sometimes unnecessary
bureaucracy, this is inevitable, especially when considering huge organisations such as the
EU. Particularly with electrical equipment, technological advancements occur rapidly and it
is highly likely that soon after an IM has been created, new technology might make it out of
date. The “Top Runner” programme in Japan exhibits a similar flexibility to VAs whereby
targets are updated if the requirements are met before the deadline. This also ensures that
requirements remain appropriate and challenging.
In addition, VAs often result in reduced costs to achieve compliance (Lyon, 2003). Rather
than implementing specific requirements regarding the use of a certain component for
example, organisations can achieve the requirements in the most cost effective way. This
route is also often preferred by SMEs as the costs of complying with legislation can often
put them at a competitive disadvantage to larger organisations. Mandatory requirements
can also be shown to force development in certain directions which are not necessarily the
most effective to pursue in the long term.
One of the strongest arguments against voluntary measures is the inability to monitor
compliance. A particular concern is that if no repercussions exist for non-compliance,
organisations may gain competitive advantage if they continue with business as usual, over
those organisations which make changes in order to comply. ANEC and BUEC have
requested the Commission to replace VAs with mandatory minimum requirements. They
state the low participation in VAs as one of the major issues (ANEC and BEUC, 2010). This
means whilst some organisations may pay to reduce their environmental impacts, others
could continue as normal and benefit from innovations in technology as a result of the VA.
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Wu and Babcock (1999) however, suggest that a combination of both voluntary and
mandatory approaches is the best way to tackle non-compliance.
The European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee) recently described the
proposed VA for imaging equipment as “weak and totally unacceptable” (eceee, 2009). This
was due to the predicted low market coverage, where an IM would have a much greater
effect.
The games console market is dominated by just three manufacturers; Nintendo, Microsoft
and Sony. This relatively small number of producers and therefore product models
currently on the market, compared to televisions for example, has high potential benefits
when considering a VA. With fewer producers to consider, in theory agreement should be
easier. However, this low number of industry stakeholders makes the impact of one
manufacturer not engaging in the process much greater than if one television
manufacturer were not to engage. This is particularly true when you consider the vast sums
of money involved in the proprietary chip technology development. It is not possible for
console producers to release information about these long term investments due to the
potential negative effects it could have on their business. If these discussions were
conducted under the premise of a VA, the risk would be too great for console producers to
participate fully.
2.3. Section Conclusion
This section shows that policy surrounding energy consumption and efficiency for electrical
appliances is active and constantly changing. The plethora of standards and instruments
demonstrate the acknowledgement that policy has the potential to stimulate huge
reductions in the energy consumption of appliances in the home and office whilst
maintaining the same level of service provision. These instruments do, however, also have
the potential to stifle innovation and increase costs while having little or no environmental
benefit.
Although many of these instruments discussed do not directly impact the business
activities of SCEE, it is important to understand how and why they were created and also to
assess their effectiveness. One aspect which does, however, concern SCEE is the potential
for standards from other regions or countries to be implemented in a country where they
operate. This is especially important when voluntary standards may be translated into
regulatory measures.
It is also important to recognise the complexity of this area and the lack of a “one size fits
all” answer; hence the large number of instruments available. In addition, it must also be
accepted that whilst developments in this area will have great benefits in terms of
environmental protection, it only forms a small part of a wider energy efficiency drive
across all sectors and industries.
It would also be true to say that improvements in the energy efficiency of appliances
constitutes the “low hanging fruit” and fails to address increases in proliferation of
electrical appliances in the home; something which is a much more complex area to tackle.
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This section provides the background to policy covering electronic appliances and energy
consumption and efficiency. This will inform any recommendations made, as the result of
research discussed within the report, are both feasible and likely to be in line with current
policy developments.
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3. STAKEHOLDERS
When considering instruments to improve energy efficiency it is important that they do not
have any unintended detrimental effects. For instance, if introducing a technology which
increased the unit price significantly, this would affect consumers’ ability to purchase the
item which in turn would reduce the profitability for the producer. It could even lead to the
elimination of the product from the market. In addition, a rebound effect could be
experienced whereby a consumer would purchase two items to replace the one they
cannot afford. A consumer might buy a DVD player and a PC for example to replace their
console. This would increase environmental impacts; the potential standby power
consumption would double and the energy used during the production phase would also
be much greater.
It is therefore important to identify groups and organisations which have a vested interest
in a particular product, or feature of a product, to ensure that those interests are taken into
account when developing policies. The main aim of instruments surrounding product
energy consumption and efficiency is to reduce the use phase energy consumption.
Stakeholder engagement allows information and knowledge about a product to be shared
so that understanding of the environmental issues and technology is improved. It is
therefore central to creating and implementing measures which are effective, fair and
based on consensus.
This section discusses the methodology used to identify stakeholders regarding games
consoles standard development. This is followed by a discussion of those stakeholders
already identified, their interests and how best to engage with them to ensure that
reasonable standards are implemented which will lead to the greatest benefit.
A stakeholder can be defined as a person, group, organisation or system that affects, or can
be affected by organisations’ actions.
(Bourne and Walker, 2006) offer the following process for managing stakeholders:

Identifying appropriate stakeholders;

Specifying the nature of the stakeholders interest;

Measuring the stakeholders interest;

Predicting what the stakeholders future behaviour will be to satisfy him/her or
his/her stake; and

Evaluating the impact of the stakeholder behaviour on the project teams latitude in
managing the project.
The stakeholder groups identified in this research are shown in Figure 7 below. The
stakeholder analysis is being conducted in collaboration with Interel, a Public relations
consultant working with SCEE regarding the EuP Directive for Lot 3. At present the
stakeholders are being “mapped” which covers the first three bullet points above. This
information will help to inform when SCEE should engage with which stakeholders and
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also indicate the nature of information that will be required. Although currently
focussed around those stakeholders specifically involved in the EuP process, the groups
are likely to be applicable for any energy consumption and efficiency related policy
discussions.
It is important to highlight that conducting a stakeholder analysis is not the only
method that can be used to determine and influence policy. Other actions include
campaigning and lobbying, which will not be covered in this report.
Producers/
Manufacturers
Member States
Industry/
Trade
organisations
Supply
chain
members
Media
STAKEHOLDERS
Consumers
Government
Agencies
Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs)
Consumer
organisations
Figure 7 Diagram showing the different stakeholders involved in energy efficiency policy
3.1. NGOs
NGOs can have a lot of influence when it comes to environmental issues and the creation
of instruments to regulate certain activities. They often influence the general public with
campaigns in order to gain their support and encourage them to put pressure on the
relevant organisations. Some specific NGOs germane to consoles are described below.
3.1.1.
NRDC
The NRDC is a US based NGO which has been very active in the energy efficiency arena,
particularly regarding games consoles. “Lowering the cost of Play” (2008) was published by
the NRDC in combination with ECOS (discussed below). This document calculated the
energy use of consoles in the US as equivalent to the annual electricity use of San Diego,
which is approximately 16 giga kilowatt hours. It suggests that this figure could be reduced
by 11 giga kilowatt hours if “more user-friendly power management features were
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introduced”. This was the first document which focused solely on games consoles and as a
result has been widely quoted. One common misconception which was drawn from the
data was that the Nintendo Wii was much more efficient than both the Xbox 360 and the
PlayStation®3. However, the Wii simply uses less power and achieves a lower resolution
graphical output. The NRDC do however make several practical recommendations for
improvements in energy efficiency, including encouraging consumers to switch their
consoles off, shipping consoles with auto power down settings enabled and introducing
chips which can scale their processing according to the function being performed. These
are discussed in more detail in Section 4.7.
3.1.2.
European Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardisation
(ECOS)
ECOS is a “consortium of environmental NGOs created to enhance the voice of
environmental protection in the standardisation process” (ECOS, 2010b). They are the
leading NGO on the EU’s eco-design policy discussions and have been present at the
stakeholder meetings for Lot 3. ECOS is also spearheading a campaign known as
“coolproducts for a cool planet” in collaboration with EEB (discussed below), Friends of the
Earth and Inforse-Europe. The coolproducts website aims to “inform people, in an engaging
and non-technical way” about what is going on behind the scenes regarding EuP (ECOS,
2010a). The website demonstrates strong support for the EuP process and discusses strong
industry lobbies which are slowing down the process. The introduction of ENERGYSTAR®
requirements for some product groups is also endorsed.
3.1.3.
Greenpeace
A well know environmental NGO, Greenpeace publish the “Guide to Greener Electronics”
which reports the environmental performance of the major PC, TV, mobile phone and
games console companies every quarter. This is based on factors including the use of
recycled plastic content, carbon foot-print disclosure and, most relevantly, the energy
efficiency of new models (Greenpeace, 2009). The most recent of these, published in
December 2009, gave Sony a ranking of 5.1 out of 10 which is better than both Nintendo
and Microsoft.
In addition, Greenpeace started a campaign entitled “clash of the consoles” which aimed to
encourage console manufacturers to eliminate hazardous substances and to take back and
recycle their products once obsolete (Greenpeace, 2010). Although neither of these
campaigns focus directly on consoles and their energy use, it is clear that Greenpeace are
an active NGO which could have great influence in this area.
3.1.4.
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Another very active NGO regarding EuP, EEB represent over 140 Environmental citizens’
organisations based in EU Member States, they have also been present at the Lot 3
stakeholder meetings. They have recently published an analysis of the EuP, RoHS and WEEE
Directives (European Environmental Bureau, 2009). This document is critical of the EuP
Directive and the way it is being implemented. It is stated that “there seems to be a steady
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downgrading from considering a total and integrated life cycle towards only setting
minimum energy efficiency standards”. They conclude that this is unlikely to help stimulate
a paradigm shift towards sustainability.
3.1.5.
European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee)
The eceee has a dedicated website for EuP implementing measures, through which it
provides information on energy efficiency in Europe (eceee, 2013). In addition, eceee have
also been very vocal regarding proposed VAs for STBs and imaging equipment (eceee,
2009). Although it is understood that a voluntary approach has its benefits, eceee state
that the proposed VA for imaging equipment as “totally unacceptable” due to expected low
market coverage. However, regarding the STB VA, they are cautiously supportive. Eceee
actively participates in the EuP process and promotes the exchange of information around
energy efficiency in Europe. An example of this is the annual summer study networking
event.
This subsection demonstrates that there are numerous active NGOs in this area. In addition
their activities often overlap, as shown by the coolproducts initiative. It is interesting to
note that not all of them are unreservedly in support of the EuP Directive and many openly
criticise the processes and approaches. This fulfils expectations of NGOs as bodies which
help to keep the arguments balanced so that no individual is disadvantaged, but also to
ensure that environmental benefits are achieved.
3.2. Consumer Organisations
3.2.1.
BEUC
BEUC has 43 independent national consumer organisations from 31 European countries,
their main task being to defend the interests of European consumers (BEUC, 2010b). They
have eight priorities, one of which is Energy and Sustainability. They believe that
consumers will benefit if more products are covered by EU sustainability related legislation
as this will enable them to make sustainable choices more easily (BEUC, 2010a).
3.2.2.
ANEC
Represent European consumers in the creation of technical standards. They believe the use
of standards can play a part in promoting environmental protection (ANEC, 2010).
These two organisations often work together regarding the EuP Directive. To date they
have published a document questioning the use of VAs in the eco-design process. They
have called on the Commission to “replace VAs with mandatory minimum requirements”
(ANEC and BEUC, 2010).
3.3. Member States
3.3.1.
UK
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Market Transformation
Programme (MTP) has published two documents specifically relating to games consoles.
The “Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Reference Scenario” and “Key Inputs”
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(Market Transformation Programme, 2009a, Market Transformation Programme, 2009b).
These documents state the following points of interest –
o
It is predicted that the stock of consoles in the UK will continue to increase;
o
Subsequent generations of consoles are graphically and computationally more
powerful than the previous which has led to the increase in power consumption;
o
It is anticipated that the next generation will be launched in 2013;
o
It is estimated that daily active usage is 0.4hrs per day, due to the large number of
rarely used consoles, although this is estimated with low confidence. It is also
predicted that active use time will increase in the future;
o
Indicate the likelihood of future generations of consoles incorporating features
which will enable power consumption to be scaled with processing demands; and
o
Power savings from ongoing silicon development are likely to be offset by
additional features with active power expected to be around 150 W in 2030.
3.3.2.
Denmark
The Danish Ministry of the Environment have published an evaluation of the EuP Directive
(Danish Ministry of the Environment, 2009). The document assesses the impact to date of
the EuP Directive in order to assist in prioritising the “focus, efforts and instruments to be
applied” for implementation in Denmark. It does not cover Lot 3.
In addition, the Danish Electricity Saving Trust have a webpage entitled “Good advice on
buying game consoles” (Danish Electricity Saving Trust, 2010). This gives a list of consoles
and their power use in different modes in order to help consumers assess the impact
owning a console will have on their energy bills.
3.3.3.
Belgium
The Belgian government have not published anything specifically related to consoles and
the EuP. However, it was recently suggested by Michel Degaillier that consoles should be
included in the Lot 3 for PCs. This highlights continued discussion on whether to consider a
games console as a PC for the purposes of the EuP, or whether it is more suitable to
consider it as a separate product group.
Although at present only three Member States have been identified as active, as the
Preparatory study concludes and consultation begins Member State will become
increasingly visible. Any developments regarding Member State engagement will be
reported at the 12 month stage.
3.4. Producers/Manufacturers
Clearly some of the most important stakeholders involved in this area are the
manufacturers of the products themselves. As previously discussed, there are three main
console producers at present; Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. It is essential that they are
involved in the process as no other party has sufficient product knowledge to enable
realistic discussion to take place regarding improvements in energy efficiency. It is also
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important, under the premise of sustainable development, that policy should not damage
the economic performance of these stakeholders disproportionately.
The stakeholder analysis is an ongoing activity as some stakeholders will only become
involved later on in the process, particularly when either a VA or IM is being drawn up.
Therefore, the stakeholder analysis will be revisited in the 12 month progress report.
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4. CONSOLES AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION
As shown in Section 2, the energy consumption of electrical appliances is increasingly being
targeted by policy surrounding the environment and its protection. This section discusses
how the energy consumption and efficiency of consoles can be measured, the definition of
modes to be tested and where effort is currently being focused in order to reduce energy
consumption and increase efficiency.
4.1. History of Consoles
Games consoles have developed extremely rapidly since the first home video game console
was released in 1972. Current consoles on the market form the seventh generation which
has seen the introduction of features such as Blu-ray disc playback, Bluetooth peripherals
and internet connectivity (Wikipedia, 2010).
As a result of this increased functionality the power consumption of games consoles has
increased. The NRDC (2008) reported data which shows the increase in power consumption
of consoles in “off”, “idle” and “active” modes. A good illustration of the increase in the
power consumption is the Sony PlayStation® which consumed 8 W in active mode,
compared with 150 W for the original PlayStation®3 model.
It is important to note here that although the high definition consoles in the seventh
generation do consume significantly more energy than previous generations, during the
lifetime of the products subsequent versions are released and power consumption is
reduced voluntarily. This is due to ongoing technological developments, particularly
surrounding the processor chips. Since the launch of the PlayStation®3 the power
consumption of the console has been reduced by over 50%, as shown in Figure 8. This is
the product of advances in integrated circuit technology, the cost of computing power and
the energy required to deliver that computing power decreases over time. This is related to
Moore’s Law which was proposed by Gordon Moore (Moore, 1965). He described the trend
of the doubling number of components in integrated circuits every year since their
invention in 1958. Processing speed and memory capacity are capabilities both linked to
Moore’s Law. In terms of reducing the power use in consoles, this is related to the
reduction in size of both CPU and GPU chips. This means that the same performance can be
achieved on a smaller chip. This reduces the distance the electrons have to travel which
leads to faster computations and energy saving. This is an area which has been focussed on
for mobile products in order to increase battery life and AEA report that 32nm processors
are expected to be widely available in 2010 for PCs (AEA, 2009). It has also been stated that
consumers increasingly want one mobile device which provides multiple functions (Mayo
and Ranganathan, 2003). In order to achieve this, it is suggested that systems should be
designed to include requirements aware scale-down techniques. AEA state that this has
already been achieved in laptops and could be employed in games consoles.
In addition, the increased energy consumption between generations is a result of increased
performance (as discussed in Section 4.6), something which distinguishes the Nintendo Wii
from the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation®3. Both of these points are acknowledged in the
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Market Transformation Programme (MTP) Briefing Note on Games Consoles (Market
Transformation Programme, 2009b) as discussed in Section 3.3.1.
100%
Power consumption in active use
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Launch
Revision 1
Revision 2
Revision 3
Revision 4
Model version
PlayStation3
Xbox 360
Figure 8 Graph showing the voluntary reductions made in energy consumption of consoles
by both Microsoft and Sony
4.2. Market Share
Gaming is a major industry in Europe which employs thousands of people and is worth
around €13 billion (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2008). Since the launch of
the first 32bit consoles in the 1990s, over 444million consoles have been sold worldwide.
Sales are expected to continue to increase as gamers from the earlier generations move to
create a new demographic of console user (Market Transformation Programme, 2009a)
At present, the PlayStation®3 has approximately a 38% share of the European console
market. This is based on sales data (VGChartz, 2011) for the period 4th January 2009 – 2nd
January 2010 for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®2 and Xbox 360. The data
are shown below in Table 6.
Table 6 Sales data for consoles sales during the period 4th January 2009 – 2nd January 2010
Console
UK
France
Germany
Spain
Italy
Scandinavia
Wii
1,760,823
1,211,728
1,128,260
687,002
829,255
312,703
PS3
982,210
875,472
775,225
428,744
528,223
262,935
X360
1,193,401
579,134
465,376
180,495
357,046
239,714
PS2
134,371
69,430
90,424
84,396
188,568
79,188
Other Europe 927,348
520,428
331,212
401,235
Total
6,857,119 4,373,237 3,346,378 1,047,612
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4.3. Console Testing
Although there are limited data available for the power consumption of consoles, as
shown in Table 7, there is no accepted methodology for testing. At present methodologies
for other products which share one or more functions of a console, have been adapted for
use with consoles. This is discussed in more depth in Section 4.5. Although it is common for
consoles to be compared to other electronic devices regarding energy consumption, which
may seem reasonable as they perform one or more of the same functions, their
architecture is completely different. One example of this is the attention paid to the energy
consumed by a console when playing a DVD or BD (NRDC, 2008). This gives a false
indication of appliances energy efficiency as it is simply considering the energy consumed.
Table 7 Summary of the available data on power consumption of consoles in active mode
Console power consumption (W)
Study
PlayStation®3
Xbox 360
Wii
PlayStation®2
150.1
118.8
16.4
24.2
-
173
-
18
NRDC (2008)
TIAX (2007)
It is essential that research is conducted in order to develop standard methodologies which
will enable consoles to be easily compared generally, and with respect to specific modes.
Furthermore, it will also increase the reliability of data published regarding the power
consumption of these devices which will help to focus efforts when considering further
improvements in energy efficiency.
Therefore, a proposal for console testing has been created. A central objective of this is to
identify and define appropriate use modes. Current mode definitions are discussed below
in Section 4.4. Another intention is to create a robust performance indicator. This will
improve comparability and enable energy efficiency to be discussed in a more meaningful
way. Currently, performance is not considered and so rather than comparing efficiency of
consoles, power consumption is compared. This therefore distorts the discussion
particularly when comparing standard and high definition consoles. Another objective is to
collect power consumption data for consoles in the different modes identified.
The proposal, shown in Appendix 10.1, outlines an extensive testing scheme which will
cover both current and past generations of consoles. At present, this has been adapted to
focus solely on testing the PlayStation®3 to inform the future testing. It is anticipated that
this more extensive research will be conducted during the next 6 months.
4.4. Mode Definition
One major issue in this area is the lack of agreement regarding the modes available on
games consoles and the definition of these. The NRDC (2008) highlight the lack of an
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industry consensus on how to define operating modes. This subsection discusses the
modes currently applied to consoles. This will be used to inform the preliminary console
testing and also form a basis for recommendations after testing is complete. The accurate
definition of the available modes is essential to ensure that comparisons between consoles
will enable reliable conclusions to be drawn.
Off mode – as defined by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission, 2010) is a
“state during which the equipment is connected to its power source but is not providing
any function except an indication of status or to ensure electromagnetic compatibility”.
Active mode – As outlined in the ENERGYSTAR® draft requirements for games consoles
(EnergyStar®, 2009b) active mode includes the performance of all functions available.
Within active mode, ENERGYSTAR® identifies the following sub-modes:
Idle –
o
System Idle – the console is on but no media is loaded. This would be the
XMB for PlayStation®3. This has also been termed the “dashboard” mode
by (TIAX, 2007).
o
Game Play Idle – a game disc is loaded and game play has started.
Subsequently there is no further user input to the console – for example,
the user has gone to eat but left the console during game-play and has not
paused it.
o
Media Play Idle – a DVD, BD or CD is loaded but is not started playing. An
example of this would be the home menu screen for a DVD.
Pause – a function has been started and then paused by the user.
The NRDC (2008) define idle, which incorporates pause. This is defined as “the device is on,
a disc is loaded in the console, but the user is not touching the controller”. The NRDC also
define separate “active”, “idle” and “standby/off” modes for media playback which are
almost identical to those for gaming. They do not however define any modes for other
console functions. To further confuse the matter, TIAX (2007) define “idle” as “pause”.
Standby mode - can be defined as “state of the equipment during which it is connected to
its power source and offers no primary function but fulfils a secondary use-oriented
function or protective function” (International Electrotechnical Commission, 2010). For the
PlayStation®3 this is when the console is off but can be reactivated by a controller or the on
switch. This is similar to the definition given in the EuP Lot 6 requirements.
A recent development, from a meeting of the console “high definition platform”, has been
the definition of “interactive” and “passive” modes. Interactive modes are those that
require user input e.g. game play whilst passive modes are those which do not require user
input e.g. movie playback. This broader definition gives more flexibility as it can be applied
to all of the available functions on consoles and would still apply to next generation
consoles even if they offer further functionality. Idle mode remains, but is defined as the
mode entered 1 minute after active and interactive use of the console has stopped.
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With regards mode definition, and whether mode definitions for each function are
necessary, until preliminary testing has been conducted on the energy consumption of
consoles this will not be known. If the energy consumption varies significantly between
modes and functions then separate definitions will be needed. However, it may be that the
energy consumption of a console in “pause” for example is the same for all functions. This
will be discussed in the 12 month report when it is anticipated that the console testing will
be completed.
4.5. Test Procedure and Standards
Mahlia et al. (2002) label an energy test procedure as “the foundation of energy efficiency
standards, labels and other related programs”. TA good test procedure ensures that any
improvements in equipment efficiency are reported accurately and no false claims are
made.
The accepted definition of a test as used by ISO and IEC is “a technical operation that
consists of the determination of one or more characteristics of a given product, process or
service according to a specified procedure” (ISO/IEC, 2004). As stated by (Collaborative
Labeling and Appliance Standards Program, 2005) there are many possible sources of error
when measuring the energy performance of equipment. This includes the following:
o
Inaccuracy in the equipment used to measure the test results;
o
Variability in the accuracy of the equipment used to measure the test results;
o
Variability in the environmental conditions maintained during the test;
o
Variability in the procedure followed when conducting the test;
o
Variability among individual products within a product class;
o
Deterioration of a products energy performance as the product ages; and
o
Inexperience of technicians performing the tests.
This highlights the need for a standardised test procedure to minimise the impact of these
sources of error.
A testing standard specific to games consoles is not available. Therefore, current available
data which has been collected for the energy consumption of games consoles has not used
a standard methodology. This means that any conclusions drawn from this data must take
into account the limitations of the methods used, particularly if they have been adapted
from procedures for other products.
At present, ENERGYSTAR® is the only program to recommend a methodology as outlined in
Appendix A of the game console requirements document (EnergyStar®, 2009b).
In addition to the ENERGYSTAR® guidance, there are many other international standards
which are used for specific product characteristics. For instance, the British Standards
Institute (BSI) have a standard for the measurement of standby power in household
appliances (British Standards Institution, 2005). This could be used to measure the standby
power consumption of a console. In addition, the standard for the measurement for the
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power consumption of audio, video and related equipment outlines methodologies for
measuring numerous pieces of equipment which share some of the functions performed by
games consoles (IEC, 2008).
The applicability of these standards will be assessed when conducting the preliminary
testing and recommendations will be made for a console specific test procedure
methodology.
4.6. Performance Indicator
As stated by (Harrington, 2001) “performance is critical as the energy service and the
energy consumption combine to provide a measure of the energy efficiency of the product.
This section discusses possible performance indicators that could be applied to games
consoles.
In the proposal for console testing, the performance indicator outlined will combine the
energy consumption of the console and its output in pixels. This measure of performance
will eliminate any error that might arise as a result of some consoles now having High
Definition (HD) output and others Standard Definition (SD). Although the power use of the
display is not included in the calculation for efficiency, the console will have to use more
processing power to achieve a higher resolution image, thereby consuming more energy.
A performance indicator, developed for a paper concerning a similar study for computers
((Koomey et al., 2009), is computations per kWh. Figure 9 shows the relationship between
the efficiency in computations per kWh and how this efficiency has developed over time. It
is hoped that a similar graph will be produced as a result of the extensive console testing
proposal. This indicator would capture the power of the processors used in current
generation consoles, which is the main cause of the increases seen in power use of
consoles over time.
Another available measure of a computers performance is FLOPS – FLoating point
OPerations per Second. This is the measure used by the Folding@Home distributed
computing project which uses processing power from PCs and consoles all over the world
to calculate complex protein structures (Folding@home distributed computing, 2010).
Weighted TeraFLOPS (where a TeraFLOP is 1012 FLOPS) have also been used to calculate the
Adjusted Peak Performance (APP) of computing systems. This takes into account the clock
frequency of every processor, the number of FLOP every processor can perform per clock
cycle and weights the value according to the type of processor (vector or non-vector).
There are two limitations to the use of FLOPS for measuring performance of consoles. The
first is that FLOPS are not consistent between platforms; however they can be normalised
using a reference processor. Secondly, the calculation of weighted TeraFLOPS for APP can
only include those FLOPS above 64 bits. This would therefore not be an applicable measure
for the performance of the earliest generations of consoles.
A key component of GPUs and CPUs are transistors. On these silicon computing chips, the
number of transistors reflects the relative amount of processing power the chip has.
Therefore, the number of chips could be used to assess the potential processing power
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available which, when combined with energy consumption, would give a measure of
performance.
All of the above performance indicators would enable the energy efficiency of a console to
be measured in a meaningful way. However, with regards weighted TeraFLOPS, the number
of transistors and computations per kWh these all use the maximum available processing
power. It is unlikely that any device would be operating at this level constantly. Therefore,
this would indicate a lower efficiency than would be happening most of the time. However,
as long as these measurements were made consistently then they could prove to be a
relatively good indicator. The use of pixels is a more accurate measurement as the output
will be constant and the processing power required will be reflected in the energy
consumption measurement.
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Figure 9 Graph demonstrating the relationship between computations per KWh from 1940
to present
4.7. Current Focus for Energy Efficiency Improvements
Two areas have been highlighted by both AEA and NRDC in terms of their potential for
energy efficiency improvements. These are:
1. Scalable chips - Scalable chips are chips which allow the processing power to be
altered, depending on the function being performed. This idea of scalability is
introduced in the AEA Lot 3 study as a BAT (p.108). This argument stems from data
regarding energy consumption during media playback, i.e. playing a DVD or BD
(NRDC, 2008). A console uses significantly more energy than a BD player when
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performing this function; NRDC (2008) report the PlayStation®3 as using 5 times
the amount of power as a stand-alone Sony Blu-ray player. It is argued that using
scalable chips would significantly reduce energy consumption for those functions
which do not require the full processing power available. (Barroso and Holzle,
2007) describe the increase in performance and therefore energy usage of
computers and suggest the development of machines “that consume energy in
proportion to the amount of work performed” as a way to minimise this impact.
2. Auto Power Down functionality - APD has been focussed on by the NGO
community and it is also discussed in the AEA Lot 3 study. The NRDC report (NRDC,
2008) devotes a chapter to power management in response to testing which
suggests that inadequate functionality exists on current consoles. Box 1 describes
the power management settings available on the PlayStation®3 at present. Two
main areas for improvements have been focussed on:

Shipping as disabled – it is now the case that all consoles offer power management
functionality, but the product is shipped with these functions disabled. This means
that the consumer has to find the menu option and enable the setting. This relates
to the following point -

Difficulty of finding for users – it is not a setting which users would happen upon
or be prompted to select their preferred settings. Therefore it is often the case that
users never see the options available and enable the console to power down.
It can also be questioned as to whether the language used in the power down descriptions
is accessible to users. Ambiguous phrases such as “special circumstances”, as used on the
PlayStation®3, may lead many gamers to be inclined to leave the option disabled rather
than run the risk of their console shutting down and losing their place in a game.
Manufacturers have therefore been called upon, by the bodies developing requirements
for games consoles, to investigate the possible alternatives to the current situation
regarding both of these potential areas for improvement.
A new “High Definition Platform” has been created between Microsoft and SCEE which will
be coordinated by Interel, a public affairs consultant. The aim of this platform is to
coordinate industry efforts surrounding the energy efficiency of games consoles. The first
meeting of the platform took place in March 2010 where the APD definitions were
discussed. This led to the definition of “interactive” and “passive” modes. These definitions
distinguish those modes which require user input and those which do not. Further progress
made by the industry platform will be reported within the 12 month report.
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Box 1 Description of Auto Power Down functionality on PlayStation®3
Within the XMB Settings menu is a sub menu titled “Power Save Settings”. This
allows users to edit the settings for both the controllers and the system itself.
Presently, all power save settings are shipped as default as “off”.
The options available for the system allow the user to enable or disable the
automatic turn off feature. The length of time after which the console will switch off
can be selected from 1, 2, 3 and 5 hours. There is also a check box which the
consumer can select which will cause the console to power down even under
“special conditions”. Special conditions constitute playing a DVD, for example, where
no user input is expected and the console would appear not to be in use. Therefore,
it is not necessary to power down as it is still in use and it would also cause
annoyance to the user. If the check box is ticked then the console will power down,
regardless of what function is being performed, after the time period selected by the
user.
The option for controllers enables the user to select whether they want their
controllers to switch off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity.
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5. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTS
The assessment of the environmental impact of products and services has seen rapid
development, with numerous methodologies now available. Based on an holistic, life cycle
approach, the intent is to make sure that environmental burdens, such as waste and
pollution, are not being shifted up or down the supply chain of a product or service. It can
also help to identify so called “hot-spots”- the most polluting stages of a product life cycle.
This enables efforts to be focussed on the areas where improvements in environmental
performance are more likely to be achieved at lowest cost (Huang et al., 2009). It also
allows products and services to be compared using their environmental impact as a metric.
This section discusses two areas of interest for SCEE in this field.
5.1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Games Consoles
LCA is a methodology which attempts to capture the environmental impacts of a product
“from primary raw materials right through to ultimate waste disposal” (Clift, 1993). It has
been created in response to the consensus that the ever-increasing demand for products is
putting pressure on the environment (ISO, 2010). There are two international standards
which outline the applications, methodology and limitations of LCA (ISO 14040) and also
requirements and guidelines for interpretation (ISO 14044). Before conducting an LCA it is
essential to define the goal and scope of the study, in addition to setting the system
boundaries. The environmental impacts to be considered are also chosen.
The only LCA study completed for games consoles to date is that which forms part of the
AEA Lot 3 preparatory study (AEA, 2009). This uses the Methodology study for Eco-design
of EuP (MEEuP) document which outlines the process for assessing the environmental
impact (VHK, 2005). This methodology lists the following categories for the assessment of
environmental impact –
1. Energy;
2. Water;
3. Waste;
4. Global Warming Potential (GWP);
5. Ozone Depletion Potential;
6. Acidification;
7. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs);
8. Persistent Organic Pollutants;
9. Heavy Metals to Air;
10. Particulate Matter;
11. Water Emissions; and
12. Other – including Hazardous Substances, Land-Use and Product Specific Emissions.
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For games consoles the assessment shows that the life cycle stages with the highest impact
are materials production and the use phase.
It has been suggested by the EEB (European Environmental Bureau, 2009) that the MEEuP
methodology may overestimate the importance of energy consumption in the use phase; “
A key study notes that the life cycle energy use of a computer is dominated by the
production phase (83%) as opposed to the use phase (13%). In comparison, the application
of the EcoReport tool found that 73-90% of the total life cycle energy use of computers and
monitors is found in the use phase”. This is relevant for games consoles, as the energy and
materials required to manufacture the chips for the GPU, similar to those found in PC CPUs,
is likely to have a large impact on the total life cycle impact.
One common difficulty with performing an LCA is where to draw the system boundaries.
This is particularly true when considering the complexity of the electronics sector, in terms
of both its supply chain and the continuous, rapid technological development which it
experiences. However, the introduction of automation into commercial LCA tools has
allowed users with only rudimentary knowledge of LCA to create an LCA model through
answering questions regarding a specific manufacturing process (Laurin et al., 2006). This
also has pre-defined system boundaries and cut-off criteria making the results comparable.
5.2. Product Carbon Foot-printing (PCF)
The idea of PCF is becoming both a more prevalent and popular way of quantifying the
environmental impact of products, based on a life cycle approach. This interest has arisen
from the increasing awareness of the impact carbon dioxide is having on the global climate.
In line with the increasing interest in this area, the Green Management 2015 document for
Sony Group has the explicit aim of achieving “zero environmental foot-print” by 2050. Most
interestingly, one target to be achieved is a reduction in the total CO2 emissions that occur
during product use. For 2008 the carbon emissions associated with product use for gaming
products was 813,700 tonnes (SONY, 2010c). This target is in line with other initiatives such
as the EuP Directive (described in Section 2.1.1).
Carbon foot-printing has also been moving up the policy agenda with recent developments
such as the publication of Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050 (British Standards
Institution, 2008) which details a standard methodology for assessing the life cycle
greenhouse gas emissions of products and services. PAS 2050 has also formed the basis for
the development of an international carbon foot-printing standard, ISO 14067, which is
currently being drafted.
Of particular interest to SCEE is an environmental labelling law which has been approved by
the French Senate. As part of the “national commitment to the environment”, this bill will
make environmental labels mandatory on all consumer products sold in France beginning
2011 (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 2009).This is indicative of the growing focus on
this policy area.
In addition, as discussed during a Webinar regarding Green ICT, it was stated that the EU
have been mandated to examine carbon foot-printing and in August 2009 they released a
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tender for a study (Pollet, 2010). It was also stated that if two or more Member States
develop a methodology for carbon foot-printing then the Commission must harmonise
these.
Although carbon foot-printing is a current focus for policy regarding environmental impacts
of products, it has not been without criticism. One well known example of this was the
reporting of carbon emissions on packets of crisps in grams which included a decimal place.
It is well accepted that due to both the assumptions made within a LCA study and its
inherent limitations, this level of accuracy would not be possible.
At present this area is being looked into as part of an MSc project for SCEE. This study will
compare the carbon foot-print of game delivery via disc versus downloads. The results of
this study will help to identify where data and knowledge gaps exist within SCEE. This study
will also be built on as part of the continuing EngD research.
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6. CONSUMER RESEARCH
Despite various sources of information existing relating to consumers and their use of
consoles, as discussed below in Section 6.1, there are still gaps in the knowledge. One of
the most contentious issues is what functions consumers use on their consoles and how
often. For instance, a recent article described the increase in games console use for BBC
iPlayer viewing (Clover, 2010). This reported that 1 in 8 iPlayer views came from consoles in
December 2009. This highlights the increasing use of consoles for functions other than
gaming.
The information regarding the use of consoles is linked to console power consumption as,
when combined, these data can give an accurate estimation of the average annual energy
consumption of a console (See section 2.1.2 for the calculation used in ENERGYSTAR®).
Other information gaps which need addressing are those relating to power save settings
and consumers use and awareness of these. This information will enable realistic
estimations to be made concerning how much energy can be saved through improvements
to this function. At present, estimations regarding the potential benefits of improved
power save settings are based on assumptions and could therefore be overestimated; see
Section 6.1.1 for an example.
This section discusses the data already available regarding the use of consoles by
consumers and then outlines proposed research to add to this where necessary.
6.1. Existing Data
6.1.1.
NRDC – Lowering the cost of play (NRDC, 2008)
As stated above in Section 3.1.1, the NRDC is an active environmental NGO in the area of
energy efficiency and consoles. The lack of concrete information available on usage cycles
for consoles led the NRDC to develop usage scenarios to calculate energy consumption.
These assume that 50% of users leave their consoles on continuously and the other 50%
switch their consoles off after use. This study also uses the data collected and published in
the Nielsen study “The state of the console”, discussed below, to model usage patterns
accurately.
6.1.2.
Nielsen – the State of the Console (Nielsen, 2007)
“The State of the Console” contains data derived from Nielsen’s National People Meter
sample of more than 12,000 US television households. The report highlights the use of
metering technology for data collection which allows actual, not self-reported usage data
to be recorded. The most interesting data from this study is that those in the top 20% of
users, based on their average use over the quarter, account for 74.4% of total console
usage. This amounts to an average usage per usage day of 5 hours and 45 minutes. This
figure has not been included in Table 8 because it does not give an average per day and
also only accounts for the heaviest users of consoles.
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ISFE (Nielsen) 2008 – Video Gamers in Europe 2008
Also conducted by Nielsen, this study builds on previous ISFE research regarding the
European Games market from 2004, 2006 and 2007.
The aim of the study was to explore consumer attitudes and usage of video games across
15 European and Baltic countries. This includes consumers who play video games on other
platforms, such as PCs, in addition to consoles.
The survey comprised of a 25 minute, quantitative questionnaire which was administered
online in each of the 15 countries. In total 6,000 respondents were involved, with 400 from
each country. The field work was carried out during February and March 2008.
The study defines the following types of gamers Active gamers – currently playing games on a console, handheld or PC
Non- gamers – those who do not qualify as active gamers
Heavy gamers – those who play in excess of 10 hours per week
Medium gamers – those who play for 6-10 hours in an average week
Light gamers – those who play for 5 hours or less per week
Figure 10 below shows the data collected regarding the number of hours spent playing
games per week. Calculating the average usage using ∑fx
∑f
Where f is the frequency and x is the midpoint of the group. For this calculation the
following midpoint values were used: 0.5, 3, 8, 13 and 15. This gives 6 hours of gaming per
week per person.
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Figure 10 Data from the ISFE study for hours spent playing video games per week, split by
age group and platform (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2008)
In addition over 70% of consumers who own a console, which they perceive to have
multimedia capabilities, say that they use their device for broader media activities such as
playing DVDs and browsing the internet. Furthermore, data shows that those consumers
who do play online may play against other people up to 78% of the time that they use their
consoles.
6.1.4.
GameVision Europe - Autumn 2009, European Consumer
Intelligence Report
This report contains data which was collected by survey research conducted between the
2nd and 6th October 2009. The gamer survey includes 4,714 active gamers and 1,118 Non
Buying gamers. These two groups are defined in the study as follows:
Active gamer – someone who has bought or had a game or games console bought for them
in the last 12 months.
Non Buying gamer – someone who has played in the last 6 months, but has not bought or
had a game or games console bought for them in the last 12 months.
This study contains a lot of information regarding how people use their consoles. For
instance, it states that half of gamers use their PlayStation®3 to listen to music and 40% use
it at least once a week to watch a movie. Figure 11 and Figure 12 below show the different
frequency with which gamers use different functions on the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360
respectively.
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It is also reported that, on average, high definition consoles such as the PlayStation®3 are
used by 1.9 users.
Percentage
PlayStation®3
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
17
28
45
26
78
32
63
71
26
58
40
To play video
games
To play film
discs
24
13
12
9
To play music To do creative To store and
things
manipulate
photos
18
11
29
To do
educational
things
Function
At least once a week
Use it less often
Not used in the last 3 months
Figure 11 Graph demonstrating the frequency of use by consumers of the different
functions available on PlayStation®3
Percentage
Xbox 360
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
16
23
61
48
55
26
24
26
21
To play video To play film
games
discs
To play
music
78
74
14
8
To do
creative
things
15
11
15
10
To store and
To do
manipulate educational
photos
things
Function
At least once a week
Use it less often
Not used in the last 3 months
Figure 12 Graph demonstrating the frequency of use by consumers of the different
functions available on Xbox 360
6.1.5.
TIAX – Energy Consumption by Consumer Electronics in US
Residences 2007 (TIAX, 2007)
This study was commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) response to
the acknowledgement that available data for many consumer electronics was out of date.
A telephone survey of 2000 demographically representative US households was conducted
regarding the usage, quantity and characteristics of 10 Consumer Electronic (CE) products,
one of which was games consoles. The main focus of this was to improve the data
concerning the usage of CE devices.
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In combination with this new information, the power consumption of devices was also
investigated. Together these data were used in a similar calculation to the TEC calculation
used in the ENERGYSTAR® program. This is shown in Figure 13 below, where UEC is Unit
Electricity Consumption and AEC is Annual Electricity Consumption.
Figure 13 Calculation used to estimate the Annual Electricity Consumption of consumer
electrical appliances (TIAX, 2007)
For games consoles, the modes included when calculating AEC were:
o
Active - the system is on and a game is being played;
o
Idle – the system is on and the game is paused; and
o
Off – the power has been switched off by the user, but the system remains
plugged in.
The report also discusses a “dashboard” mode. This is similar to idle but no disc is loaded
into the console. It is assumed that this mode does not make up a significant proportion of
console usage time and is therefore not considered in this study. It is also important to
note that whilst the study was being undertaken both the PlayStation®3 and Nintendo Wii
were released and are therefore not considered in the study.
The results from the survey showed that, on average, participants played video games for
little over 1 hour per day. Participants estimated that their consoles were in idle for
approximately 1.5 hours per day and off the remainder of the time.
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Table 8 summary of the available data on average time spent in each mode by consumers
for consoles
Time spent in each mode (hours)
Active
Idle
Standby
Off
Study
AEA (2009)
ISFE (2008)
TIAX (2007)
0.5
6
1
1.4
1.5
10
0
12.1
21.5
Total
24
6
24
This section shows that there are numerous sources of data relating to the consumer use of
games consoles. However, despite the various sources available it is clear that the methods
which have been used to collect these data vary significantly, as do the results. This lack of
consensus, in addition to the range in values for console usage between studies, has
serious implications when trying to estimate the energy use of consoles in the use phase.
The following section presents another method for obtaining data regarding consumer use
which will be used in conjunction with the available data described above to improve
understanding in this area.
6.2. Virtual Intelligence Platform (VIP)
Part of the new functionality of consoles is the ability to access the internet. This has led to
a huge increase in the functionality of the products. PlayStation® has a Network (PSN)
which users can access for free from their consoles. This is an “interactive environment
where (you) can play online games, chat to friends and family around the world and surf
the web” (PlayStation, 2010). As part of this users create online IDs. When a user signs on
to the PSN this is detected by the VIP, which can also trace what games are being played
and the functions being used on a console.
The VIP is a system which is connected to the PlayStation Network and is able to record
data regarding console usage, although it is not specifically designed for this.
Assumptions and restrictions of PSN data
If the console is not switched off either using the XMB or the button on the front then the
data will not be submitted to the network. This is likely to happen if a game freezes or if the
consumer switches the console off using the switch on the plug socket, or on the original
PlayStation®3, the switch on the back of the console.
In order to assess the accuracy of the PSN data, a pilot study has been conducted. It has
also been necessary to identify the nature of the plugins. Therefore all use of the
PlayStation®3 using my account has been recorded. This will then be compared with the
data recorded by the network. If deemed to be sufficiently accurate, the data will be
analysed to assess what functions consumers are using and for how long.
6.3. Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) Input
As described in Section 6.1.3, ISFE conducted a survey of video gamers in Europe
(Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2008). This section discusses an input made to
the ISFE survey by SCEE for 2010.
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As a result of contention between the console industry and the consultants carrying out the
preparatory study for consoles surrounding the existence and prevalence of use of the
“idle” mode, it is important to understand whether consumers switch their consoles off
when not in use. This is something which has not previously been studied in any of the
available literature.
Therefore, the following questions have been submitted to ISFE to include in their 2009/10
study, the results of which are expected during April 2010:
1. When the console is not being used is it:

Always switched off

switched off after less than 1 hour

switched off after 1-5 hours

switched off after 6-10 hours

switched off after 11-15 hours

left on for more than 15 hours

always left on
2. If the console is switched off, do you:

switch off the controller/s but not the console

switch off the console to standby using the button on the front

switch off the console to standby using the controller

switch off the console using the on/off switch at the back of the console

switch off at the plug/ unplug the console
In addition, much attention has been paid to Auto Power Down (APD) functions by the
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as a key area necessary for action. One of the key
issues raised is that the power down functions are shipped as default in “off” mode. It is
unknown what proportion of consumers are aware of the options available for APD or
whether they enable them. The final question submitted to the ISFE study, shown below,
aims to address this gap in the knowledge.
3. Have you enabled the power management functions on your console?

Yes, I have activated it

No, I know about it but have not I have not activated it

No, I am not aware there is a power management function on my console

Don’t know
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Once the data from the sources outlined in Sections 6.2 and 6.3 are available all existing
data will be collated and assessed. If any other areas are shown to be lacking in detail then
further research will be proposed to address this.
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7. RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PROJECT PLANNING
This section gives an overview of the research questions formulated thus far, in addition to
broader research themes identified for investigation in the future. It also includes a plan for
the next 6 months of research with deliverables and timescales.
7.1. Research Scope
At present the scope of the research is focused around the area of appliance energy testing
and standards for games consoles. This is as a result of the situation SCEE faces with
regards the implementation of measures to limit the energy consumption of its products
during the use-phase. It is essential that SCEE responds to this pressure in a proactive way
to ensure that its products can still be sold within the markets it operates. Although at
present standards to limit consoles energy consumption are not universal, activities have
been identified in various countries and most importantly within the EU which will
potentially lead to legislation.
The scope will extend, using the information gathered from the current focus, to look at
the life cycle management of consoles.
7.2. Research Aims
There are two current research aims:
1. To create a robust methodology for testing consoles energy consumption. This will
involve the definition of modes and states which exist taking into consideration all
functions of consoles. This will need to be flexible in order to respond to
developments; and
2. To gather data regarding consumer use of consoles.
These two aims will be combined to calculate a TEC for consoles which will enable SCEE to
place their products within the market regarding energy consumption. Furthermore, this
will enable SCEE to focus attention on areas where the greatest improvement can be made
at the least cost. This is likely to involve looking at the entire lifecycle of SCEE products,
something which will be initiated during an MSc Placement due to commence in May 2010.
This will be specifically focused on game delivery, but is likely to identify key areas where
further research is needed to fill gaps in data and knowledge.
Regarding the initial project description all of the objectives outlined have been covered
although in varying detail. This is a result of numerous developments occurring regarding
instruments for reducing power consumption and improving energy efficiency of electrical
appliances which has made some objectives more relevant at present.
7.3. 6 Month Work Plan
The following section outlines the work planned for the next 6 months of the EngD and
includes activities which fulfill the research aims stated above. These have been formulated
from the literature review contained within this report.
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7.3.1.
6 Month Progress Report
Console Testing
A detailed proposal for console testing is contained in Appendix 9.1. The aims and
objectives are as follows:
Aims
The aims of this study are to:

Measure the power consumption of games consoles in different modes and when
performing different functions;

Compare the different generations of games consoles based on their energy
consumption and performance to understand how the energy efficiency of these
products has developed over time;

Develop a meaningful performance indicator which will enable the energy
efficiency of consoles from different generations to be compared;

Inform the development of a standard test procedure for measuring the power
consumption of games consoles; and

Aid the definition of modes that exist on consoles.
Objectives
The main objective of this study is to understand the development of games consoles over
time with respect to both their performance and power consumption. Combined, these
two indicators will give an indication of the energy efficiency of the products. This
information will be used to inform the development of energy efficiency standards
pertaining to games consoles globally.
Once the data has been collected the results will be collated in a report, which will be
completed by the end of September 2010. The extent to which past generations are tested
will be reliant on their availability for purchase.
7.3.2.
Consumer Research
It has been shown that there are numerous gaps in the data available for the consumer
usage of consoles. There are two pieces of research proposed to address this:
1. The use of the VIP data which records actual console usage; and
2. The results of the questions input to the 2010 ISFE study which are due at the end of
April 2010.
Aims:
o
To collect more complete information the awareness and use of APD;
o
To collect more complete information about the time consumers spend using their
consoles; and
o
To establish the prevalence of “idle” console usage.
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Objectives:
This data will be used in combination with the existing sources, discussed in Section 6, to
gain a better understanding into the use of consoles by consumers. This will then be used
in conjunction with the console testing results to calculate a TEC for games consoles.
Tasks:
o
To continue to assess the reliability of the VIP data through comparison of
recorded data and data collected through the network regarding my console use;
o
To assess the possibility of tracking further console functions through the VIP;
o
To analyse the results of the ISFE study;
o
To collate all available data sources and create user profiles regarding functions
used and the length of time these are used for by consumers; and
o
To calculate a TEC for games consoles.
This information will also form the basis of a report which will be completed by the end of
July 2010, although this will be partially dependent on the availability of the ISFE study
results.
7.3.3.
Analysis of data available for LCA and carbon foot-printing
It is clear from Section 5 of this report that policy is increasingly focussing on taking into
account the whole life cycle of products, in addition to proposals for mandatory carbon
labelling. An MSc project regarding the carbon foot-print of game delivery will commence
during May 2010, with a report expected in September 2010.
Objectives:
This will review the data sets available for SCEEs products regarding the life cycle energy
consumption. It will also highlight areas where more detailed, or different, information is
required.
Tasks:
o
To co-supervise the MSc project;
o
To identify areas where more data is needed;
o
To recommend other indicators which could be recorded to improve the
completeness of data availability; and
o
Assess the feasibility of extending similar studies beyond activities which are
controlled by Sony.
7.3.4.
Stakeholder Analysis
As discussed in Section 3 of the report, identifying relevant stakeholders is crucial in order
to understand how the development of policy can be influenced. Current stakeholders
involved in the EuP process have been identified. However, this will be an ongoing process
as the Lot continues through to consultation stages and then drafting of wither a VA or IM.
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Objectives:
The stakeholder analysis will be a continuing activity. The initial search also needs to be
translated into a plan for engagement and for the gathering of data to provide the
necessary information when requested.
Tasks:
o
Map the Stakeholders;
o
Continue to gather intelligence regarding how stakeholders may exert influence
over policy development; and
o
Assess the relevance of other means to influence policy development.
An update will be included in the 12 month Report due 1st October 2010.
A Gantt chart detailing when the tasks are anticipated to be completed is shown in Figure
14.
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Date
27/04/2010 17/05/2010 06/06/2010 26/06/2010 16/07/2010 05/08/2010 25/08/2010 14/09/2010
Conduct console testing
Analyse results of console testing
Write up console testing
Tasks
Coduct further reliability test of VIP data
Analyse results of ISFE survey data
Collate all available consumer research and create user profiles
Calculate a TEC for PS®3
Co-supervise MSc Placement
Map Stakeholders
Continue to gather intelligence regarding stakeholders
Submit 12 month report
Figure 14 Gantt chart documenting the proposed tasks and due dates for the next 6 months of research
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8. CONCLUSIONS
This report has expanded the EngD research proposal regarding the Life-cycle energy
management of games consoles. The research has been placed within the broader
background of energy consumption and appliance efficiency where it is anticipated that
contributions to knowledge will be made during the course of the EngD. This has been
achieved through the completion of an initial literature review which has addressed the
following themes:
1. The nature of SCEEs activities and the products that they produce, specifically
regarding their energy consumption;
2. Instruments currently in use for the implementation of energy efficiency for
electrical appliances;
3. The development of policy and how this can be influenced using stakeholder
analysis;
4. A testing proposal has been created to show the development of consoles over
time with respect to their energy consumption and performance. This will form the
basis of proposals for;
i. Definition of available modes on consoles;
ii. Development of a testing procedure for consoles; and
iii. Development of a measure of efficiency for consoles.
5. Consumer research has also been proposed to fill gaps in the knowledge regarding
the consumer use of consoles. Combined with the results of 4 above it is
anticipated that a TEC value will be calculated for consoles; and
6. LCA and its applicability to SCEE has been introduced and will be developed over
the coming months.
A number of tasks have been identified to progress the research during the next 6 months
for the themes identified above.
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10.APPENDICES
Appendix 10.1 – Proposal for console testing
Proposal for Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe
Comparing the power
consumption of Games
Consoles over time
th
30 November 2009
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SUMMARY
The aim of this research is to collect accurate power consumption data for games consoles
and to demonstrate how this has evolved over time. This will enable a better
understanding of why games consoles consume power and allow for comparison of
efficiency both between and within generations. This improved understanding will allow
informed lobbying to take place regarding the development of standards pertaining to
games consoles within the EU and globally.
Key to this research is the development of an indicator for performance. This will allow
power consumption to be related to output and therefore present an accurate
representation of the development of consoles over time.
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CONTENTS
SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 73
CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 74
DEFINITIONS............................................................................................................................. 75
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND ............................................................................................ 75
AIMS ......................................................................................................................................... 60
OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................. 60
HYPOTHESIS ............................................................................................................................. 77
SAMPLE .................................................................................................................................... 77
METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 80
Testing Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 80
Accuracy........................................................................................................................................... 80
Test Equipment................................................................................................................................ 81
Test Conditions ................................................................................................................................ 81
COSTS ....................................................................................................................................... 81
Equipment ....................................................................................................................................... 81
Testing ............................................................................................................................................. 82
Total Costs ....................................................................................................................................... 84
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 84
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DEFINITIONS
Games console – Game Console: A standalone computer-like device whose primary use is
to play video games. Game consoles use a hardware architecture based in part on typical
computer components (e.g., processors, system memory, video architecture, optical
and/or hard drives, etc.). The primary input for game consoles are special hand-held
controllers rather than the mouse and keyboard used by more conventional computer
types. Game consoles are also equipped with audio visual outputs for use with televisions
as the primary display, rather than (or in addition to) an external or integrated display.
These devices do not typically use a conventional PC operating system, but often perform a
variety of multimedia functions such as, DVD/CD playback, digital picture viewing, and
digital music playback (Energy Star, 2009).
Off – the console is connected to a mains power supply, but is not producing any sound or
picture, transmitting or receiving information or waiting to be switched on.
Active – the console is switched on and a disc is loaded. For game functions, the user is
interacting with the console through a hand-held controller or similar peripheral. For media
functions, this includes watching a DVD or listening to music.
Standby – this is an intermediate mode in-between off and active. The console is
connected to a mains power supply but it is not performing any function – it is waiting to
be switched on.
Idle – the console is switched on and a disc is loaded. For game functions, the user has
loaded the game but is not interacting with the console. For media functions an example of
this is the root menu screen.
Pause – the console is switched on and a disc is loaded but the user has actively paused
progress. This includes pausing a movie, game or audio CD.
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
Games consoles have developed extremely rapidly since the first home video game console
was released in 1972. Current consoles on the market form the seventh generation which
has seen the introduction of features such as Blu-ray disc playback, Bluetooth peripherals
and internet connectivity.
As a result of this increased functionality the power consumption of games consoles has
increased. The NRDC (2008) reported data which shows the increase in power consumption
of consoles in “off”, “idle” and “active” modes. A good example of the increase in the
power consumption of consoles is the comparison of the Sony PlayStation®, which
consumed 8 W in active mode, to the PlayStation®3 which consumes 150 W.
This rapid technological development has been happening during a time of increasing
environmental awareness. One area which has been focussed on by the UK Government is
that of energy consumption and supply. The UK White Paper on Energy highlights “saving
energy” as the starting point for energy policy (Department of Trade and Industry, 2007).
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Furthermore, the DTI also stated the need for international agreements on higher
standards of energy efficiency so that products can continue to be traded internationally.
So far the issue of energy efficiency and consumption has been addressed by introducing
initiatives and legislation to stimulate the transformation to a low carbon economy. The
most well-developed of these is the ENERGYSTAR® Program. ENERGYSTAR® is a joint
programme of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of
Energy (DoE) which was introduced in 1992 (Energy Star, 2009). The ENERGYSTAR®
program is a voluntary labelling programme intended to stimulate market transformation
through the promotion of energy efficient products and practices, thereby protecting the
environment by reducing energy consumption (EnergyStar®, 2010).
Originally established for energy efficient computers (US EPA, 2003), the programme has
grown significantly and now covers a large number of product categories including
buildings. As stated by McWhinney et.al (2005), the ENERGYSTAR® label allows consumers
to easily identify efficient products that save money and energy and, more importantly,
stimulate demand for higher efficiency products.
In October 2009, ENERGYSTAR® published a draft of program requirements for Games
Consoles, Version 5.1 (EnergyStar®, 2009b). This sets limits for the energy consumption of
games consoles in different operating modes and when performing different functions.
There are three tiers of requirements which will be introduced in July 2010, July 2011 and
July 2012 respectively, with each tier becoming more stringent.
A new aspect to the most recent ENERGYSTAR® Program, “Requirements for Computers
Version 5.0” (EnergyStar®, 2009a), was the introduction of the Typical Energy Consumption
(TEC) calculation. This takes into account the proportion of time, i.e. how many hours a day
a computer is in different modes, and the power consumption in these modes and then
calculates the annual energy use. The time spent in the different modes is based on
consumer usage of computers. The calculation is shown below:
TEC = (8760/1000) * (Poff * Toff + Psleep * Tsleep + Pidle * Tidle)
Where
Px = power values in watts
Tx = time values in % of year
This provides a useful metric for comparing computers and could easily be adapted for use
with consoles. Although it does not indicate the efficiency of the products, it gives an
estimation as to the average energy use annually. This figure can then be used to compare
different models of the same product, in addition to comparisons between product groups.
This is useful metric to give a broader context to the energy use of the product you are
interested in.
To perform the calculation, two datasets are needed. The first is data regarding how long
consumers use their consoles, which functions they are using and in which modes; this will
be addressed in a separate proposal. The second is technical data regarding power
consumption in the different modes for the different functions which will be collected in
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this study. Although there are numerous sources of this data already existing, there is no
accepted methodology for testing consoles. This proposal intends to inform this process.
Although the ENERGYSTAR® requirements are not mandatory, it is highly likely that the
limits set by the US EPA will be used to inform the development of legislation currently
under construction as part of the Energy using Products Directive (Official Journal of the
European Union, 2005) in Europe. It is therefore essential that any standards are based on
meaningful technical data.
AIMS
The aims of this study are to:

Measure the power consumption of games consoles in different modes and when
performing different functions;

Compare the different generations of games consoles based on their energy
consumption and performance to understand how the energy efficiency of these
products has developed over time;

Develop a meaningful performance indicator which will enable the energy
efficiency of consoles from different generations to be compared;

Inform the development of a standard test procedure for measuring the power
consumption of games consoles; and

Aid the definition of modes that exist on consoles.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of this study is to understand the development of games consoles over
time with respect to both their performance and power consumption. Combined, these
two indicators will give an indication of the energy efficiency of the products. This
information will be used to inform the development of energy efficiency standards
pertaining to games consoles globally.
HYPOTHESIS
The hypothesis to be tested is –
Have games consoles become more efficient over time, despite increased
functionality and power consumption?
SAMPLE
The testing will be split into three parts.
1. Current Generations
This includes Sony PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.
Due to the variable nature, even within the current generation, of available functions the
following modes will be tested where available:
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I. Stand-by
II. Active – on with a disc loaded and performing function/ input from the user
a. Game play: test different game genres
b. Movie
c. Music
d. Streaming video from internet
e. Browsing Internet
f.
XMB (Cross Media Bar)
g. Folding at home
h. System maintenance and download
i.
STB functions if applicable
III. Pause – on with a disc loaded but in pause mode.
a. Game play
b. Movie
c. Music
IV. Idle – on with a disc loaded but not receiving any user input and not paused. For
movie playback, for example, this would be the root menu screen
a. Game play
b. Movie
c. Music
d. Streaming video from internet
e. Browsing internet
f.
XMB (Cross Media Bar)
g. Folding at home
h. System maintenance and download
i.
STB functions if applicable
2. Past generations
Past generation consoles have fewer functions available; in the past consoles were solely
produced for playing games. Therefore, the power consumption will only be measured for
game play in active, idle and pause modes. Standby power consumption will also be
measured.
Past generation consoles to be tested include:

Microsoft Xbox
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
Nintendo GameCube

Sega Dreamcast

Nintendo 64

Sony PlayStation

Sega Saturn

Atari Jaguar

SNES Super Nintendo Entertainment System

SNK Playmore’s Neo Geo

Sega Mega Drive

Sega CD

Sega 32X

Nintendo Family Computer

Nintendo Entertainment System

Atari 2600

Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES)

Magnavox Odyssey/100/200
One other aspect that may be included in the study is the power consumption when
peripherals such as controllers and microphones are charging from the console.
3. Computer testing
Tests will also be conducted on PCs. ENERGYSTAR® Version 5.0 (2009) describes four
categories of PCs, differentiated by their functionality. A selection of gaming PCs, with
capabilities similar to that of a PlayStation®3, will be tested for their energy consumption
when playing computer games, playing a DVD and in standby. Gaming PCs fall under
Category D within ENERGYSTAR®, which is defined as follows:
Category D – desktops must have greater than or equal to four physical cores. They must
also have at least one of the following – greater than or equal to 4GB of system memory
and/or a discrete GPU with a Frame Buffer Width greater than 128-bit (EnergyStar®,
2009a).
In addition, a home use desktop PC will also be tested in the same modes. This is
particularly relevant as currently, under ENERGYSTAR® Version 5.0 – program requirements
for computers (2008), there are no limits on media playback for computers as have been
recommended for consoles. A notebook/ laptop will also be tested in these three modes.
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METHODOLOGY
The methodology is based on that set out in ENERGYSTAR® Program Requirements for
Computers: Version 5.1 Game Console Requirements – Draft Final Appendix A (2009). This
is the methodology used to verify whether a product qualifies for the ENERGYSTAR® label.
The methodology states that the Unit Under Test (UUT) must be left in the mode to be
tested for 5 minutes before commencing testing. After this period the meter must be set to
begin accumulating true power values at an interval of greater than or equal to 1 reading
per second. Power values should be accumulated for 5 additional minutes and the
arithmetic mean recorded for that period.
For the pause and idle modes, it states to leave the console for 1 hour to ensure that the
UUT goes into a “low power state” – i.e. it powers down to standby.
It also states that before testing commences initial, one-time/periodic processes should be
completed.
Testing Requirements
Approved Meter – An approved meter will include the following attributes

Power resolution of 1 mW or better

An available current crest factor of 3 or more at its rated range value; and

Lower bound on the current range of 10 mA or less.
The following attributes, in addition to those above, are suggested;

Frequency response of at least 3 kHz; and

Calibration with a standard.
It is also desirable for measurement instruments to be able to measure average power
consumption over any user selected time interval (this is usually done with an internal
math’s calculation dividing accumulated energy by time within the meter, which is the
most accurate approach). As an alternative the measurement instrument should be
capable of integrating power consumption over any user selected time interval with an
resolution of less than or equal to 0.1 mWh and integrating time displayed with a
resolution of 1 second or less. The user then needs to use the measured value to calculate
the power consumption in mWh.
Accuracy
Measurements of power of 0.5 W or greater shall be made with an uncertainty of less than
or equal to 2% at the 95% confidence level. Measurements of power of less than 0.5 W
shall be made with an uncertainty of less than or equal to 0.01 W at the 95% confidence
level. The power measurement instrument shall have a resolution of:

0.01 W or better for power measurements of 10 W or less;

0.1 W or better for power measurements of greater than 10 W up to 100 W; and
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1 W or better for power measurements of greater than 100 W
These requirements are the same as those stated the EN IEC standard 62301:2005 for
Household electrical appliances – Measurement of standby power.
All power figures should be in watts and rounded to the second decimal place. For loads
greater than or equal to 10 W, three significant figures shall be reported.
Test Equipment
Zenith Electric Variable Power Supply Type SVA 10.
Input volts 230/240
Output volts 0-115% of input
47-65 Hz
10 A
Yokogawa WT110 Digital Power Meter
States in the manual that to ensure high measurement accuracy the instrument should only
be used under the following conditions: Temperature 23±5 oC and Humidity 30-75%.
Test Conditions
Supply voltage – Europe = 230 (±1%) Volts AC, 50 Hz (±1%)
Total Harmonic Distortion (voltage) - <2% THD (<5% for products which are rated for ≥1.5
kW maximum power)
Ambient Temperature – 23 oC ±5 oC
Relative humidity – 10-80%
More generally, the Sony product testing laboratory at Pencoed uses the IEC International
Standard 62087: Methods of measurement for the power consumption of audio, video and
related equipment (2008) and IEC 62301: Household electrical appliances: Measurement of
standby power (2005).
The ENERGYSTAR® requirements and the IEC Standards are not uniform in their
requirements for temperature. IEC 62087 states that the temperature must be between 15
– 30 oC but preferably 20 oC. Like the ENERGYSTAR® methodology, IEC 62301 states a
temperature range of 23±5 oC. It is assumed that both the temperature and humidity can
vary within the limits discussed.
COSTS
Equipment
The cost of purchasing the items to be tested is estimated below.
Games consoles – current generations
Assuming we would not need to buy PlayStation consoles,
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Wii = ~ £200
Xbox 360 ~ £200
= £400
Games Consoles – past generations
Looking at EBay, the average cost per console is approximately £30. It is assumed that
these come with the necessary peripherals such as controllers. Based on testing 18
consoles, this would cost: 18*30 =
=£540
PCs
Finally, approximately four PCs and one notebook computer will be tested; these will also
need to be purchased. £4000 will be allocated for this due to the high cost of dedicated
gaming PCs. For example, prices range between £500 and £1700 (PC World, 2009).
=£4000
Games
Another cost that must be taken into account is that of games. Not all game titles are
available on all platforms and so it will be most representative to use a specific game genre
to minimise the impact this inconsistency may have. I think it would be sensible to allow a
budget of around £500 for this.
Total for equipment = 400+540+4000+500 = £5,440
Testing
There are three possible scenarios for the console testing:
1. Testing carried out at Pencoed by resident engineers;
For current generations, at least eleven modes will be tested. The cost for this is:

£695 per product for single product testing;

£635 per product if up to five products are being tested at the same time and;

£595 per product if six or more products are being tested at the same time.
For past generations, four modes will be tested costing:

£300 per product if six or more products are being tested at the same time
For the selected PCs, three modes will be tested costing:

£340 per product for single product testing;

£295 per product if up to five products are being tested at the same time and;

£270 per product if six or more products are being tested at the same time.
All of the above prices include the leasing of a Power Meter and a Power Supply Unit.
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There are four current generation consoles to be tested, each costing £635 (assuming that
on average eleven operating modes will be tested, although for the PlayStation®3 this is
likely to be higher).
4*635= £2,540
There are approximately nineteen past generation consoles. This number is dependent on
being able to purchase working second-hand consoles.
19*300 = £5,700
Finally, approximately four PCs and one notebook computer will be tested; these will also
need to be purchased.
5*295 = £1,475
Therefore, the total cost of testing is = £9,715
2. Testing carried out at Pencoed by me;
The only costs incurred in this scenario will be the lease of the equipment from Pencoed
Laboratory.
In order to test the equipment, a power meter is needed as well as a power supply unit.
These cost £240 per week to lease. If it is decided that an environmental chamber is
necessary, this cost will rise to £225 per day.
It has been estimated that it will take approximately one hour for the power supply to
stabilise in each mode. If we therefore assume seven tests can be run per day the costs are
as follows:
Number of modes to be tested in total = (4*11) + (19*4) + (5*3) = 129/7 = 19 days testing.
If we allow four weeks for testing, the cost of leasing will be £960, assuming that the use of
the environmental chamber is not necessary.
If the environmental chamber is required, this cost will rise to £4,500.
3. Testing carried out at 10GMS by me, either leasing or purchasing the necessary
testing equipment.
If the testing is carried out at 10GMS then it will not be possible to have an environmental
chamber. There are two options within this scenario;

Purchase equipment
A controlled power supply would cost between £8,000-£12,000 and a power meter would
cost approximately £3,500. These prices have been suggested by Jimmy Tzimenakis from
Pencoed.
Therefore, the total cost would be between £11,500 and £15,500

Lease equipment
If we lease the equipment from Pencoed the cost will be £960.
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6 Month Progress Report
Total Costs
The total costs for the console testing, including the different scenarios is summarised in
Table 9 below.
Table 9 Total cost of testing for the different scenarios
Scenario Equipment costs Testing costs Extras
Total
1
£5,440.00
£9,715.00
0 £15,155.00
2a
£5,440.00
£960.00
2000 £8,400.00
2b
£5,440.00
£4,500.00
0 £9,940.00
3a
£5,440.00 £11,500.00
£16,940.00
3b
£5,440.00
£960.00
200 £6,600.00
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MILLS, B. & SCHLEICH, J. 2010. What's driving energy efficient appliance label awareness
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MOORE, G. E. 1965. Cramming more components onto integrated circuits. Electronics, 38.
NIELSEN 2007. The State of the Console: Video Game Console Usage Fourth Quarter 2006.
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12 Month Progress Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report documents the progress of the research since the submission of the initial
progress report in April 2010. Section 2 discusses any relevant policy developments, both in
the UK and globally, which are directly relevant to consoles or energy efficiency and
therefore this EngD project.
This is followed by sections documenting the progress of research to date, the premise of
which was outlined in the 6 month report. It also includes any problems that have been
encountered and how they have or will be resolved.
Finally, a plan for the next 6 months of research will be detailed including some more
specific research questions and new avenues of interest which have arisen as a result of the
research completed to date.
In general, the research has progressed in line with the work which was outlined at the 6
month stage. However, some of the aims and objectives of these activities have changed
according to developments outside of SCEE, the sponsor organisation. In addition to the
work planned for months 6 to 12, other themes of research have been identified and work
has also begun on those. This includes a comprehensive review of the EuP Directive in
terms of how legislation has been implemented for different products and then an
assessment of what is most likely and appropriate for consoles follows. The second new
theme covers the verification and testing procedures available for products subject to
energy efficiency legislation. This research aims to gain an understanding of this process
and assess which methods may be best suited to consoles. A critique of verification
procedures is also included with further avenues identified as areas to research in months
12-18.
The following have been identified as key research activities for the next 6 months:

Prepare a poster and paper for the Annual Engineering Doctorate Conference for
Sustainability for Engineering and Energy Systems in July 2011;

To complete a draft of a paper for submission to a journal. As yet the topic for this
has not yet been defined;

Using multiple consumer research sources, calculate the number of sessions
gamers have a week to help estimate idle times and complete a TEC calculation for
consoles;

Conduct a literature review of completed life cycle studies around the electronics
and computing arena; and

Collect a complete dataset of energy consumption for the PlayStation®3 using the
new equipment.
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GLOSSARY
APD – Auto Power Down
BAT – Best Available Technology
CCC – Climate Change Committee
EEI – Energy Efficiency Index
EuP – Energy using Products
HD – High Definition
HEP – Home Entertainment Products
IM – Implementing Measure
LCA – Life Cycle Assessment
LCCC – Life Cycle Cost Curve
MEPS – Minimum Energy Performance Standards
PSN – PlayStation Network
SCEE – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
SCEI – Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated
SME – Small and Medium sized Enterprises
TEC – Typical Energy Consumption
VA – Voluntary Agreement
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List of Tables
Table 1 Summary of improvement options for games consoles (AEA, 2010a) ......................... 3
Table 2 stakeholder participation in final stakeholder meetings of the preparatory studies
for Lots 3,4,5,6 and 7 (Reintjes and Jensen, 2010) .................................................................... 8
Table 3 Summary of implementation methods in use within the EuP process. The
implementation method(s) in use is marked with a ............................................................ 18
Table 4 Summary of switch off behaviour and the time taken to switch off .......................... 23
Table 5 Summary of consumer profiles for a high definition, multi functional console ......... 27
List of Figures
Figure 1 Life Cycle Cost Curve for Games Consoles (AEA, 2010a) ............................................. 4
Figure 2 Switch off behaviour of active gamers for the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360 and Wii. .... 21
Figure 3 ISFE Gamer Commitment Index ................................................................................. 22
Figure 4 Graph displaying the results regarding switch off behaviour in the different regions
surveyed ................................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 5 Graph showing the estimated average hours of game-play by console over the last
3 months. ................................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 6 Gantt chart summarising the plan for the next 6 months of research. Red bars
indicate the task has not yet been started and orange indicates that this is in progress ....... 32
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CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ i
GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. iii
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ iii
CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................. iv
1.
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1
2.
DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY INSTRUMENTS AND STANDARDS ..... 2
2.1.
EuP ............................................................................................................................. 2
2.1.1.
Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment ............................................................... 2
2.1.2.
Lot 3 Computers and Monitors ........................................................................ 6
2.1.3.
Stakeholder Engagement ................................................................................. 7
2.2.
ENERGYSTAR® ............................................................................................................ 8
2.3.
French Grenelle Environmental Labelling .................................................................. 8
2.4.
Russian Efficiency and Labelling Legislation .............................................................. 9
2.5.
Canadian Energy Legislation ...................................................................................... 9
2.6. Australia and New Zealand ........................................................................................... 10
2.6.
3.
New UK Government ............................................................................................... 10
RESEARCH PROGRESS ...................................................................................................... 12
3.1.
Console Testing ........................................................................................................ 12
3.1.1.
TEC and Benchmarking .................................................................................. 12
3.1.2.
Verification Testing ........................................................................................ 13
3.1.3.
Performance Indicators ................................................................................. 14
3.2.
3.1.3.1.
Lot 5 Televisions ....................................................................................... 14
3.1.3.2.
Lot 13 Domestic Refrigerators and Freezers ............................................ 15
3.1.3.3.
Lighting ..................................................................................................... 15
3.1.3.4.
External Power Supplies........................................................................... 15
3.1.3.5.
EU Energy Label........................................................................................ 15
3.1.3.6.
ENERGYSTAR® .......................................................................................... 16
Implementation Methods for Efficiency Instruments ............................................. 16
3.2.1.
Voluntary versus Mandatory ......................................................................... 16
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3.2.2.
3.3.
Implementation Methods .............................................................................. 17
Consumer Research ................................................................................................. 19
3.3.1.
PlayStation® Network (PSN) data .................................................................. 19
3.3.2.
International Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) study ............................ 20
3.3.3.
Consumer Profiles .......................................................................................... 25
3.4.
4.
12 Month Progress Report
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Foot-printing ........................................... 27
3.4.1.
MSc Project .................................................................................................... 27
3.4.2.
Hotspot Analysis ............................................................................................ 28
RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PROJECT PLANNING .......................................................... 29
4.1.
Console Testing ........................................................................................................ 29
4.2.
Consumer Research ................................................................................................. 29
4.3.
Consumer Profiles .................................................................................................... 30
4.4.
LCA ........................................................................................................................... 30
5.
CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................. 33
6.
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 34
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INTRODUCTION
Since submission of the 6 month report there have been many developments regarding
energy efficiency at both a regional and global scale. This includes further legislation due to
be introduced in this policy area, and other events of particular interest to the console
industry, such as the release of a new Xbox 360 Slim model in July 2010. This report
discusses those developments and their relevance to the business activities of Sony
Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd (SCEE) and therefore the topic of this Doctoral
research.
The remainder of the report is dedicated to updating the progress which has been made on
the research outlined in the 6 month report, in addition to discussing new lines of enquiry
which have resulted from the initial research. The report concludes by outlining the plan of
work for the next 6 months and refining the research questions. This plan is summarised in
a Gantt chart.
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DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY INSTRUMENTS
AND STANDARDS
This section further substantiates the information included in the 6 month report regarding
energy efficiency instruments. This is an evolving area and global coverage of energy
efficiency in policy is increasing rapidly. Firstly an update on the status of the EuP Lot 3
Sound and Imaging Equipment is detailed, which covers games consoles. This is followed by
other instruments under development in different parts of the world regarding the
regulation of electrical appliances and energy consumption.
2.1
EuP
2.1.1 Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment
During the past 6 months the preparatory study for Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment
has been completed and a second stakeholder meeting held. Tasks 6 and 7 of the
preparatory study were completed, covering Improvement Potential and Policy and Impact
Analysis.
Since the publication of Tasks 1-5 much of the feedback submitted by stakeholders has
been taken into consideration by the consultants in Tasks 6 and 7. Table 1 below is a
summary of the main improvement options identified, with specific reference to games
consoles, in Task 6.
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Table 1 Summary of improvement options for games consoles (AEA, 2010a)
Improvement Option
Predicted change to base case for consoles
Auto Power Down
(APD)
It is estimated that the introduction of an APD feature would
reduce the time spent in standby mode by 50% and a 25%
reduction in time spent in idle mode. In addition product
lifetime would be extended by 1 year, at negligible cost to the
manufacturer.
Operational mode
power improvements
A reduction of 13.1 W in on-mode, 26.1 W in idle-mode and no
change in standby mode (stays at 1.1 W).
Hard off-switch
incorporation
10% reduction in time in on-mode. 10% reduction in time in
idle-mode. Cost of switch leads to 4 Euro increase in product
price.
Product Light-weighting
10% reduction in typical product weight, 5% reduction in
packaged volume, product lifetime reduced by 1 year, 5%
reduction in product price
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Free Products
5% reduction in waste to landfill, 10% increase in recycling and
5% increase in thermal recovery of plastics.
Brominated Flame
Retardants (BFR) Free
Plastics
70% waste to landfill, 10% plastics recycling and 15% thermal
recovery of plastics
Improved Recyclability
55% of product to landfill. Plastics EOL management = 25%
Plastics recycling. 5% plastics reused 5% plastics to thermal
recovery. As polymer changes would be within the design cycle,
no change to costs has been assumed.
Increased Durability
50% increase in product lifetime. 10% increase in product price.
Reusable Components
10% reduction in materials. 10% reduction in landfill. 10%
reduction in product price. 18 Euro increase in installation costs
and repair /maintenance costs.
Minimum recycled
content for plastics
55% of product to landfill. Plastics EOL management = 25%
Plastics recycling. 5% plastics reused 5% plastics to thermal
recovery. As polymer changes would be within the design cycle,
no change to costs has been assumed.
The remainder of this document then discusses combinations of the options listed above
and creates a Life Cycle Cost Curve (LCCC) for each product group, shown in Figure 1 below.
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Figure 1 Life Cycle Cost Curve for Games Consoles (AEA, 2010a)
This shows that option 18, a combination of operational mode requirements and product
light-weighting offers the most cost effective solution to improving energy efficiency. The
consultants also draw attention to option 11, APD and product light-weighting. It is
however stated that the Best Available Technology (BAT) point on the LCC will be a
combination of several individual options and that, as yet, no sensitivity analysis has been
carried out on this data.
Another important statement to note is that the future profile of energy efficiency for
games consoles is described as a “saw tooth” model. This is so called as when a new
generation console is released, the energy consumption and function are increased.
However, throughout the lifetime of this product, efficiency is improved. This highlights the
improved understanding by the consultant regarding the nature of consoles and their
energy efficiency.
Task 7 covers the following points (AEA, 2010b) –
o
It is acknowledged that the scenario involving thin client gaming pushes the energy
implications to an area outside the remit of the study; i.e. data centres. Therefore,
only the scenario considering the increase in sophistication and functionality of
current, standalone consoles will be considered;
o
“General internet connectivity” has been added under the optional secondary
functions section of the games console definition;
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12 Month Progress Report
o
The need to ensure that game publishers are also covered by any eco-design
measures is stated so that the software will not have any detrimental effect on
hardware eco-design measures;
o
Detailed discussion of the similarities and differences between gaming PCs and
games consoles. The consultant states that newer gaming PCs on the market are
significantly more sophisticated than current generation consoles on the market. It
is also suggested that some of the power management features of gaming PCs
could be adopted by console manufacturers. Furthermore, the proprietary nature
of chip development for consoles is identified a factor which could increase the
ability of console manufacturers to adopt these best practices;
o
Recommended that no minimum requirements are set for active mode whilst in
game play as this will likely cap the sophistication of game play;
o
It is noted that there are only small differences between active and idle mode
power requirements for the same functions. This conclusion has been drawn using
data which was collected as part of this research and data for another High
Definition (HD) console. The details of this data collection can be found in Section
3.1;
o
Initial analysis suggests that a TEC approach may not be appropriate for consoles
given the relatively large number of operational modes and therefore the small
time periods spent in each mode. Again this information was based on data
collected as part of this research which was submitted to the consultant. Details of
this can be found in Section 3.3.1;
o
Suggested that HD consoles implement an APD measure first as they consume
relatively more energy;
o
Power caps are suggested for secondary functions of the next generation;
o
The draft standard for consoles from ENERGYSTAR® is referenced regarding the
test methodology which could be employed. However, it is suggested that many of
the mode definitions would require further clarification; and
o
Power limits are considered for sleep/standby mode for introduction in 2012, idle
mode and secondary function media play in 2014.
Again, console manufactures raised some concerns about the content of the final two tasks
of the preparatory study which included:
 The extent to which scalability can be employed has been questioned as the report
suggests that the highest level of scalability could be applied to games consoles;
 The definition of game play idle mode in the report does not sufficiently address
situations such as online game-play where a local user may be inactive but other
online players remain active. This means that the console will still have exhibit an
active mode power use;
 Limits for secondary function media play are too prohibitive;
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 APD is supported by console manufacturers as having high potential for energy
savings. Further and more stringent measures have been suggested to reach the
potential identified;
 Some consoles manufacturers believe that the TEC approach is not applicable to
consoles and would like a dialogue initiated around other implementing methods;
 The suggestion that light-weighting products will reduce lifespan is dismissed;
 Concerns are raised over the reliability of the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) carried out
as it is thought to be based on Washing Machines; and
 Information regarding the variability of chip performance within a generation is
absent however it has been suggested by engineers within SCEE to be as much as ±
25%. This relates to concerns over the development of a test method and the
selection of samples.
As shown by the information discussed above, the drafting of a measure for consoles is
likely to continue for some time due to the complexity and variability of the products. The
next stage in the process is the creation of a working document which will then be subject
to consideration by Member States.
The release of Tasks 6 and 7 does show a large improvement in the consultants
understanding of consoles and also what is possible and applicable in terms of improving
their energy efficiency. Despite this, and as shown by the comments submitted by console
manufacturers, there is still a way to go in order to result in a fair and appropriate
standard. This also shows how difficult the process of incorporating stakeholder views is in
the EuP Directive, but also how important it is. This is discussed in further detail in Section
2.1.3. One of the main issues which remain is the lack of transparency of the analyses and
data sources, which would give a better indication of the validity of the assessment.
2.1.2 Lot 3 Computers and Monitors
The preparatory study for this Lot was completed in September 2007 and in May of this
year an Implementing Measure was proposed. This has been widely criticised by industry as
high specification PCs are caught under the legislation. High specification PCs includes PCs
which are specifically designed for gaming. The objection has arisen as, in addition to
gaming PCs, other users of high specification PCs include scientists, engineers, designers,
economists and entrepreneurs (Digital Europe, 2010b). It is also argued that these products
only have a market share of around 3% and the proposed legislation will result in only
minimal environmental benefits whilst having negative effects on the EU’s competitiveness
in the sectors listed above. The desire by industry for high specification PCs to be exempted
from the regulations is of great interest to the console manufacturers as they strongly
believe that gaming PCs and games consoles should be treated equally. A statistic from the
ISFE study of 6,629 gamers shows that the most used platform for gaming is the PC –
accounting for 49% on average (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010). This is
compared to 27% of users who play games on consoles. Furthermore, it has also been
shown that high specification PCs can use as much as 160W in idle mode; approximately
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12 Month Progress Report
60W more than current generation high definition console in active mode. An argument
against considering games consoles and gaming PCs as equivalent is that a gaming PC also
offers the normal functionality of a regular home PC.
2.1.3 Stakeholder Engagement
In the 6 month report a section was devoted to the topic of stakeholders. This discussed
the importance of stakeholder dialogue so as to ensure that the adopted standards take
into consideration all stakeholders interests and concerns. It also detailed the stakeholders
actively involved in the console product Lot for EuP and the importance of collecting this
information. However; the role of stakeholder engagement specifically in the EuP process
was not covered. Therefore, this section discusses the process of stakeholder engagement
in the EuP process.
In terms of reference to stakeholders in the text of the legislation itself, it is simply stated in
Article 15, 3d that “appropriate consultation will be carried out with stakeholders”
(European Parliament and Council, 2009).
Stakeholder engagement is an explicit part of the EuP process and has its own distinct
stage, known as the Consultation Forum. This involves the consultation of all interested
stakeholders after completion of the preparatory study. However, this does not
acknowledge the key role that stakeholders play during the preparatory study and the
stakeholder meetings held during this part of the process.
It has been stated by (Reintjes and Jensen, 2010) that “efficient information flow is of
crucial importance for all stakeholders who wish to:
a. Influence the addressed issues and levels of ambition; and
b. Know about upcoming requirements as soon as possible”.
Furthermore, they continue to discuss how difficult these objectives can be to achieve. This
is attributed to factors such as the complex and highly technical nature of the preparatory
results, which may put SMEs at a disadvantage as they do not have the resources keep upto-date with the fast moving process. In addition, the method for communicating product
group information via a website and emails does not always ensure the information flow
needed.
These points highlight how the size and resources of a stakeholder group may
disproportionately affect the extent to which they can engage in the EuP process. However,
having said this, it is likely that the larger an organisation is the greater the market share
they will hold and therefore the more they have at stake. Table 2 below shows the level of
engagement by different stakeholder groups for 5 EuP product Lots and the domination by
businesses and business associations. (Kautto, 2007) further emphasises this trend stating
the dependency of the Commission on companies and interest groups as sources of
information.
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Table 2 stakeholder participation in final stakeholder meetings of the preparatory studies
for Lots 3,4,5,6 and 7 (Reintjes and Jensen, 2010)
One way in which the voice of SMEs has been amplified is via the creation of industry
bodies, which represent numerous product manufacturers. Therefore, rather than every
manufacturer sending a representative to each meeting, which requires both time and
money, an industry representative can attend and report back to the other members of the
group. This also provides an excellent forum for exchanging knowledge and expertise, and
can also help to facilitate the development of a voluntary agreement, the implementation
method favoured by the EU for the EuP Directive. One example of this is Digital Europe
which was originally created to represent the telecommunications industry and has now
been expanded to include consumer electronics and information technology (Digital
Europe, 2010a).
2.2
ENERGYSTAR®
Since the publication of the draft requirements for Games Consoles V5.1 (Energy Star,
2009b) and the subsequent submission of comments from stakeholders, no further
progress has been made. As discussed in the 6 month report, the ENERGYSTAR® program
was subject to some severe criticism during the early part of this year as a result of some
“bogus” products gaining the label (US GAO, 2010). In addition, the requirements for
accreditation were also being revised. This is likely to be the cause for the slow progress of
this standard. However, despite the draft standard remaining a draft, the EU consultant for
Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment, which includes games consoles, has continued to use
this as a basis for their policy recommendations. Although this is of concern to the
stakeholders involved in games consoles, it does on the other hand allow for the collection
of more data to back up any concerns with the draft.
2.3
French Grenelle Environmental Labelling
In the 6 month report this product carbon foot-printing initiative was briefly discussed.
Initially due to come into force as early January 2011, the scheme required that all products
on the marketplace in France must have a carbon label. The French government has now
realised, after undertaking some preparatory work, that this is too short a time span to
implement legislation with such wide reaching consequences, and that nothing would be
ready for the initial deadline. As a result the law has been transformed into an experiment
which will focus on a few product groups. These will have product carbon labels displayed
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12 Month Progress Report
on them from January 2011 and public reactions to these will be monitored (Freshfields
Bruckhaus Deringer, 2009).
Although this legislation has not come to fruition as originally planned, it does show that
product carbon foot-printing remains a focus for many countries and organisations.
However, the benefits of carbon labelling are still not widely accepted. A recent article in
(the ENDS Report, 2010) discusses how carbon labels make no sense and do not help
consumers. It also states that the reliability of the data used to calculate the footprints is
low and that data can vary over time and between labels making them barely comparable.
It is also suggested that, for energy using products, energy efficiency measures should be
used as they are more reliable and easier for consumers to use and compare.
2.4
Russian Efficiency and Labelling Legislation
Although consoles have not yet been mentioned under this developing legislation it is likely
that, as has been shown with other energy legislation, market coverage will increase over
time. In December 2009 decision N1222 was published concerning energy efficiency or
products on the market in Russia. This includes a list of product types to be covered by the
legislation when it comes into force in January 2011. These products must be supplied with
information on their energy efficiency class. In addition, further products are listed which
will have to comply by January 2012 including computer monitors and printers
(Government of the Republic, 2009). The energy class will be based on a similar format to
that of the EU Energy Label whereby A denotes the most efficient products and G the least
efficient. More recently an order was published, April 2010, giving more details regarding
the testing which will be used to assign the energy classes to products. In addition, the
Association of European Business in the Russian Federation has been working on a draft
paper related to federal law on energy saving and improving energy efficiency. This group
has suggested that measurements and declarations should be in line with EU Directives and
that at present the requirements regarding the presentation of information to the
consumer and supporting documents are excessive.
2.5
Canadian Energy Legislation
In June of this year the Canadian government published some regulations amending the
energy efficiency regulations (Government of Canada, 2010). This is part of a process
currently being undertaken to increase the stringency and scope of Minimum Energy
Performance Standards (MEPS), to introduce new MEPS for products including external
power supplies and electric boilers. As with the Russian law discussed above, this has no
direct impact on the games console market, however it further highlights the constant
revision of energy efficiency policies to increase coverage.
One of the greatest concerns for manufacturers regarding new legislation in the efficiency
arena is the extra workload and expense that may occur if requirements are not sufficiently
harmonised. This is something which Digital Europe, an industry association, often focuses
on when sending feedback regarding the development of legislation for energy using
products.
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Australia and New Zealand
A document was published by the Australian and New Zealand governments in June 2010
discussing product energy profiles of numerous pieces of Home Entertainment Products
(HEP), including games consoles (Equipment Energy Efficiency Program, 2010). This is posed
as a consultation document which may lead to the introduction of legislation regarding
these products and their energy use.
The following points are of particular relevance and interest to this doctoral research:
o
Energy use for HEP is estimated to be responsible for at least 5% of household energy
consumption in Australia – more than washers, dryers and dishwashers combined;
o
Data suggests that over 41% of households in Australia have a games console;
o
Data for consoles indicates that consoles consume approximately 140 kWh of
electricity per year;
o
The use profile for games consoles, based on surveys in Australia in 2001 and 2009 in
with reference given to ENERGYSTAR® and EuP assumed hours of operation, is as
follows per day:
o

On-mode: 2 hours

Active standby: 5 hours

Passive standby: 10 hours

Off: 7 hours
There is a large variation between console active-standby power consumption.
This document, although giving specific consideration to consoles, has only just added
these products to their remit and therefore the data available for comparison is minimal.
Consideration has been given to other programs around the world with similar objectives,
such as ENERGYSTAR® and EuP. However, particularly for consoles it appears that the data
being used in the analysis is incomplete and out of date. It is also true to say that the
modes used in the report are confusing and do not correlate to other initiatives and those
definitions.
2.7
New UK Government
In May 2010 a general election was held in the UK. The result was a hung parliament, a
situation whereby no party has a clear majority. This has led to the formation of a coalition
government between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Obviously a change in
governance is inevitably going to impact the environmental policies in place and also those
likely to be implemented in the future. In addition, the two parties forming the coalition
have very different stances on environmental issues. Therefore, this is likely to have an
even greater effect than would be expected from a normal change in government.
This section briefly outlines the new Governments’ plans for the environment and how this
might affect the console industry and energy efficiency improvement efforts.
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As part of the Climate Change Act 2008 the Climate Change Committee (CCC) was created
to advise the government on setting carbon budgets and reporting progress made on
cutting greenhouse gas emissions (Committee on Climate Change, 2010b). They published
a report detailing innovation necessary for the UK to transition to a low carbon economy
(Committee on Climate Change, 2010a). One of the so called technology paths, which are
to help the UK achieve its carbon reductions, is improving the level of energy efficiency in
all sectors. This highlights the key role that implementing energy efficiency measures will
have in combating climate change. It is therefore likely that the UK Government will be
keen to support the implementation of measures to limit the energy consumption of
electronic appliances.
This section continues to give a comprehensive review of energy efficiency instruments,
and developments regarding these, since submission of the 6 month report. Furthermore,
it highlights how important it is for organisations such as SCEE to be investigating their
products and how environmental performance can be improved so that no deleterious
effects to competitiveness are experienced. The introduction of new initiatives and
instruments further reinforces the rationale for this EngD research and demonstrates the
increasing focus on energy efficiency as a policy option to mitigate against climate change.
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12 Month Progress Report
RESEARCH PROGRESS
This section of the report reviews the progress of the research planned in the 6 month
report. It also discusses any deviations or changes to the work plan and why these
occurred, in addition to any problems encountered and how these have been resolved.
The two main aims of the research, as stated in the 6 month report, were to:

Create a robust methodology for testing consoles energy consumption. This will
involve the definition of modes and states which exist and take into consideration all
functions of consoles. This will need to be flexible in order to respond to developments;
and

Gather data regarding the consumer use of consoles.
These two themes of research are discussed below, in addition to a section covering Life
Cycle Assessment and Carbon Foot-printing work which is being undertaken.
3.1
Console Testing
Since submission of the 6 month report, which contained a proposal for extensive testing of
past and current console generations, the aims and objectives of this research have been
further refined. The main aims are to complete a TEC approach for a PlayStation®3 and to
inform the development of a performance indicator for consoles. Therefore, to date, the
testing of past generations of consoles has been suspended as there are strict deadlines
regarding the EuP process which need to be met with appropriate information. Some
consideration has also been given to verification testing.
3.1.1 TEC and Benchmarking
The results of the initial testing of the PlayStation®3 were submitted to the consultants
undertaking the Lot 3 preparatory study for inclusion in their draft Tasks 6 and 7 covering
Improvement Potential and Policy and Impact Analysis respectively. This was in response to
concerns raised regarding the power consumption data in the Tasks 1-5 report by industry
at the stakeholder meeting, which was based on older versions of current generation
products. It is also expected that this data will be incorporated into the finalised versions of
Tasks 1 – 5 which are expected imminently. This data shows that since the initial release of
the PlayStation®3, the energy consumption has decreased by over 50%. It also shows that
during game-play the power use is around 98W, Blu-ray is around 85W and playing a DVD is
around 78W.
This testing was conducted according to the methodology set out in the console testing
proposal included in the 6 month report.
This data is to be combined with the research discussed in Section 3.3 regarding consumer
research. These two data sources will then be used to estimate the TEC of a console which
can then be used to assess the impact of specific policies and indicate where the greatest
benefits can be achieved.
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As a result of problems regarding reliability of the test equipment, a new meter has been
purchased which can connect to a computer and log the data at user selected intervals.
Although this does mean that testing completed to date will have to be repeated, the
electronic collection of data will enable a more complete analysis to be conducted giving a
better indication of the variability of energy consumption within modes, rather than just
recording the average over a set time period. The most interesting addition to the data
collection will be the highest and lowest power draws in each mode for each function. This
will give an indication of the tolerance that will need to be incorporated in a test method
for games consoles.
Once the initial testing of the PlayStation®3 has been completed for all functions and
modes using the new meter, a detailed sampling methodology will be created to answer
some of the questions that may be posed by this data. Furthermore, some hypotheses will
be proposed and then tested. This might include things such as should the units be tested
for longer than 5 minutes?; which modes should a TEC approach include?; is there a
significant difference between the modes within a function for them to be considered
separately in a TEC calculation?
3.1.2 Verification Testing
This section summarises some of the methods currently in use for verification testing. This
has been included here as it is important to understand how products are verified by the
relevant bodies so that reported energy consumption figures will be gathered using similar
methodology. It is also interesting to see the methods chosen for different products and
therefore predict what consoles might be subject to.
There are two main methods used in verification testing –

Pre market qualification – products must be tested and data submitted to the
relevant body before being placed on the market; and

Post market surveillance – manufacturers are able to self-certify their products
compliance which is then randomly checked by the relevant authority after the
product has been placed on the market.
These approaches both have pros and cons. Pre market qualification ensures that all
products placed on the market qualify for the relevant label or standard. However, this
approach is not favoured by manufacturers as it places both financial burden and time
constraints on their products reaching the market. This is the way that ENERGYSTAR® is
moving as a result of problems highlighted with their current system where products have
carried the ENERGYSTAR® label but do not actually qualify. In terms of post market
surveillance, this does allow manufacturers to claim compliance to a standard or label
without being subject to any third party confirmation of this. However, this does reduce
the burden placed on manufacturers and is also the method favoured by the European
Commission (Truszczynski, 2010).
Of the IMs already adopted under the EuP Directive, the accepted methodology regarding
verification testing for Member State authorities is as follows. Initially one unit is tested. If
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the results of these tests do not comply with the limits stated in the IM then three
additional units are to be tested. It is important to note that a tolerance of 10% is given for
most of the products which currently have IMs. Two exceptions to this are TVs, which have
a 7% tolerance, and External Power Supplies which have a 0.1 W tolerance on “no-load”
condition and a 5% tolerance on average active efficiency. The Lots regarding lighting have
a slightly different approach in that 20 lamps of the same model and manufacturer are
randomly selected and then an average taken. Again, a 10% tolerance is allowed. If it is
necessary to test three then an average is taken and if compliance is still not achieved then
the product fails the verification procedure.
Within the ENERGYSTAR® process the manufacturer is responsible for choosing a
laboratory to conduct the product testing and also to make available a list of retailers from
which the product can be purchased. The laboratory then gathers the products for testing
and conducts the testing. It is also stated in that if testing is done “in-house” then they
must take responsibility to ensure that it is representative of all other units (Energy Star,
2009a). However, due to the recent concerns over product accreditation, as discussed in
Section 2.2, this is likely to be changed in the very near future. This is set to move to pre
market certification, as described above.
It is interesting to question how and why these methods have evolved and whether they
are effective. At a recent conference regarding Monitoring, Verification and Enforcement of
energy efficiency policies, it was stated that the tolerances incorporated into test methods
do not necessarily have any scientific validity and have often just been carried across from
previous test standards without question (Evans, 2010). It could also be claimed that test
procedures have evolved to test things which can easily be tested as opposed to things
which would be the most useful to test. A complete review of test standards and how they
are created will be included in the next progress report. This will be done in collaboration
with employees at SCEE who are involved in product testing and verification.
3.1.3 Performance Indicators
The idea of creating a performance indicator for games consoles was addressed in the 6
month report. This section aims to further understand how efficiency can effectively be
incorporated into policies, as opposed to simply introducing limits on power use.
At present, the Lot 3 study for Sound and Imaging Equipment is failing to address
differences in performance and functionality of high and standard definition consoles.
Other EuP Lots, in addition to other types of energy efficiency instruments, have been
studied to see if this is a common theme. This section discusses any products that have
successfully had performance indicators developed which take into account the differences
between products within a group.
3.1.3.1 Lot 5 Televisions
Performance is given significant coverage in the IM for TVs which was adopted in 2009.
Both screen area and resolution are considered when calculating the on mode power
consumption limits. This gives high definition screens an extra allowance until Tier 2
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requirements are introduced in 2012, when only screen size will be incorporated in the
measurement of performance. The test method also takes into account different screen
types such as LCD and plasma (European Commission, 2009a).
3.1.3.2 Lot 13 Domestic Refrigerators and Freezers
This also gives consideration to performance and an Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) has been
created, as shown below:
EEI = AEC/SAEC where
AEC = annual energy consumption of appliance and SAEC = standard annual energy
consumption of appliance.
AEC = E24hours *365 and
SAEC = Veq*M*N +CH where
Veq= equivalent volume, M and N are values listed for different appliance categories e.g.
upright freezer, and CH = 50 kWh/year for appliances with a chill compartment and a
storage volume of at least 15 litres.
There are 10 different categories of appliance all with different specifications. Every 2 years
the EEI will be ratcheted down. This is to be revised 5 years after entry into force (European
Commission, 2009b).
3.1.3.3 Lighting
For both the domestic and tertiary/street lighting Lots a measure of lamp efficacy is
employed in order to incorporate performance. Lamp efficacy is given using the following
equation:
ηlamp = Φ/ plamp
Where Φ = luminous flux emitted; and
Plamp = power consumed by the lamp.
There also used to be consideration given to whether lamps were clear or non-clear,
however new legislation has now been introduced which will eliminate non-clear lamps
from the market by 1st September 2012 (Energy Saving Trust, 2010).
3.1.3.4 External Power Supplies
This Lot uses the nameplate output power, Po, as a guide for measuring efficiency. There
are 3 different bands with different allowances. These are for Pos of below 1 watt, between
1 and 5 watts and greater than 5 watts.
3.1.3.5 EU Energy Label
This explicitly includes a description of efficiency. For instance, the label for washing
machines gives a figure for the energy consumption per cycle, in addition to the washing
performance.
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3.1.3.6 ENERGYSTAR®
The ENERGYSTAR® program is much like EuP in that some lots consider performance, whilst
others simply stipulate limits for different modes or a TEC limit for annual power
consumption. The standard for TVs incorporates performance whilst the computer
standard does not.
This section demonstrates that efficiency can be effectively incorporated into measures for
energy efficiency of products. However, it also shows that less than half of the Lots which
have IMs in place are considering efficiency. Despite this low usage of performance
indicators in EuP, it would appear that there are many options for consoles in this area and
that it would be beneficial to promote the incorporation of this for games consoles.
Possible performance indicators were discussed in the 6 month report, with pixels per kWh
showing the greatest potential.
3.2
Implementation Methods for Efficiency Instruments
This section discusses the existing EuP product Lots which have measures finalised and the
similarities and differences between those Lots with voluntary and mandatory measures.
This discussion is then applied to consoles and the type of measure that may best suit the
Lot 3 product group in terms of regulation. Following on from this the methods of
implementation of the measures have been discussed, for instance Typical Energy
Consumption (TEC) versus a power cap approach, and any patterns or observations listed in
terms of which may be most appropriate for consoles. Other potential options for consoles
are also discussed and their appropriateness assessed.
3.2.1 Voluntary versus Mandatory
This research aims to understand the rationale for using one method of implementation
over another for particular product groups in the EuP Directive. This can then be used to
inform which method may be considered the most appropriate for consoles in terms of its
effectiveness and coverage.
Of the Lots which already have Implementing Measures (IMs), both vertical and horizontal
in nature, all are well defined product groups (European Commission, 2010). For example,
Televisions, Refrigerators and Lighting all have a common, tangible and measureable
functionality. In contrast, those Lots pursuing a Voluntary Agreement (VA) generally
contain a variety of products, which although they may be produced by the same
companies and have similar functionality, they are discrete products. In the case of Lot 18
complex Set Top Boxes, which is pursuing a VA, these products have varying functionality
which is difficult to take into account. Also interesting to note is that none of the VAs are
horizontal. This is likely due to the large number of stakeholders which would be involved
and the difficulty this would add in reaching agreement and maintaining compliance.
Another observation regarding the VAs under consideration is that they have been under
consideration for long periods, despite one of the arguments in favour of VAs being the
reduced bureaucratic burden. The initial proposal for Medical Imaging Equipment was
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made in 2008 with no preparatory study conducted, the Lot 18 study began in 2007 and the
Lot 4 Imaging Equipment study began in 2006. All are yet to be finalised and agreed.
In terms of market penetration, the product Lots with IMs are extremely common,
everyday appliances and could be described as the low hanging fruit in terms of potential
energy savings. It would be fair to say that the majority of households have the appliances
with IMs in place, or use the service provided by the Lots frequently e.g. Street Lighting. In
contrast, those Lots pursuing a VA tend to cover more specialist equipment, such as
medical imaging or multifunctional devices. Lot 18 is an exception to this.
Finally, the Lot which is most similar to that of Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment is Lot 4
for Imaging Equipment. Both of these Lots contain a variety of products with different
functionalities. Lot 3 is more diverse as the range of functionalities is greater, for example
projectors versus games consoles. It will be interesting to follow the outcome of the Lot 4
discussions, however at present the VA for this Lot has been described as “too weak” due
to the low proposed coverage (Eceee, 2010).
It would appear that, given the patterns observed above regarding the EuP Directive
implementation, a VA would be the most likely measure to be proposed for Lot 3. This is
due to the large variety of products included in this Lot. However, a VA does rely on
industry consensus, which until now has been difficult to establish between console
manufacturers, although efforts are being made.
3.2.2 Implementation Methods
This section covers the methods which are in use, or have been proposed, to implement
energy efficiency instruments. This is in order to improve understanding of why one
method may have been chosen over another for a particular product group. This can then
be applied to games consoles and aid the decision regarding which method would best suit
this product group. Table 3 summarises the implementation methods in use within the EuP
process with a discussion below. Other energy efficiency instruments implementation
methods are also discussed and their potential application to games consoles considered.
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Table 3 Summary of implementation methods in use within the EuP process. The
implementation method(s) in use is marked with a 
Product Lot
Power
Caps
Power caps with
consideration given
to efficiency
Televisions

Domestic
Refrigerators and
Freezers

Use of a
particular
technology e.g.
APD
Typical
Energy
Consumption

Simple Set Top Boxes


Standby and off-mode
losses


Imaging Equipment

Personal Computers


Domestic Lighting

Tertiary sector
Lighting/Street
Lighting


Complex Set Top
Boxes

External Power
Supplies
It is encouraging to see that more than half of the EuP IMs incorporate the actual efficiency
of the product and consider its performance and energy consumption. This indicates that
fair comparisons are being made between products of the same type. However, four out of
nine IMs simply stipulate power caps which do not consider performance and therefore
may have unfair impacts on products which consume more energy but provide greater
provision of service.
Two Lots, Imaging Equipment and complex Set Top Boxes, have proposed the TEC method
for measuring compliance. This is interesting given that both are pursuing a VA and also
that one lot is a single product and the other covers many products. However, the common
ground between these two lots is the large variation in functionality available on these
products.
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Another approach which could be considered for games consoles is the use of additive
allowances depending on the technical specification of the machine. This would involve
setting power caps for each mode considered and then allowing X watts for so called
“extra” functionality or improved performance offered. This would remove the issue of
unfair competition between standard and high definition games consoles, for example, and
also provide a framework which would be flexible to change as new generations are
developed.
It is also interesting to discuss here why the method of implementation is important and
against what criteria its success can be measured. First and foremost, whatever the
implementation method, improvements in efficiency must be made. It also needs to be
challenging to manufacturers so that real action is taken, rather than setting requirements
which can easily be met by all. Secondly, there should be no impact on the product
performance and therefore the end use experience of the consumer. One example of this is
the suggestion that consoles no longer offer DVD/ Blu-ray disc playback. This would,
however, lead people to buy a console and a platform for playing media; something which
will have significant environmental impacts. Thirdly, the cost of implementing a certain
technology to improve efficiency should not entail excessive costs. It is inevitable that an
increase in costs will be passed on to the consumer in the product price. This is only
acceptable if the consumer will redeem this extra initial cost via the reduction in their
electricity bills as a result of improved efficiency.
It is clear from this section that multiple methods of implementation have been used so as
to best suit the product under consideration. Although approximately half of the IMs for
EuP do consider performance, the remainder do not. It is critical that performance is
included otherwise efficiency cannot be measured effectively. However, the main
consideration is that a reduction in energy consumption is achieved. This must not
compromise the function of a product and it is more likely, that without giving
consideration to performance, this will happen. It would appear that for multifunctional
devices, a power cap approach has been the most popular and is therefore the most likely
to be used for consoles and the Lot 3 products.
3.3
Consumer Research
This section discusses the progress made over the past 6 months regarding the research of
consumers and their use of consoles. Both the research conducted internally using the
PlayStation Network and the results of the questions submitted to the ISFE study are
discussed.
3.3.1 PlayStation® Network (PSN) data
After the submission of the six month report the data regarding consumer use of consoles,
available through the PSN, was collated and submitted to the EU Consultants carrying out
the preparatory study for Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment. This shows that, on average,
each console is switched on for approximately 2 hours a day which includes all
functionality. It is important to highlight that this is per console, not per user. This has been
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calculated using a statistic from the GameVision Europe study in 2009 which reports an
average of 1.9 users per console (GameVision Europe, 2009).
However, since submission of this data it has been realised that it is possible for more than
1 person to be active on an account. This could mean that the data collected from the PSN
already accounts for the fact that 2 people use each console, and therefore the data
overestimates console usage. At present, it has not been possible to exactly determine
whether this is the case however some collaboration is currently under way with the PSN
team regarding their understanding of this phenomenon. It has been stated by colleagues
at SCEE however, that people are unlikely to share their account with others as there are
incentives such as trophies to be won when playing games and there also exists a large
social aspect to using the PSN and gaming online. Therefore, users would not like someone
to “play” as them and interact with their friends.
In addition, this data also gives no indication of idle time; it simply represents how long the
console is switched on. Having said this, when a console is signed in to the PSN, it will be
constantly communicating with the network regarding updates to software etc. Therefore,
it is unlikely that there is any real idle time when a console is connected to the network.
This research, in addition to that discussed below from the ISFE study, has been used to
inform the creation of consumer profiles which can be seen in Section 3.3.3.
3.3.2 International Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) study
The 6 month report contained questions which were submitted to ISFE for inclusion in the
annual survey of video gamers in Europe.
Overall 5,800 gamers were interviewed. The questions submitted as part of this research
were asked to 4,168 gamers (3,814 when weighted), in 18 countries, who were identified
as active on the three main consoles, namely the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 and the Sony
PlayStation®3. It is also highlighted that the study does not include any under 16 year olds,
who are known to make up a significant proportion of gamers.
Since the last ISFE study the definition of a video gamer has been expanded to include all
those who have played a video game in the last 6 months regardless of whether or not they
have bought one (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010). This means that
comparison between this study and the previous one would not draw accurate conclusions.
The results returned from these questions were made available in mid-June are described
and discussed below.
Question 1: When the console is not being used is it:

Always switched off

switched off after less than 1 hour

switched off after 1-5 hours

switched off after 6-10 hours

switched off after 11-15 hours
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
left on for more than 15 hours

always left on
The aim of this question was to gain an understanding of how long consoles spend in “idle”
mode in order to give some indication of the potential energy saving which could be
achieved were a formal APD protocol implemented. For instance, do gamers tend to leave
the console on for a few hours after they have finished playing in case they wish to, or
know they will return to it later or do they always switch it off.
The results for this question were very consistent with an average of 89% of gamers always
switching off after use. There was very little variation between age, sex and region. One
notable difference was that Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 users had slightly lower switch off
percentages than Wii users, 83% and 82% respectively versus 90%. This is shown in Figure
2.
100%
90%
83% 82%
90%
A Sony PlayStation 3
A Microsoft Xbox 360
A Nintendo Wii
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
7%
10%
6%
5%
7%
8%
4%
3%
3%
0%
Always switched off
Switched off after
less than 1 hour
Switched off after 115 hours
2%
Left on for 15+
hours / always left
on
Figure 2 Switch off behaviour of active gamers for the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360 and Wii.
The results were also split using the gamer commitment groups employed by ISFE to
distinguish between users who use the console every day and those who may only use it
once a week. The classification of gamer commitment is shown in Figure 3. These are based
on hours of game-play a day and the number of games purchased in the last 3 months.
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Dabblers
No
regular
play
Up to ½ an hour
per day
Marginals
(35%)
Up to
one hour
per day
Intermitent
(16% )
One hour per day
or more
Average hours spent playing games
Number of games bought in the last 3
0 or 1 games
2 games 3 or more games
Magpies
(9%)
Dabblers (17%)
Loyalists
(16%)
Committed
(7%)
Figure 3 ISFE Gamer Commitment Index
The comparison between gamer commitment types showed a general trend that the more
committed a gamer is, the less likely they are to switch off straight after use and the more
likely they are to leave their console on. One example of this is that 3% of committed
gamers leave their consoles on for more than 15 hours or all the time versus 0% of
intermittent gamers.
However, this gives only part of the answer which was required. It is not known how many
sessions a user has per day. Therefore if for instance a user leaves their console on for
between 1 and 15 hours after use then we can assume an idle time of 8 hours, the midpoint of the grouped data. However, as is very common, if they have two sessions a day
then this would indicate 16 hours in idle time. This obviously has huge implications when
measuring the impact of an APD protocol. Although it would appear that idle time could be
calculated if data were available regarding the number of sessions, if a user who leaves
their console on all the time had numerous sessions then this would lead to an estimation
of idle time greater than the number of hours in a day. In order to resolve this, the number
of sessions according to gamer commitment is currently under investigation using the PSN.
In addition, an average session length will need to be calculated so that this can be
subtracted from the idle time estimation.
Question 2: If the console is switched off, do you:

switch off the controller/s but not the console

switch off the console to standby using the button on the front

switch off the console to standby using the controller
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
switch off the console using the on/off switch at the back of the console

switch off at the plug/ unplug the console
This question intended to give an indication of the time consoles spend in standby mode.
The large range of options was offered to ensure that a user was able to exactly identify
one of the options with their actual behaviour. It is assumed that:
o
Option 1 indicates the console is left in idle;
o
Options 2 and 3 indicates the console is left in standby; and
o
Options 4 and 5 indicate the console is switched off.
Of the 89% of users who stated that they switch their consoles after use, 5% switched of
their controllers and not the actual game system itself. In addition, 68% of this 89%
switched off the console completely and the remaining 27% left the system in standby.
These data are combined with the results for question 1 in Table 4.
Table 4 Summary of switch off behaviour and the time taken to switch off
Switch off Put on
Switch off
completely Standby Controller Leave on
Always switched off
63%
21%
5%
Switched off after less than 1 hour
2%
3%
1%
Switched off after 1-15 hours
1%
3%
0%
Left on for 15+ hours / always left on
2%
There is a much larger variability between sex, region and console type in the responses to
this question. For instance 42% of Wii users switch the console off at the wall versus just
28% of PlayStation®3 users. However, when looking at the following category, more
PlayStation®3 users opt to use the off switch on the console than both Wii and Xbox 360
users. The most distinct differences can however be seen when comparing regions. These
results are shown in Figure 4. This may be as a result of cultural differences and energy
prices. It is important to remember this variation in switch off behaviour as if only one
country was studied, and then the results applied across the SCEE territories, it would not
accurately represent the population. Furthermore, this information is extremely interesting
when studying the social aspects of console use and researching what motivates users to
switch their consoles off. By understanding the consumer, console manufacturers may be
better equipped to develop effective ways of increasing the proportion of people who
switch their console off.
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Switch off
Switch off
Switch off
Switch off
Switch off
60%
51%
50%
44%
at the plug/unplug the console
the console using the on/off switch at the back of the console
the console to standby using the controller
the console to standby using the button on the front
the controller/s but not the console
43%
40%
36%
32%
36%
34% 33%
35%
31%
33%
30%
22%
20%
21%
18%
15%
11%
9%
10%
28%29%
25%
10%
6%
4%
18%
18%
16%
9%
4%
6%
8%8%
5%
20%
17%
15%
11%
16%
11%
6%
4%
0%
UK
France
Germany
Italy
Spain/
Portugal
Rest of
Western
Europe
Nordic
Region
North
Eastern
Europe
Figure 4 Graph displaying the results regarding switch off behaviour in the different regions
surveyed
Question 3: Have you enabled the power management functions on your console?

Yes, I have activated it

No, I know about it but have not I have not activated it

No, I am not aware there is a power management function on my console

Don’t know
One of the main issues with the results regarding power management was that 24% of Wii
users said that they had activated the APD function on their console. Unfortunately, the Wii
does not have an APD function at present. This indicates that there was an issue with the
question formation. It does also question the reliability of all the survey results.
Despite this blip, the remainder of the results for this question indicate some interesting
trends. Firstly, it would appear that more committed gamers are more aware of the power
management functions with intermittent and marginal gamers being the least aware. There
are also distinct trends for males and females, with females being significantly less aware of
the power management functions.
It is likely that the erroneous result regarding the Wii is due to the language used to
describe the functionality in question. In retrospect, had more time been available, it would
have been beneficial to pre- test this question to ensure that “power management
functionality” is a familiar and accessible phrase.
This research has shown that there were fundamental issues with the questions submitted
to ISFE. Not only did they give results which didn’t address the questions posed, they also
returned unreliable results. The unreliable results may not be due to the question design;
however this should have been tested prior to submission.
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Below is a brief summary of the information collected regarding consumer use of consoles
from the remainder of the same study (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010).
o
Overall, 76% of gamers play for less than 5 hours a week
o
PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360 gamers are more likely to play for longer and 25% of
these users play for more than 10 hours a week.
o
Around 50% of console users use their console to play DVDS and listen to music
o
23% of users access social networking sites on their consoles
o
Personal Computers remain the most used platform for gaming
o
On average, 46% of users of new consoles (Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3) use
their consoles for gaming, both on and offline, for 6-10 hours a week. This is shown
in Figure 5.
Figure 5 Graph showing the estimated average hours of game-play by console over the last
3 months.
3.3.3 Consumer Profiles
The aim of the consumer research was to understand what functions are used and for how
long. By combining all the available datasets, and by making some assumptions, it has been
possible to create some user profiles. These are extremely valuable as they can be used to
calculate a TEC for all of SCEE’s consumers. This can then be used as a benchmark and
allows the impact certain requirements to be assessed, as part of an implementing
measure or voluntary agreement, in terms of potential energy savings. This is essential in
order to maximise benefits. Below are the consumer profiles which have been developed
thus far, given the information presently available. This is however, an iterative process and
is likely to be subject to change as data collection is further refined. In addition, a simple
TEC calculator has been created in Microsoft Excel, which allows for easy comparison of
different policy scenarios. This summarises the game-play patterns of the three types of
gamer described below and the energy consumption of the console in the different modes.
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Consumer profiles for high definition, multi-functional platforms.
Game-play
Using the ISFE study (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2008) the percentages of
consumers which fall into the three categories are shown in brackets
Heavy Gamer – Over 10 hours game-play per week (15%)
Medium Gamer - 5-10 hours game-play per week (29%)
Light Gamer – less than 5 hours game-play per week (56%)
DVD/Blu-ray
Using Game Vision Survey 2009 results – 33% of users use the Blu-ray/DVD function at least
once a week, 30% less often (once a month), 38% not used in the last 3 months
Assume:
1 hour 30 minutes a week for 33% of users (i.e. 1 film)
1 hour a week for 30% of users
0 for 38% of users
Therefore on average – 47 minutes a week.
Audio player
Using Game Vision Survey 2009 results - 25% of users use the CD function at least once a
week, 25% of users less often (once a month) and 50% not used it in the last 3 months.
Assume:
1 hour a week for 25% of users
30 minutes a week for 25% of users
0 for 50% of users
Therefore on average – 23 minutes a week.
Other Functions
In line with the results from analysis of actual consumer usage of PlayStation®3, it is
estimated that each user uses their console for 7 hours and 49 minutes a week.
If we use the medium gamer scenario as representing the average then:
5 hours of game-play, 50 minutes of DVD/Blu-ray, 25 minutes of Audio player gives us 1 hour 30 minutes other functions
This information is summarised in Table 5.
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Table 5 Summary of consumer profiles for a high definition, multi-functional console
Mode
User Profile
Gameplay
DVD/Bluray
Audio
Player
Other
Total
Heavy Gamer
10 hours
50 minutes
25 minutes
1.5
hours
12 hours 45 minutes
Medium
Gamer
5 hours
50 minutes
25 minutes
1.5
hours
7 hours 45 minutes
Light Gamer
1 hour
50 minutes
25 minutes
1.5
hours
3 hours 45 minutes
3.4
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Foot-printing
In addition to the two main research themes discussed above, some research was also
conducted in the LCA and carbon foot-printing arena. As outlined in Section 2,
governments globally are taking more interest in the impact of products and their
associated carbon footprints. Steps are also being taken to regulate the environmental
impact of products, in the form of mandatory labelling, which could have serious
deleterious effects on businesses if not approached with a good understanding of their
products and the environmental impacts. The progress of this research is summarised
below.
3.4.1 MSc Project
One of the tasks identified in this area was to co-supervise an MSc project being carried out
for SCEE. This was a study of game delivery from cradle to grave, comparing Blu-ray disc
and digital download. The main conclusions are as follows:
o
For the Blu-ray Disc carbon footprint the most intensive phase is the consumer use
phase;
o
For the digital download carbon footprint, the most intensive phase is the game
delivery via the internet. However, the study assumes a rate of decrease of energy
intensity of internet provision of 50% every 2 years. Therefore, by 2014, the
consumer use phase becomes the dominant phase;
o
Comparing the two systems at present shows that digital delivery produces more
carbon emissions than the Blu-ray disc by a factor of over 5, which takes into
account predicted improvements in console and disc production efficiency. By
2019, this has reduced to a factor of just under 0.25; and
o
Although in theory this conversion of the two systems would suggest that at some
point digital download would become less carbon intensive than Blu-ray discs, it is
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unlikely that this will be the case. This is due to increasing disc capacities which
would require further internet provision.
It is interesting to note that the consumer use phase of the discs or downloads is the most
carbon intensive as of 2014. Although this study does not include the manufacture,
distribution and disposal of the consoles themselves, the dominance of the use phase is
important and particularly relevant to the current development of the EuP Lot 3.
3.4.2 Hotspot Analysis
The aim of this exercise was to conduct a “quick and dirty” LCA to identify the hotspots in
the product lifecycle of a PlayStation®3 console. This will enable attention regarding
improving environmental performance to be focussed more efficiently and where the
greatest benefits can be achieved. It is of particular interest to determine the relative
significance of the manufacturing and use phases of the product. This is as a result of
current pressure from the EU regarding the use phase energy consumption. It is believed
that the estimates of the manufacturing energy use have been underestimated, particularly
due to the high investment and proprietary nature of games consoles silicon development
for chips, thereby making data availability minimal. It is also known that the LCA performed
in the preparatory study for Lot 3 was based on the life-cycle of a washing machine, and
therefore is unlikely to give a good indication of reality.
The results of this study are simply intended for internal company use initially, and
depending on the results, further research may be conducted in order to communicate
externally.
A LCA of a console was conducted by Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (SCEI) for
the initial release model of the PlayStation®3 in 2007. However, this model is now out of
date and the results are not believed to be very accurate. Therefore, a literature review will
be conducted of available LCA studies covering the topics of electronics and computing to
estimate the embodied carbon of a games console. If it is shown that manufacturing of
consoles does contribute more to the carbon footprint of a console than the energy
consumption during the use phase, this could be used in lobbying the EU for the
development of a measure for consoles. The consultant’s report currently shows that the
use phase is the most significant, which is the impetus for the regulation of consoles. If it is
shown that the literature is insufficient to give a good indication of the embodied carbon of
a console then primary data collection may be undertaken so that this figure can be better
estimated. It is however acknowledged that this is a highly complex task and, given the
proprietary nature of the data may be impossible.
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RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PROJECT PLANNING
This section will discuss the plan for the next 6 months of work. This will include the aims
and objectives of research, in addition to any deliverables.
4.1
Console Testing
This research has already resulted in the collection of some useful data which was
submitted to the EU and included in the final draft tasks of the preparatory study for Lot 3.
The extensive testing of past generations, which was a proposed task for the last 6 months
of research, has not begun due to a greater need for other information regarding current
generations such as the consumer usage profiles and the power consumption data. This
project may still be undertaken, but it is unlikely to happen during the next 6 months.
In addition, some problems were experienced with the testing equipment used to conduct
this research. As a result a new power meter has been purchased and will be used to
conduct all further testing. This equipment also has the ability to connect to a laptop which
can then log the data being collected. This will improve the quality of data recorded and
also allow for a more detailed analysis to be carried out.
OBJECTIVES

Perform preliminary testing on the PlayStation®3, covering all modes and
functions, with the new equipment;

Complete the dataset so that a TEC can be calculated and used as a benchmark for
improvements in console energy efficiency; and

Test numerous consoles of the same model to gain an understanding of the
variability between consoles of the same model.
TASKS

Gather a full and comprehensive dataset regarding energy consumption for the
PlayStation®3 slim model;

Create hypotheses regarding console behaviour and energy consumption; and

Create a detailed sampling strategy to test the hypotheses created above.
4.2
Consumer Research
Much like the console testing research, this research has already resulted in some new and
useful data which was able to be used by the EU consultants conducting the preparatory
study for Lot 3. As well as providing some answers, it has in fact posed many more
questions which need to be resolved. The plan for this is discussed below.
OBJECTIVES

To improve the reliability of the data gathered from PSN;

To identify further plug-ins which could be tracked or created that would improve
the resolution of data regarding consumer use;
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TASKS

4.3
Continue to monitor the researcher’s personal console use and compare it to that
which is recorded by the PSN so that reliability and accuracy can be assessed;
Consumer Profiles
This research is the sum of the two themes described above in Sections and 4.3. To date,
consumer profiles have been created using numerous available sources of data.
OBJECTIVES
The following objectives have been identified in order to progress the research regarding
consumer profiles:

Continue to refine the consumer profiles as more information becomes available;

In particular need to understand the relationship between hours of game-play and
the number of sessions held by users per week;

Continue to develop a TEC approach to use as a benchmarking tool against other
consoles and other home electrical equipment.
TASKS

Combine the datasets from the ISFE survey and the PSN to calculate the number of
sessions for different types of gamers. This will help the calculation of idle time;

Fill in the power consumption data gaps in the TEC calculator using the new meter.
4.4
LCA
The study conducted by the MSc placement student has resulted in some extremely useful
findings. Most importantly it has highlighted the energy use whilst playing games if of great
significance when considering the life cycle of a disc. In terms of the Hotspot analysis, it has
been decided that this will be of little use due to the limited availability of data and the
large number of assumptions that will need to be made. Therefore it has been suggested
that research concerning the embodied carbon of a console is conducted. To achieve this,
the following work plan has been devised:
OBJECTIVES

To gain a better understanding into the relative importance of the manufacturing
versus the use phase of a console.
TASKS

Conduct a literature review of available LCA studies regarding the electronics and
computer industries using the MSc project as a starting point; and

Use the console testing and consumer research to estimate the carbon emissions
of a console when in use.
More general objectives for the next 6 months include:
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
Present a poster and give a presentation at the EngD annual conference in July
2011;

Submit a draft paper to a journal for peer review. It is an objective of the next 12
months to publish a paper; and

Monitor developments in the field of energy efficiency which have relevance to
SCEE.
All of these tasks are summarised in a Gantt chart shown below in Figure 6.
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Date
01/10/201 21/10/201 10/11/201 30/11/201 20/12/201 09/01/201 29/01/201 18/02/201 10/03/201 30/03/201
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
Combine ISFE and PSN datasets
Calculate number of sessions per week for different consumer profiles
Identify new plugins to track or create
Complete the gaps in the TEC calculator
Gather a full energy consumption dataset for the PS®3 slim
Create hypotheses regarding consoles behaviour and energy consumption
Tasks
Design a sampling methodology to test these hypotheses
Gain an understanding of the variability in energy consumption between consoles of the same
model
Collaborate with SCEE employees involved in product testing and verification procedures
Improve understanding of how the testing equipment works
Literature review of LCA studies available for electronics and computing industries
Develop hypotheses to test for LCA of consoles and design methodology for further research
Monitor developments in the energy efficiency arena
Detailed plan for Jan -Mar
Supervisor meeting
First draft of 18 month report
Submit 18 month report
Figure 6 Gantt chart summarising the plan for the next 6 months of research. Red bars indicate the task has not yet been started and orange indicates that
this is in progress
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12 Month Progress Report
CONCLUSIONS
This report has documented the research progress made since the submission of the last 6
month report in April 2010. This also covers any deviations from the work plan set out in
the previous report and why these occurred. Problems experienced in the research have
also been documented and how these have been or will be overcome explained.
It has also detailed any relevant developments in the research arena which may have an
impact on the project itself, or change the context within which the project sits.
This is followed by a plan for the next 6 months of research including objectives and tasks
which are to be achieved by the 18 month stage.
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12 Month Progress Report
REFERENCES
AEA 2010a. Building on the Eco-design Direcitve EuP Group Analysis (I) ENTR Lot 3 Sound
and Imaging Equipment Draft Task 6 Report.
AEA 2010b. Building on the Eco-design Direcitve EuP Group Analysis (I) ENTR Lot 3 Sound
and Imaging Equipment Draft Task 7 Report.
COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE 2010a. Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's
innovation challenge.
COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE. 2010b. Welcome to the Committee on Climate Change
(CCC) [Online]. Available: http://www.theccc.org.uk/ [Accessed 23/07/2010].
DIGITAL EUROPE. 2010a. About Us [Online]. Available:
http://www.digitaleurope.org/index.php?id=10 [Accessed 23/08/2010].
DIGITAL EUROPE 2010b. Digital Europe Comments on Lot 3 Personal Computers, Displays
and Servers under the Eco-Design of Energy-Related Products Directive (ErP).
ECEEE. 2010. Lot 4: Imaging Equipment: copiers, faxes, printers, scanners, MFD [Online].
Available: http://www.eceee.org/Eco_design/products/imaging_equipment/
[Accessed 08/07/2010].
ENERGY SAVING TRUST. 2010. Energy saving light bulbs take over [Online]. Available:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Features/Featuresarchive/Energy-saving-light-bulbs-take-over [Accessed 08/09/2010].
ENERGY STAR 2009a. Energy Star for Computers: Verification Testing Guidelines and
Procedures Manual Version 1.0.
ENERGY STAR 2009b. Program Requirements for Computers, Version 5.1 Game Console
Requirements – Draft Final.
EQUIPMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM 2010. Home Entertainment Products: Product
Profile - Survey of Compliance with Energy Efficiency Labelling Laws.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2009a. Commission Regulation (EC) No 642/2009 of 22 July 2009
implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
with regard to ecodesign requirements for televisions. Official Journal of the
European Union, L 191.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2009b. Commission Regulation (EC) No 643/2009 of 22 July 2009
implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
with regard to ecodesign requirements for household refrigerating appliances.
Official Journal of the European Union, L 191.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. 2010. Sustainable and Responsible Business: Ecodesign [Online].
Available: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainablebusiness/sustainable-product-policy/ecodesign/index_en.htm [Accessed
21/02/2010].
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12 Month Progress Report
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL 2009. Directive 2009/125/EC of 21 October 2009
establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energyrelated products (recast). Official Journal of the European Union, L285/10.
EVANS, C. 2010.
FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER 2009. News: Environment, planning and regulatory
news.
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2009. European Consumer Intelligence Report.
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA 2010. Regulations Amending the Energy Efficiency Regulations.
Canada Gazette, 144.
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC 2009. Decision on December 31, 2009 N 1222
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2008. Video Gamers in Europe - 2008.
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2010. Video gamers in Europe 2010.
KAUTTO, P. 2007. Industry-government interaction in the preparation of a new directive:
Nokia, industry assoiciations and EuP. European Environment, 17, 79-91.
REINTJES, N. & JENSEN, D. 2010. EuP Directive: Lessons learned from a stakeholder
dialogue.
REZESSY, S., BERTOLDI, P. & PERSSON, A. Are voluntary agreements an effective policy
instrument? Insights and experiences from Europe.
THE ENDS REPORT 2010. Consumer group slams carbon labels. the ENDS Report.
TRUSZCZYNSKI, J. 2010.
US GAO 2010. Energy Star Program: Convert Testing Shows the Energy Star Program
Certification Process is Vulnerable to Fraud and Abuse.
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18 Month Progress Report
18 Month Progress Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report documents the progress made on the research project since submission of the
12-month report in October 2010. This includes a section updating global developments on
energy efficiency measures, which mainly focuses on the finalisation of two preparatory
studies on Energy related Products (ErP) in the European Union (EU). A great deal of time
and effort has been spent inputting information to these studies over the past 6 months, in
the form of feedback letters, as the studies now approach the point of drafting regulations.
In addition, new action is beginning in the United States and there remains continued
interest in games consoles globally as having the potential to contribute towards carbon
emission reductions.
This is followed by a section dedicated to updating the progress made on the main strands
of the research, including any deviations from the work plan outlined in the 12-month
report.
The report concludes with a section detailing the plan for the next 6 months of research
including tasks and deliverables.
Overall, the research has progressed in line with the objectives stated in the 12-month
report. Some actions were postponed due to issues with equipment; however, this has
allowed other research themes to develop ahead of schedule, for example, the consumer
profiles. Soon after submission of the 12-month report, a more detailed project plan was
created and agreed with Supervisors. This has helped to refine the research topic and has
given the project a much clearer objective. Each research theme is now associated with
numerous sub-objectives and deliverables.
Key research activities for the next 6 months of research include:

Refinement of consumer profiles to include new data on number of sessions;

Completion of paper and presentation for the Engineering Doctorate Conference in
June;

Submission of a paper to a peer-reviewed journal;

Collection of a comprehensive power consumption data set for the PlayStation®3
and other current generation platforms; and

Submit questions to the next International Software Federation of Europe
consumer survey.
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GLOSSARY
APD – Auto Power Down
BAT – Best Available Technology
BAU – Business as Usual
ErP – Energy related Products
EU – European Union
GPU – Graphics Processing Unit
ISFE – International Software Federation of Europe
LCA – Life Cycle Assessment
PC – Personal Computer
PSN – PlayStation Network
RoHS – Restriction of Hazardous Substances
SCEE – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
TEC – Typical Energy Consumption
WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
List of Tables
Table 1 Complete consumer profiles for PlayStation®3 users ................................................. 10
Table 2 Comparison of estimations for PlayStation®3 TEC ...................................................... 12
List of Figures
Figure 1 Switch off behaviour for different gamer commitments on PlayStation®3 .............. 11
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CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ i
GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. ii
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. ii
CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................. iii
1.
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1
2.
DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY INSTRUMENTS AND STANDARDS ..... 2
2.1.
3.
Energy related Products (ErP) Directive ................................................................... 2
2.1.1.
Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment ............................................................... 2
2.1.2.
Lot 26 Networked Standby .............................................................................. 4
2.2.
Energy Star V6.0 ....................................................................................................... 5
2.3.
Bill S398, United States............................................................................................. 6
RESEARCH PROGRESS ........................................................................................................ 7
3.1.
Console Testing......................................................................................................... 7
3.1.1.
3.2.
4.
Why has power consumption decreased over time? ...................................... 7
Consumer Profiles .................................................................................................. 10
3.2.1.
Comparison to data in ErP Lot 3 .................................................................... 11
3.2.2.
Critical review ................................................................................................ 13
3.3.
Carbon Footprinting and Life Cycle Analysis .......................................................... 14
3.4.
Journal Publications ................................................................................................ 14
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND PROJECT PLANNING .......................................................... 15
4.1.
Console Testing....................................................................................................... 15
4.2.
Consumer Research ................................................................................................ 16
4.3.
Journal Publications ................................................................................................ 17
4.4.
Project Plan ............................................................................................................ 18
5.
CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................. 20
6.
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 21
7.
APPENDICES .................................................................................................................... 23
Appendix 7.1 Document explaining what the power meter measures when testing a
games console for power consumption .............................................................................. 23
Appendix 7.2 Abstract for Engineering Doctorate Conference Paper................................. 27
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Estimating ‘Use-Phase’ Consumer Profiles for Multifunctional Electrical Appliances............. 27
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INTRODUCTION
This report discusses the progress made on the doctoral research since submission of the
12-month progress report in October 2010. It includes an update on the status of the tasks
outlined for the past 6 months of research, in addition to contextual developments such as
new legislation. Any deviations from the work plan outlined in the 12-month report are
identified and explained. The remainder of the report is dedicated to planning the next 6
months of research and the outcomes and deliverables expected from this work. This is
summarised in a project plan found in Section 4.
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DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY INSTRUMENTS
AND STANDARDS
2.1
Energy related Products (ErP) Directive
The ErP Directive has now been in force for nearly six years and a study to establish an
amended working plan has just begun. This study will set out a list of energy related
product groups, which are considered a priority for the adoption of implementing
measures under the ErP Directive between 2012 and 2014 (VHK, 2011). The first working
plan was adopted in 2008, for the period 2009-2011, which indicated sound and imaging
equipment, transformers, network, data processing and data storage equipment, among
others, as priority product groups for further study (Commission of the European
Communities, 2008). Before this was the so-called “transitional period” which saw the
completion of 14 preparatory studies until the first working plan was implemented in 2008.
In a broader context, the European Commission has recently published a new roadmap for
moving to a low carbon economy in 2050 (European Commission, 2011b). This restates the
importance of energy efficiency policies in order for the EU to become a low-carbon
economy by 2050. It is also highlighted, however, that current efforts will not be sufficient
for the EU to reach its target for a 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020. As a
result, a new Energy Efficiency Plan (European Commission, 2011a) has been published
alongside the roadmap. This document reiterates that energy efficiency is the most cost
effective way to save energy. Interestingly, the document suggests increasing mandatory
energy efficiency requirements for industrial and household appliances. This is likely to
affect the speed and direction of developments under the ErP Directive.
The following sections discuss the developments relevant to games consoles that have
taken place under the ErP Directive since the last progress report.
2.1.1 Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment
The final report on the preparatory study Tasks 1-7 for Lot 3 was published in October
(AEA, 2010). Although many of the comments and data submitted by SCEE, and other
console manufacturers, are now included in the report, there remain serious concerns over
some aspects. The following issues were highlighted in feedback sent to the consultant,
which was coordinated by the research engineer:

Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) is not suitable for application to games
consoles – The suggestion for the use of the TEC approach in regulating games
consoles was added to the report at a very late stage without full consultation of
stakeholders. SCEE does not support this approach given its many limitations, some
of which are discussed in the report. The main contention with the TEC approach is
that it will quickly become obsolete due to the dynamic nature of console
functionality, and therefore consumer use, in addition to the difficulty in defining
discrete power modes. This will lead to energy savings opportunities being missed
while new functionality is incorporated into the TEC calculation.
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
Definition of modes - A particular area of contention for SCEE is the use of the term
“Idle”. This is used to describe a scenario where the console is not receiving any
user input. However, despite not receiving user input, the console continues to be
active either continually refreshing or redrawing the image on screen or loading the
next game scene. A preferred term is navigation mode, although a definition still
needs to be agreed.

Sleep mode requirements are not achievable – in order to comply with these
regulations, the PlayStation®3 would need to be completely redesigned, which at
this point in the product lifecycle is too costly.

Lack of equivalence between requirements for gaming PCs and games consoles –
Many comparisons are drawn between gaming PCs and consoles, which is sensible
as they provide similar functionality. However, in some instances this comparison
has not been done fairly. For instance, gaming PCs which consume more power
whilst providing the same function are not required to implement power
management technology. Some recommendations are made for games console
software, which is also not equivalent to recommendations for PC games. This
includes a mandatory auto-save function, which is not necessary for all games.

Use of additional components for non-gaming function – it is recommended that
separate circuits are introduced for the provision of media playback, for example,
so that the power use is reduced. This is neither feasible from a cost nor
technological point of view. However, power management such as clock and power
gating (discussed in Section3.1.1) may ensure that each function is provided in the
most efficient way.

Reference to withdrawn ENERGYSTAR® draft V5.1 – The report continually refers
to the withdrawn ENERGYSTAR® draft for games consoles. This was withdrawn due
to serious stakeholder concerns over the validity of the assessments. Therefore, to
base further analysis on this information is not appropriate and it has been
requested by SCEE that these references be removed.

Incorrect market evaluation – the report proposes limits that will apply after 2014,
by which time it is anticipated that the PlayStation®3 will not sell anymore. This is
based on spurious assumptions and fails to consider the lifecycle of the
PlayStation®2, which is still on sale today after launching in 2000. If this
information is not corrected this will have severe implications for the continued
sale of PlayStation®3, as at this stage of the product lifecycle it is too costly to
redesign the hardware.

Life Cycle Analysis and Life Cycle Cost Curves – While it is understood that these
analyses are very complicated to perform for electronic equipment, such as games
consoles, the process followed and any assumptions made in the report are not
transparent. Given the gravity of the conclusions drawn from these analyses, it is
essential that data sources are explicitly referenced in addition to the limitations
and assumptions made.
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The next step in the ErP process is the consultation forum. As yet, no date has been set for
this. To date, the Commission has been unhappy with the progress of this study and have
therefore requested that industry take a lead in the process. As a result, Microsoft,
Nintendo and SCEE are working on a proposal, which it is hoped will form the basis of a
voluntary agreement or implementing measure.
Despite the duration of the preparatory study, numerous areas require further research.
Information is needed regarding things such as mode definitions, efficiency measures and
consumer profiles.
2.1.2 Lot 26 Networked Standby
The Lot 26 preparatory study was motivated by the results of the Lot 6 Standby and off
mode losses study (Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, 2010). The
Lot 6 study identified the issue of Networked Standby and concluded that an increasing
number of products will offer functions and services accessible via an existing network link.
This results in products spending less time in standby mode, which is generally a very low
power mode, and more time in a higher power state ready to respond to signals from the
network. An original estimate suggested that energy consumption, as a result of networked
standby availability, would increase by 25 TWh per year for the European Union.
Like Lot 6, Lot 26 is another example of a horizontal ErP measure. This means it is
applicable to all products that have networked standby modes, as opposed to Lot 3, which
specifically relates to audiovisual equipment.
The preparatory study was completed in December 2010 and the stakeholder meeting held
in February 2011. Unfortunately, there were many incorrect assumptions in the study
about games consoles, which led to predictions of large energy savings through regulation.
Due to major concerns with the validity of the study and its conclusions, the research
engineer coordinated comments, on behalf of SCEE, and submitted feedback to the
consultant undertaking the study. The main concern is related to the fact that Lot 3 already
covers this aspect of games console energy use. Therefore, both SCEE and other
manufacturers question the benefit of continuing to include games consoles in Lot 26.
Other concerns with the report are outlined below:

Poor consideration of games console technology – Given the horizontal nature of
the Lot, the report fails to consider in sufficient detail the nature of games
consoles. Games consoles are a diverse product group, with large variability in the
functionality and sophistication of gaming offered by the different platforms.

Lack of understanding of Auto Power Down (APD) capability – Throughout the
report, inaccurate statements are made about the availability of APD functionality
on games consoles. The report fails to include reference to the advanced APD
proposal created by industry as part of the Lot 3 process, which will reduce idle
time to a minimum.

Out of date power consumption data – The accuracy of the data included in the
study, for the power consumption of games consoles whilst in different modes, is
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out of date. As part of the Lot 3 process, industry submitted up-to-date power
consumption data so for inclusion in the analysis, yet this was not used in the Lot
26 report. Scenarios in the report for 2020 give estimates of power consumption
that are higher than those recorded today on the PlayStation®3. It is essential that
this information is accurate so that potential energy savings estimates are realistic.

Inaccurate consumer behaviour data – Despite significant efforts by SCEE to
submit information regarding the consumer use of consoles to the Lot 3 consultant,
this information has not been included in the Lot 26 study. Instead, assumptions
have been made about the Business as Usual (BAU) scenarios including 12 hours
idle time per day for the provision of medium network availability. This is in
contrast to data submitted to the Lot 3 study, which estimated that consoles are
switched on for an average of 2 hours per day, including idle time.
The lack of information transfer to have occurred between the two Lots is concerning given
that industry has been extremely active in providing feedback to the Lot 3 process.
An interesting aspect of the Lot 26 study is the perspective from which the situation is
viewed. From one angle, the increasing network connectivity provided by products will
increase the energy consumption in the use phase of the product lifecycle. This increase is
attributed to the product spending more time in a higher power, network available,
standby. However, viewing this from the other angle demonstrates that networked standby
reduces the time equipment spends in idle mode waiting for a signal, thereby significantly
decreasing the overall power consumption during the use phase. The key consideration for
this study is to ensure that the latency period between the equipment receiving a signal
and reactivating is not too long. A long latency would cause frustration to the user and
increase the likelihood of the function being disabled. This would increase the time spent in
idle and therefore, the associated energy consumption. It has been stated by Digital
Europe, an industry group, (DIGITAL EUROPE, 2010) that the actual power consumption of
the networked standby state is less important than avoiding equipment spending long
periods of time in idle modes.
2.2
Energy Star V6.0
As discussed in the 12-month report, the ENERGYSTAR® programme has been subject to
serious scrutiny and, as a result, the ENERGYSTAR® V5.1 for games consoles was
completely withdrawn. In February of this year, it was announced by the United Stated
Environmental Protection Agency that the ENERGYSTAR® V5.0 Computer specification is to
be revised. The main priorities for this revision are to (United States Environmental
Protection Agency, 2011):

Develop more stringent energy efficiency measures for existing products within the
scope standard scope;

Harmonise the requirements with other international standards;

Enhance test methods; and

Reconsider usage patterns.
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The launch document makes no mention of including games consoles in the revision
process although this may occur at a later stage in the process.
2.3
Bill S398, United States
In February of 2011, a bill was published to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act
to improve the energy efficiency of certain appliances and equipment (2011). This states
that within one year of the enactment of the section relevant to games consoles, a study
will be conducted of game console energy use and opportunities for energy saving. Based
on the results of the study it will be determined whether to introduce minimum energy
performance standards for games consoles.
At present, it is unknown when any action will take place regarding the bill. However, it
does serve to reinforce the attention that games consoles receive as energy using products.
Regarding other initiatives mentioned in the 12-month report, such as the French Grenelle
environmental labelling, no further developments have occurred within these. Any
significant changes or progress on these, in addition to new initiatives, will be included in
subsequent progress reports.
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RESEARCH PROGRESS
This section describes the progress made against the work plans outlined in the 12-month
report including achievements and instances where the work plan has changed. Soon after
the submission of the 12-month report, a more detailed project plan was developed which
superseded the one contained in the 12-month report. This stated clearer goals and
objectives for the research, and has therefore led to some changes in the work carried out
over the past 6 months. This includes the removal of Life Cycle Assessment activities as a
separate research theme, and the addition of detailed objectives, tasks and deliverables for
the other research themes. These are explained below and the new project plan is included
in Section 4.4.
3.1
Console Testing
At the time of the last progress report, it was anticipated that the console testing would be
completed during the subsequent 6 months of research. Unfortunately, due to further
problems with the testing equipment, this was postponed. A large period was spent
troubleshooting the original Yokogawa Power Meter; however, no communication could be
established between the power meter and a PC for data collection. Therefore, a new meter
has been purchased. A plan for the console testing, to be conducted over the next 6
months, is detailed in Section 4.1.
Although the testing of the console was not possible, the theory of power management
was investigated and a summary document showing the relationships between metered
power and the power consumed in a device was created.
3.1.1 Why has power consumption decreased over time?
Since the launch of the PlayStation®3 in 2006, power consumption of the console has
decreased by around 60%, despite there being no regulation to drive the change.
This section first discusses the reasons for the power reduction, and then continues to
explore how regulation can be used to help this process.
There are many factors at work in the electronics sector in general, which drive reductions
in power consumption. These include:

Moore’s Law: This is a theory, proposed by Gordon Moore in 1965 (Wikipedia,
2011b), regarding the number of components on an integrated circuit. Studying a
period of 7 years, Moore noted that the number of components had doubled every
year since the invention of the integrated circuit. It was predicted that this trend
would continue for at least 10 years. During the 1970s, Moore altered the rate to
doubling every 2 years and this has proven to be accurate. One way of measuring
this development has been the number of transistors per integrated circuit. More
recently, Moore has stated that this trend cannot continue forever due to the size
of transistors approaching the size of atoms. Since the launch of the PlayStation® 3,
the size of the semiconductor has halved from 64nm to 32nm. This change was
introduced on release of the slim version in August 2009. This saw a total redesign
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of the internal architecture resulting in a smaller, lighter console yet with increased
memory and additional features. The smaller semiconductor has reduced the
distance electricity has to travel between components, and therefore the energy
loss via heat has decreased.

Internal targets: More specifically, within SCEE, company targets and
environmental objectives have helped to drive reductions in power consumption.
As part of Sony’s Global Environmental Management System, which is aiming to
achieve zero environmental impact by 2050, a target exists to reduce annual
product energy consumption by 30% by 2015 from the fiscal 2008 level (Sony,
2011).
Technological developments that may be incorporated in future console generations, to
improve the efficiency and reduce power consumption, are discussed below. These should
help to buck what is known as the “saw-tooth” trend. That is, on launch of a new product,
the energy consumption is higher than the previous generation due to increased service
provision. In the case of PlayStation® 3, this included Blu-ray playback and high definition
graphics. During the product lifetime the power consumption decreases because of
technological developments, such as improvements in chip technology as described above.
Technologies that may improve the efficiency of consoles in the future include:

Power gating: with each generation of processor technology, leakage power
dissipation grows (Keating, 2007). Especially for portable devices, this is a growing
problem. Power gating works to reduce the leakage power dissipation by turning
off blocks that are not being used. Essentially power gating offers two power
modes; a low power mode and an active mode. Power savings are then maximised
by switching between these two modes at the appropriate time and in the
appropriate manner, minimising the impacts to performance.

Clock gating: similar to power gating, this allows parts of the chip to be “shut
down” when not required by the product. In order to save power, clock gating
support adds more logic to a circuit so that it can disable portions of the circuit so
they no longer require power and only leakage currents are incurred (Wikipedia,
2011a). Studies have shown that power savings of up to 43% can be made without
changing the chip architecture (Pokhrel, 2007).

Software and hardware interface: the way that the hardware is used in consoles,
and therefore how much power it consumes, can be controlled by the way the
software interacts with it. An example of this in the current PlayStation®3 console
is the Auto Power Down (APD) functionality. After a certain period of inactivity, a
signal is sent to the hardware to put the console into standby mode. This means
that the console spends less time in the higher power, inactive mode, thereby
saving energy. This interface between software and hardware can be updated
through patches, which are downloaded via the PlayStation® Network. This means
that changes can be implemented throughout the lifetime of the product, in
contrast to hardware changes, which only happen at specific redesign intervals. An
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example of this update capability is a patch that was downloaded to all consoles
connected to the internet. This altered the APD settings, enabling them as default
and setting the console to power down after one hour of inactivity.

Lower voltage: Particularly for chips with fast processing speeds, energy lost
through heat reduces the efficiency of operation. Chip sets and processors are now
being designed to operate at lower voltages, thereby reducing energy losses
through heat and improving the efficiency.
Having discussed the factors that have driven reductions in the power consumption of
consoles to date, the value of introducing legislation can be considered. The persistence of
voluntary reductions must also be taken into account given that these are limited in some
cases, for example miniaturisation of components.
The internal Sony targets are extremely ambitious. They have developed against a
background of increasing regulation of products regarding their environmental
performance including the ErP, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directives. In addition, consumer awareness of
the link between the products and services they use, and environmental damage is much
greater. As a result of this, the voluntary actions that companies take as part of their
commitment to the environment are being paid growing attention (CSR Europe, 2010).
Therefore, this exerts pressure on organisations to commit to improvements in their
products if they want to retain their market share.
This increased pressure, from both regulators and consumers, has spurred on technological
developments leading to improved environmental performance. However, the extent to
which this has been accelerated by legislation is difficult to quantify. In the case of power
consumption, technological changes are made to consoles for economic reasons – for
instance, the slim PlayStation®3 is significantly cheaper than the original model, in addition
to it offering greatly reduced power consumption. Therefore, it is important to identify the
benefit that legislation can bring, without negatively affecting upon organisations’ business
operations and stifling innovation. For example, one approach to regulation is to mandate
the inclusion of specific technologies such as power gating. For a sector such as games
consoles, there are just three main manufacturers operating in an extremely competitive
environment. Therefore, to mandate the use of a specific technology will reduce the
opportunities for innovation, which enables manufacturers to make their products distinct
from others on the market.
Reviewing current proposals for games consoles demonstrates that the focus is on reducing
overall power consumption rather than increasing efficiency. Although each ensuing
generation consumes more power, voluntary reductions in power consumption have
consistently taken place within generations of game consoles. These are likely to continue
as they contribute towards the business objectives, such as cost saving. Therefore, to
regulate overall power consumption offers little added value. Legislation should instead be
focussed on efficiency. This will allow manufacturers to continue to innovate, and offer
improved functionality and higher definition graphics to consumers, but require a certain
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level of efficiency to be achieved. For example, in terms of the definition of graphics, a
metric could be pixels processed per Watt. This approach will help to stimulate the market
to invest in efficient technologies, whilst allowing innovation to continue.
3.2
Consumer Profiles
Since submission of the 12-month report, good progress has been made on this aspect of
the doctoral research. This has mainly involved the analysis of data collected on switch off
behaviour. This information was collected via questions submitted to the International
Software Federation of Europe study (ISFE) (Interactive Software Federation of Europe,
2010)by the research engineer. Work has also been undertaken to align the different data
sets available on consumer use of consoles, so that information is in an equivalent format.
This includes studies carried out by ISFE, GameVision (GameVision Europe, 2010) and
Nielsen (Nielsen, 2009), in addition to internal industry data. This meta-analysis, conducted
by the research engineer, has resulted in estimations for idle and standby time, aspects of
consumer use profiles that have not been studied in detail before. The results of these
activities have combined to allow average consumer use profiles to be created. The
complete consumer profiles for PlayStation®3 users are shown in Table 1.
Gamers have been separated into categories according to how many hours a week they
use their console for gaming. This is based on a metric included in the ISFE study.
Table 1 Complete consumer profiles for PlayStation®3 users
Time (hours per week)
Gamer Commitment
Active Use
Idle
Standby
Total on
Off
2
0
129.5
131
37
Marginals
7 .8
2.0
39
49
119
Loyalists
15.8
8.2
35
59
109
10
4
55
-
99
Intermittent
Mean
Another key finding of this research to date is the switch off behaviour for PlayStation®3
users. As shown in Figure 1, all intermittent users switch off their consoles after use,
meaning there is no idle time for these users. In contrast, heavier users are less likely
switch their consoles off. This coupled with heavier usage, shows that large variations exist
between different users’ energy profiles.
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Percentage
Switch off behaviour for PlayStation®3 Users
Always left on
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Switched off after 15+
hours
Switched off after 11-15
hours
Switched off after 6-10
hours
Switched off after 1-5 hours
Switched off after <1hr
Always switched off
Switch off behaviour
Intermittent Marginals Loyalists
Gamer Commitment
Figure 1 Switch off behaviour for different gamer commitments on PlayStation®3
Although at present the resulting consumer profiles are based on many assumptions, to
date this is the most comprehensive evaluation of game console users’ behaviour. One of
tasks identified in the 12-month report was to calculate the number of sessions for
different gamers. No further progress has been made on this yet, although internal
information is currently being collected. This should be available imminently and will be
incorporated in any further revisions of the consumer profiles. In the mean time, the
number of sessions for the different platforms, reported in the Nielsen consumer study
(Nielsen, 2009), is used.
To arrive at the consumer profiles, the data has been manipulated and assumptions about
consumers made. It is therefore necessary to perform a statistical analysis on the profiles in
order to verify the confidence with which the reported behaviours can be disseminated
and, furthermore, whether recommendations for policy can be based on these.
3.2.1 Comparison to data in ErP Lot 3
In order to demonstrate the contribution that the consumer profiles can make to the policy
measures discussion, a table included in the final Lot 3 report (AEA, 2010) containing data
regarding usage hours and power consumption of games consoles is compared to the data
compiled by the Research Engineer. This is shown below in Table 2.
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Table 2 Comparison of TEC estimates for PlayStation®3
Description
In use electricity
consumption per year
(kWh)
No. of hours per year
in use
Standby
electricity
consumption per year
(kWh)
No. of hours per year
at standby
Idle-mode electricity
consumption per year
(kWh)
No. of hours per year
at idle-mode
Total electricity
consumption per
year (kWh)
Lot 3 power consumption
figures (51.5 for idle and in use
and 1.1 W for standby)
Lot 3
SCEE
Actual power consumption of
PlayStation®3 (79 W for idle and
in use and 0.7 W for standby)
Lot 3
SCEE
10.7
26.8
16.4
41.1
208.1
520
208.1
520
4.0
3.1
2.6
2
3650
2860
3650
2860
26.5
10.7
40.7
16.4
514.67
208
514.7
208
41.2
40.6
59.7
59.5
Interestingly, the SCEE and Lot 3 datasets only differ by a small margin in terms of annual
electricity consumption. This is despite the estimations of the time spent in different
modes being significantly different.
Most important to note are the large differences between the idle and standby time
estimations. This will have significant implications for policy recommendations. For
instance, the advanced industry APD proposal will have a lesser impact on TEC because idle
time is much lower than estimated by the Lot 3 consultant. It is therefore essential that any
other policy recommendations offer the greatest savings, otherwise the Commission will
not accept them.
It is assumed that the data taken from the Lot 3 study is per user. Therefore, it is important
to remember that although there are only small differences between the Lot 3 and SCEE
data, this is applicable to millions of users.
In 2010, nearly 15 million games consoles were sold in the European Union alone
(VGChartz, 2010). It is reported that on average, each console has 1.6 active users
(GameVision Europe, 2010). Given that each kWh of electricity creates 0.544 kg of CO2
(Carbon Trust, 2011) and SCEE estimates for TEC are 0.4 kWh lower per user on average,
this is equivalent to a difference of 0.2 kg of CO2 per user or 0.35 kg per console per year.
For the consoles sold in 2010, this equates to 5222 tonnes of CO2.
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3.2.2 Critical review
Although the research conducted through the ISFE study by the Research Engineer, on
behalf of SCEE, regarding consumer switch off behaviour has provided very useful, new
information, certain improvements could be made if a similar activity was carried out again.
The intention was to gather more information regarding the switch off behaviour of
consumers, including how long it took consumers to switch off the console, how it was
switched off and to what mode. In addition, a question concerning Auto Power Down (APD)
settings was included.
As with any social research based on consumer behaviour, results need to be considered
carefully and the limitations of this data collection method explicitly explored. A wellknown limitation of market research via questionnaire is that people have a tendency to
behave artificially when they know their attitudes and beliefs are under observation. In the
case of this research, consumers may be embarrassed to admit that they never switch their
consoles off.
The accuracy of the results also heavily depends on the question formation. It is also
essential to ensure that the questions posed will illicit the required response.
As discussed in the 12-month report, there were some errors in the question formation,
which led to erroneous responses. One example of this is the responses of Nintendo Wii
users who stated that they had activated the APD function on their console; however, this
does not exist on that platform.
The main lesson from this consumer research is that a small sample of consumers should
have been tested to ensure that the intended outcomes of the research would be achieved.
One of the main missing elements, discovered after the results were collected, was the
number of sessions gamers have. Without this, it is impossible to estimate accurately the
idle time.
A pilot study would have also identified some issues with the question design. Given that
Nintendo Wii users stated that they had activated a function that did not exist on their
console, there was obviously some confusion around the term power management. No
explanation was offered alongside the question of what constituted power management;
this may have reduced the confusion. However, it is not certain whether this was the
reason for this discrepancy. It could also be attributed to consumers wanting to appear
“green”. This is related to the concept of the “value-action” gap; people are aware of
environmental issues and what they should do to reduce their impact, however they do not
exhibit the pro-environmental behaviour. A commonly cited example of this is in recycling,
where the numbers of people who say they recycle does not tally with the amount of waste
recycled (Chung, 2007).
Another issue related to semantics is the wording of the options for the question regarding
after how long consumers switch off their consoles. Although many options are offered for
consumers to choose, the first option “always switch it off” could be interpreted as being
the same as all of the other options. For instance, a consumer may always switch their
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console off, but after 8 hours. This may have skewed the results towards a reduced
estimation for idle time.
It is anticipated that there will be further opportunities to submit refined questions to
surveys such as the ISFE and GameVision studies. It will be useful to compare trends in
switch off behaviour and consumers’ awareness of APD settings on their consoles between
surveys. The reliability of the results will also be improved as a result of the lessons
learned.
3.3
Carbon Footprinting and Life Cycle Analysis
Another strand to this doctoral research, introduced in the 12-month report, was carbon
footprinting of SCEE activities. A study of game delivery, conducted by an MSc student on a
placement, showed that delivering games via Blu-ray discs has a smaller carbon footprint
than delivery via download. The results of the study are extremely valuable to the wider
carbon footprinting and digital media arena. Therefore, one of the tasks for the next 6
months will be to ensure that data is up-to-date and that the study is robust enough to
undergo the peer review process. In particular, the impact of consumer shopping trips will
be added to the current analysis. Although this does not contribute directly to the overall
objectives of the doctorate, it is an excellent opportunity to experience first-hand the
publication process.
The LCA work outlined in the 12-month report has not been completed due to the focus of
the doctoral research being refined and this falling outside of the scope.
3.4
Journal Publications
One of the key activities identified in the 12-month report was to prepare a paper for the
Engineering Doctorate Conference and another paper for submission to a journal. At that
point, the topic of the papers was not finalised, nor was the journal chosen to which the
paper would be submitted.
To date, an abstract has been written for the Engineering Doctorate conference although
the full paper is not yet complete. The paper, titled “Estimating use-phase Consumer
Profiles for Multifunctional Electrical Appliances” will discuss the barriers to improving the
quality of data available regarding consumer use of ErP. These include rapidly changing
technology, increased functionality, changing product modes, problems defining modes
across and between product groups, methodological issues and high costs. The full abstract
is in Appendix 7.2.
In terms of a paper to submit to a peer-reviewed journal, the conference paper will be
extended to cover more aspects of the research to date. Furthermore, an opportunity has
arisen to submit a paper to the 16th International Sustainable Innovation Conference. This
conference covers topics such as sustainable technologies, product policy and market
transformation, all of which are highly relevant to this research. This is an ideal forum to
disseminate some of the research completed to date.
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RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND PROJECT PLANNING
This section will discuss the plan for the next 6 months of work. This will include the aims
and objectives of research, in addition to any deliverables. A detailed project plan is also
included in Section 4.4.
4.1
Console Testing
During the next 6-month period, a comprehensive power consumption data set will be
collected. This will be combined with the consumer profiles to estimate the energy savings
that could be made through the different policy options currently recommended as part of
the ErP Lot 3 process.
OBJECTIVES

Establish optimum time period to test power consumption;

Collect power consumption data for PlayStation®3 for use in calculating a TEC. This
will be used to benchmark PlayStation®3 against other products;

Create an energy profile for PlayStation®3; and

Understand the development of the relationship between functionality offered and
power consumption for all generations of consoles.
TASKS

Record the power consumption of the PlayStation®3 slim performing all functions
in each available mode;

Analyse the data and create a console “energy profile” including measures such as
navigation mode power is X% of active power;

Using the definitions of modes in the Lot 3 ErP report, test what modes exist in
power consumption terms. This may also involve the definition of new modes
which more accurately describe the functionality of the console – e.g. alternative
to idle;

Develop an efficiency measure which is applicable to both current and future
generation consoles for all platforms, e.g. pixels per Watt;

Test multiple consoles of the same model to identify natural variability in power
consumption;

Create hypotheses about PlayStation®3 energy use and test them;

Test other console platforms, including past generations of PlayStation® and other
manufacturers consoles, and create energy profiles;

Compare energy profiles of different platforms;

Establish what aspects of console energy use can be improved, resulting in the
greatest environmental benefit; and
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18 Month Progress Report
Analyse the evolution of console energy consumption over time and project how
this might continue into the future.
DELIVERABLES
1. Summary of the power consumption of the PlayStation®3 across its functionality, 22 nd
July 2011;
2. Summary of the power consumption of other console platforms across their
functionality, 31st October 2011;
3. Summary and comparison of the energy profiles of the console platforms tested, 31st
October 2011;
4. Discussion of possible efficiency measures for games consoles, 31st October 2011; and
5. Discussion of the historical evolution of games console power consumption over time
and how this may develop in the future, 31st October 2011.
4.2
Consumer Research
Since submission of the 12-month report, this theme of research has developed
significantly with the delivery of estimates for average standby and idle times for
PlayStation®3 users. These aspects of consumer console use have not been studied in detail
before, nor has industry data been used. This work has resulted in detailed estimations for
consumer use of consoles across all current generation consoles. Further work, including
calculating the number of sessions and analysing user data for 2010, are still to be
completed in order to refine the existing profiles.
OBJECTIVES

To combine the consumer profiles with the console testing data to calculate the
potential energy savings that can be achieved through different policy measures;
and

Continue to refine and add new information to the consumer profiles as it becomes
available.
TASKS

Implement and test a plugin for the network gathering data on number of sessions
(underway);

Submit questions to the next ISFE study, building on those submitted to the 2010
survey and improved according to recommendations in Section 3.2.2;

Assess the potential energy savings of different policy options (combined with
power consumption data to be collected) and make recommendations for the ErP
studies currently underway;

Research factors that may influence how consumers switch off their consoles, and
actions that manufacturers could take in this regard to reduce idle and standby
times; and
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Amanda Webb

18 Month Progress Report
Add measures of statistical significance to the current consumer profiles to indicate
the level of confidence associated with the results.
DELIVERABLES
1. Document summarising the potential energy savings of different policy options,
including recommendations for ErP Directives covering games consoles, 22nd July 2011;
2. Questions to submit to the ISFE study, due to take place in the second half of 2011, 17 th
June 2011; and
3. Updated consumer profiles to include the new number of sessions data, 31st August
2011.
4.3
Journal Publications
Now that the research is approaching the mid-term point, it is important to begin to
disseminate some of the results, thereby making a tangible contribution to knowledge. This
will involve the publication of at least two papers in peer-reviewed journals.
OBJECTIVES

Disseminate research findings; and

Identify suitable journals and conferences to disseminate the research findings.
TASKS

Complete paper for the Engineering Doctorate Conference;

Write a paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal; and

Write an abstract for submission to the 16th International Sustainable Innovation
Conference.
DELIVERABLES
1. Completed journal paper for submission to the Engineering Doctorate Conference, 21st
April 2011;
2. Completed paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, 30th June 2011; and
3. Completed abstract for submission to the 16th International Sustainable Innovation
Conference, 31st March 2011.
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18 Month Progress Report
4.4 Project Plan
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Deliverables
Sub Objectives
Due Date
FTE
1. Establish consumer profiles for games consoles
Tasks
Sub Tasks
Implement and test plugin in for number of sign-ins (PSN)
Calculate how many "sessions" users have for the different consumer profiles
Analyse and collate data for PSN users in 2010
Compare 2009 and 2010 PSN consumer use data
Submit refined questions regarding switch off behaviour to ISFE study of gamers
Refine questions
Test questions in a preliminary study
Critically assess MEEuP methodolgy for consumer use estimation
31/07/2011
Conduct preliminary study
31/05/2011
30/06/2011
Testing mehodology
15/04/2011
1
3
5
1
2
3
2
2. Establish the power consumption of games consoles for different functions in different modes
Tasks
Sub Tasks
Establish the most appropriate methodology to test console power consumption
Test over different time periods to establish optimum testing time
Test numerous game genres - is any single game representative of the sample?
Test console to establish how much energy is consumed in different modes and when performing different functions
Complete measurements
Analyse results
Create a console "energy profile" for PS®3 e.g. Idle mode power is X% of active power
Write a report summarising console energy use
Create hypotheses regarding consoles and energy use
Establish which modes exist and which contribute significantly to total energy consumption
Establish if there is a statistically significant difference between on and idle mode power consumption
Research variation in energy consumption between consoles of the same model
Create a work plan to test hypotheses regarding console behaviour and energy consumption
Test the hypotheses according to the plan
Analyse results
Research variation in energy consumption between consoles of the current generation
Test XBOX, Wii and PS®2 as per PS®3
Analyse results
Summary of console testing results
22/07/2011
Plan to test hypotheses regarding consoles and
energy consumption
01/09/2011
Summary of test results
14/10/2011
2
2
5
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
2
3
10
3
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18 Month Progress Report
3. Calculate the life- cycle impact of the use phase and benchmark consoles against other products
Tasks
Assess savings made through EuP Lots already implemented - where could improvements be made?
Check for exisiting literature on this topic
Critically review the VA process - where could it be improved for consoles?
2
1
3
4. General EngD Tasks
Tasks
Sub Tasks
Complete Mid course dissertation
Write a detailed contents
Review existing literature search
Identify key literature
Read and summarise key literature
Draft report
Submit first draft for comments and feedback
Rework as necessary
Submit for final comments
Create a publication strategy for research
Paper for Engineering Doctorate Conference
Final draft
Write a paper for submission to peer-reviewed journal
Draft Paper
Submit draft to Supervisors for comments
Final draft
Engineering Doctorate Conference
Prepare presentation on conference paper
Engineering Doctorate Conference
One page summary on the EuP process for 24 month report
Revise consumer porfiles document
Framework for dissertation
11/05/2011
Up-to-date literature review
First draft of mid term dissertation
15/07/2011
15/07/2011
15/07/2011
12/08/2011
12/08/2011
31/04/2011
2
3
3
5
5
0
0
0
2
21/04/2011
2
01/09/2011
3
0
0
03/06/2011
21-22/06/2011
18/05/2011
06/05/2011
1
2
1
3
Second draft of mid term dissertation
Final draft of conference paper
Final draft of paper for journal
Submit presentation
Attend conference
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5
18 Month Progress Report
CONCLUSIONS
This report has documented the progress made on this doctoral research project since
submission of the 12-month report in October 2010. It includes:

an update to any developments regarding energy efficiency measures across the
globe, with direct relevance to games consoles;

an update to the progress made, including where and why this deviated from the
work plan outlined in the 12-month report; and

a plan for the next 6 months of research.
This, in combination with the previous progress reports, will be consolidated over the next
6-month period in preparation for the mid-point dissertation. This will include a detailed
literature review, and plan for the final 2 years of research.
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6
18 Month Progress Report
REFERENCES
AEA 2010. Building on the Eco-design Directive, EuP Group Analysis (I) ENTR Lot 3 Sound
and Imaging Equipment Task 1-7 Report.
BIRD, J. 2007. Electrical and Electronic Principles and Technology, Elsevier.
CARBON TRUST. 2011. Resources - conversion factors [Online]. Available:
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-costs/calculate/carbonfootprinting/pages/conversionfactors.aspx#‘kWh’%20into%20‘kg%20of%20carbon%20dioxide’
[Accessed
10/03/2011].
CHUNG, S. S. 2007. The Value-Action Gap in Waste Recycling: The Case of Undergraduates
in Hong Kong. Environmental Management, 40, 603-612.
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 2008. Establishment of the working plan
for 2009-2011 under the Ecodesign Directive. COM (2008) 660 final. Brussels.
CSR EUROPE 2010. A Guide to CSR in Europe.
DIGITAL EUROPE 2010. ErP Lot 26 - Networked standby losses Summary and Position
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2011a. Energy Efficiency Plan 2011. COM(2011) XXX. Brussels.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2011b. A roadmap for moving to a low carbon economy in 2050.
COM(2011)xxx. Brussels.
FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR RELIABILITY AND MICROINTEGRATION IZM 2010. EuP
Preparatory Studies Lot 26: Networked Standby Losses Draft Final Report Task 1-7.
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2010. Autumn 2010 European Consumer Intelligence Report.
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2010. Video gamers in Europe 2010.
KEATING, M., FLYNN, D., AITKEN, R., GIBBONS, A. AND SHI, K. 2007. Low power
methodology manual : for system-on-chip design, Springer.
NIELSEN 2009. The State of the Video Gamer: PC Game and Video Game Console User
Fourth Quarter 2008.
POKHREL, K. C. 2007. Phsical and Silicon Measures of Low Power Clock Gating Success: An
Apple to Apple Case Study. Synopsys Users Group. San Jose.
SONY.
2011.
Green
management
2015
[Online].
Available:
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr/environment/management/gm2015/index.htm
l [Accessed].
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. 2011. RE: EnergyStar Computer
Stakeholders and Other Interested Parties.
VGCHARTZ.
2010.
Hardware
Comparison
Table
[Online].
Available:
http://vgchartz.com/hwtable.php?cons%5B%5D=Wii&cons%5B%5D=PS3&cons%5B
%5D=X360&cons%5B%5D=PS2&reg%5B%5D=UK&reg%5B%5D=France&reg%5B%5
21
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18 Month Progress Report
D=Germany&reg%5B%5D=Spain&reg%5B%5D=Italy&reg%5B%5D=Scandinavia&reg
%5B%5D=Other+Europe&start=39824&end=40181 [Accessed 23/03/2010].
VHK 2011. Amended Ecodesign Working Plan.
WIKIPEDIA.
2011a.
Clock
gating
[Online].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_gating [Accessed 14/03/2011].
Available:
WIKIPEDIA.
2011b.
Moore's
Law
[Online].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law [Accessed 14/03/2011].
Available:
2011. A Bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to improve the energyefficiency of certain appliances and equipment, and for other purposes.
22
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7
7.1
18 Month Progress Report
APPENDICES
Measuring the Power Consumption of Games Consoles
It is vital to ensure, when measuring power consumption, that it is fully understood exactly
what the meter is recording and any limitations and/or assumptions that are associated
with these data. This document aims to explain the measurements taken by the meter,
followed by a justification of why this is appropriate.
To begin, it is necessary to establish some basics regarding power.
Power is the energy delivered over per time and is the product of the voltage and the
current. Current is the rate of change of charge over time and voltage is a measure of the
potential difference between two points in a circuit.
Therefore Power, P (watts) = Current, I (Amps) x Voltage, V (Volts)
Electricity supplied by the grid is in the form of Alternating Current (AC) whereby the
movement of electric charge periodically changes direction. This means that the voltage
varies over time so that the power delivered is not constant. The alternating voltage, and
resulting current, take the form of a sine wave as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Graph showing the variation in the voltage of AC over time taking the form of a
sine wave (Electronics Engineering Technology, 2010)
Considering the above, if we were simply to calculate the average power over one period of
the sine wave, we would get zero as the positive and negative parts would cancel each
other out. The peak voltage cannot be used as an estimate as, for the majority of the time,
the voltage is below this. To get around the mathematical inconvenience, and represent
the power delivered, the power values are reported as Root Mean Square (RMS) values.
The RMS calculation squares the values across one sine wave, therefore ensuring that the
negative and positive values do not cancel one another out. Averaging these values and
then square rooting gives a value of 0.707 of the peak value.
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18 Month Progress Report
For a sine wave:
Rms value = (1/√2) * maximum value = 0.707 * maximum value (Bird, 2007)
Multiplying peak voltage by 0.707 is equivalent to the steady Direct Current (DC) value
(Walls and Johnstone, 1992).
Depending on the unit under test, resistance, inductance or capacitance may affect the
power measurement. Power consists of three components –
1. Reactive Power – if the circuit contains a capacitor, and/or and inductor, they
alternately store and then return power to the source rather than dissipating it.
The rate at which this occurs is known as reactive power, measured as volt-ampere
reactive (VAR)
2. Real Power - When a current flows through a resistor, it dissipates electrical
energy; this is real power
3. Apparent Power – is the power a circuit is apparently dissipating. It is a
combination of the real and reactive power measured in volt-ampere (VA). This is
the vector product of the voltage and the current.
Using a power triangle, as shown in Figure 2, the apparent power can be calculated, for a
perfectly sinusoidal waveform, in a resistor-capacitor circuit.
Real Power
(Preal)
θ
Reactive Power
(Preact)
Apparent Power
(Papp)
Figure 2 Diagram showing how a power triangle can be used to calculate different types of
power
Therefore, using the cosine rule, cosθ = Preal / Papp
So
Preal = Papp(cosθ)
Cosθ is known as the power factor of a device.
As stated in International Standard 62087, covering measurement methods for the power
consumption of audio, video and related equipment (IEC, 2008), “the power measurement
instrument used shall measure the real power consumed regardless of the power factor of
the device under test”. Furthermore, the draft ENERGYSTAR® requirements for games
24
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18 Month Progress Report
consoles (since withdrawn) also states that “the meter must be capable of measuring true
power” (Energy Star, 2009).
Due to energy stored in the load and returned to the source, apparent power is greater
than real power. Therefore, power factor is calculated which is the ratio of the real power
to the apparent power.
In a purely resistive circuit the voltage and current change polarity in step, the power factor
is 1 and electrical energy flows in a single direction across the network in each half cycle
(see Figure 3).
Figure 3 Graph showing the relationships between voltage, current and power in a purely
resistive circuit, and the average power dissipated (Wikipedia, 2010)
Where reactive loads are present, extra energy, in addition to any energy consumed in the
load, is temporarily stored in the load in electric or magnetic fields and then returned to
the power source sometime later. The net effect is that the voltage and current become
out of phase thereby creating a power factor of less than 1. Different types of circuits react
differently. Inductive circuits cause current to lag the voltage when changing polarity as
they store reactive power. In contrast, in capacitive loads the current to leads the voltage
when changing polarity. Figure 4 illustrates a scenario where no real power is consumed
and the power factor is zero.
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18 Month Progress Report
Figure 4 Graph illustrating a capacitive circuit where no real power is consumed and the
power factor is zero (Wikipedia, 2010)
As specified in the Energy Star requirements, an approved meter constitutes the following
criteria:

Power resolution of 1 mW or better;

An available current crest factor of 3 or more at its rated range value (where
current crest factor = Ipeak/RMS I); and

Lower bound on the current range of 10 mA or less.
Both the ENERGYSTAR® Requirements and IEC 62087 suggest the following measuring
resolutions:

0.01 W or better for power measurements of 10 W or less;

0.1 W or better for power measurements of greater than 10 W up to 100 W; and

1 W or better for power measurements of greater than 100 W
The power consumption measurements will be taken with the Hameg HM8115-2 8kW
Power Meter, which complies with the testing requirements outlined above.
References
BIRD, J. 2007. Electrical and Electronic Principles and Technology, Elsevier.
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18 Month Progress Report
ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY. 2010. Unit 3: Introduction to Alternating
Current and Voltage [Online]. Available:
http://people.sinclair.edu/nickreeder/eet155/mod03.htm [Accessed 29/11/2010].
ENERGY STAR 2009. Program Requirements for Computers, Version 5.1 Game Console
Requirements – Draft Final.
IEC 2008. IEC 62087: International Standard - Methods of measurement for the power
consumption of audio, video and related equipment.
WALLS, R. & JOHNSTONE, W. 1992. Introduction to Circuit Analysis, St Paul, West
Publishing Company.
WIKIPEDIA. 2010. Power Factor [Online]. Available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor [Accessed 22/11/2010].
7.2
Abstract for Engineering Doctorate Conference Paper
Estimating ‘Use-Phase’ Consumer Profiles for Multifunctional
Electrical Appliances
A. Webb
(1,2)
(1)
, K. Mayers , and C. France
(2)
1.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. London, England.
2.
Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, England.
Abstract
The European Commission estimates that Energy related Products (ErP) have the
potential to reduce energy consumption within the European Union by 10%. In order to
realise this potential the Eco-design Directive was adopted, with the additional aim of
contributing towards European targets related to energy efficiency and carbon emissions.
Under this initiative, various groups of products are studied and then regulated. Games
consoles are currently being examined as part of the Sound and Imaging Equipment
product Lot (Lot 3), which also includes video players and recorders and projectors.
For authorities trying to identify potential energy saving opportunities, estimating socalled “typical” usage of ErP is an ongoing issue because of the large variation in the
“real-life” situation, and the associated costs and complexities of measuring this.
This study draws on new market and social research currently being used to create
consumer profiles for high definition, multi-functional games consoles. These data have
shown the estimates included in the Lot 3 preparatory study are inaccurate and based on
hidden assumptions. Therefore, the policy recommendations are made without a full
understanding of the resultant environmental implications and energy savings.
This paper discusses the numerous barriers to improving the quality of data available
regarding consumer use of ErP. The barriers include rapidly changing technology,
increased functionality, changing product modes, problems with defining modes across
and between product groups, methodological issues and high costs. The paper concludes
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18 Month Progress Report
with a discussion of possible approaches to this problem and recommendations for
further work.
Keywords: Energy Efficiency, Games Consoles, Use phase, Energy related Products, Eco-design
Directive
28
Amanda Webb
Mid-course Dissertation
Mid-course Dissertation
Executive Summary
Since the launch of the first home games console in 1972, games consoles have grown
significantly in popularity with sales of the current generation consoles on the market
approaching the 200 million mark. Consoles have also developed rapidly in terms of the
sophistication of gaming they offer and the number of additional functions, such as media
play back and internet gaming. This increase in functionality has been accompanied by an
increase in power consumption, a pattern, which is likely to continue without intervention.
As a result, games consoles have been identified as a product group with the potential to
reduce their energy use significantly through implementation of voluntary or mandatory
measures. However, many of the assessments of games console energy use have been
completed with a paucity of data for user behaviour and power consumption. For instance,
the European Union Eco-design study on consoles estimated user behaviour based on data
that only accounted for active use, representing just 10% of the total on time. To overcome
this paucity of data, assumptions have been made in order to estimate the potential energy
savings of different policy recommendations.
From a policy perspective, it is essential to understand the product in question so that and
requirements implemented offer the greatest energy savings possible, whilst maintaining
product functionality. It is also important to consider future products and the longevity of
any requirements. At present, this is not possible due to the lack of appropriate data,
something that will be addressed in this research.
The overall objective of this research is to identify the best approach for regulating the
energy use of games consoles in order to reduce their environmental impact in the usephase. This will involve developing a detailed understanding of the elements involved in
determining the energy use of games consoles, including user behaviour, power
consumption, technological constraints and innovation. The research has three main
themes:
1. Investigating and modelling user behaviour;
2. Calculating energy savings and modelling future technology trends; and
3. Assessing the effectiveness of current policy strategy for games consoles.
Research theme 1 will result in the creation of user profiles for current and future
generation consoles through the collection of empirical research on inactive use of
consoles and analysis of trends in user behaviour. Key parameters of data collection for
user behaviour will also be examined, such as the cost and time required to collect the data
and who should be responsible for collecting data. This will involve interviewing key
stakeholders involved in the Eco-design process including NGO and industry
representatives and consultants undertaking preparatory studies. The results of research
theme 1 will be used in research theme 2 that will create a base case of energy use for
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Amanda Webb
Mid-course Dissertation
games consoles that is representative of the installed base. A future base case will also be
developed, via assessment of likely trends in console functionality and technological
developments. This will allow future energy savings to be predicted. Finally, research
theme 3 will focus on the appropriateness of current policy strategy for games consoles
and identify areas where policy could focus in order to increase the magnitude of potential
energy savings.
Alongside the research, two journal papers are planned for publication.
1. Estimating the Consumer Usage of Multifunctional Devices, for submission to the
Journal of Energy Efficiency. The paper will use the example of games consoles to
illustrate the complexity and large data requirement in order to quantify the use
phase impacts. An assessment of key data collection parameters will also be
included. This is planned for mid-way through year 3.
2. Regulating the Energy Efficiency of Games Consoles: What is the best approach?, for
submission to the Journal of Energy Policy. The paper will describe the development
of a model for identifying the “energy hotspots” in both current and future
generation consoles. This will describe the work to model trends in user behaviour
and technological developments to create a base case for the future. This will allow
the effectiveness of policy recommendations to be assessed in addition to
recommending areas that current policy strategy does not address. This will be
prepared in the first half of the final year of the EngD project.
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Mid-course Dissertation
Contents
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... i
Contents .................................................................................................................................... iii
Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. v
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. vi
List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... vii
1.
2.
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.
Section Objectives .................................................................................................. 1
1.2.
Report Purpose ....................................................................................................... 1
1.3.
Project Area ............................................................................................................ 1
1.4.
Games Console power consumption...................................................................... 2
1.5.
Industrial Sponsor................................................................................................... 3
1.6.
Section Conclusion.................................................................................................. 3
Consideration of Games Consoles for energy saving ........................................................ 5
2.1.
Section Objectives .................................................................................................. 5
2.2.
Games Consoles...................................................................................................... 5
2.2.1.
History of Games Consoles ............................................................................ 5
2.2.2.
Diversity of Games Consoles.......................................................................... 5
2.2.3 Development of Interest in Games Consoles ......................................................... 7
2.3.
3.
4.
Section Conclusion................................................................................................ 10
Quantifying the use-phase impact of games consoles.................................................... 11
3.1.
Section Objectives ................................................................................................ 11
3.2.
Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) methodology and data requirements...... 11
3.3.
User Behaviour Data ............................................................................................. 12
3.4.
Power Consumption Data..................................................................................... 19
3.5.
Section Conclusion................................................................................................ 21
Improving the Availability and Quality of Data: Research Completed to Date............... 22
4.1.
Section Objectives ................................................................................................ 22
4.2.
User behaviour ..................................................................................................... 22
4.3.
Power Consumption ............................................................................................. 25
4.4.
Calculating Energy Saving Opportunities ............................................................. 26
iii
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Mid-course Dissertation
4.4.1.
Lot 3 Predicted Energy Savings .................................................................... 26
4.4.2
Creating a New Base Case and Predicting Energy Savings of Industry Proposal
28
4.5.
Section Conclusion................................................................................................ 30
5. Identifying the Best Approach for Regulating Games Consoles for Energy Efficiency
and Power Consumption: Plans for Future Research .............................................................. 31
5.1.
Section Objectives ................................................................................................ 31
5.2.
Research Themes.................................................................................................. 31
5.3.
Estimating and Modelling User Behaviour ........................................................... 32
5.3.1.
Understanding User Behaviour.................................................................... 32
5.3.2.
Developing a Methodology.......................................................................... 34
5.4.
Calculating Energy Savings ................................................................................... 34
5.4.1.
Creating an Accurate Base Case................................................................... 34
5.5.
Policy Strategy ...................................................................................................... 36
5.6.
Project Plan........................................................................................................... 37
5.7.
Journal Publications .............................................................................................. 42
5.8.
Section Conclusion................................................................................................ 42
6.
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 43
7.
References ....................................................................................................................... 44
8.
Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 48
Appendix 8.1 Summary of the Eco-design Directive ......................................................... 48
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Mid-course Dissertation
Abbreviations
BAT – Best Available Technology
CE- Consumer Electronics
CEC – Californian Energy Commission
CPU – Central Processing Unit
DG ENTR – Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry
EC – European Commission
EngD – Engineering Doctorate
EU - European Union
GPU – Graphics Processing Unit
HEPs - Home Entertainment Products
ICT – Information Communication Technologies
IEA – International Energy Agency
ISFE – Interactive Software Federation of Europe
kWh – Kilowatt hours
MEEUP – Methodology for the Eco-design of Energy-Using Products
MEPS - Minimum Energy Performance Standards
NGOs – Non-governmental Organisations
NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council
ROM – Read Only Memory
SCE – Sony Computer Entertainment
SCEE – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
TEC – Typical Electricity Consumption
TWh – Terawatt hours
WRAP – Waste and Resources Action Programme
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List of Tables
Table 1 Sales figures for various consoles until 23rd July 2011 (VGChartz, 2011).................... 3
Table 2 Technical specifications and secondary functionality of current generation games
consoles (What Console, 2011) ............................................................................................... 6
Table 3 Summary of proposed requirements for games consoles .......................................... 9
Table 4 Console user primary characteristics December 2008 (Nielsen, 2009) .................... 15
Table 5 Manufacturer measured average use profiles (AEA, 2010) ...................................... 15
Table 6 Summary of data for 2009 regarding game play hours and the use of secondary
functions on PlayStation®3 per user ...................................................................................... 16
Table 7 Summary of data for 2010 regarding game play hours and the use of secondary
functions on PlayStation®3 per user ...................................................................................... 17
Table 8 Use Phase Inputs (Games Consoles) (AEA, 2010) ..................................................... 18
Table 9 Figures for annual power consumption of a games console per mode (Equipment
Energy Efficiency Program, 2010) .......................................................................................... 18
Table 10 Summary of power consumption data available for the PlayStation®3 ................. 19
Table 11 Modal Power Demand Data for PlayStation®3 slim console .................................. 26
Table 12 Estimated TEC values for current high definition games consoles (AEA, 2010) ..... 28
Table 13 High definition base case for games consoles ........................................................ 29
Table 14 Projected energy savings for high definition consoles on adoption of the console
industry’s proposal................................................................................................................. 29
Table 15 Detailed project plan ............................................................................................... 38
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List of Figures
Figure 1 Gamer commitment index with figures for 2009 (GameVision Europe, 2009) ....... 13
Figure 2 Gamer commitment index with figures for 2010 (Interactive Software Federation
of Europe, 2010) .................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 3 Chart showing the reduction in power use of the PlayStation®3 since its launch in
2006 ....................................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 4 Chart showing the proportion of consumers exhibiting the different switch off
behaviours on PlayStation®3 ................................................................................................. 24
Figure 5 Chart showing the proportion of PlayStation®3 users surveyed that switch off to
each mode available .............................................................................................................. 24
Figure 6 Chart showing the awareness of PlayStation® users regarding the availability of
APD functionality on their console ........................................................................................ 25
Figure 7 Diagram showing the connections between the elements that influence games
console energy use. Arrows indicate the direction of the interactions................................. 32
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1. Introduction
1.1. Section Objectives
This section introduces the purpose of the report, the industrial sponsor and the project
area. The rationale behind the research is also discussed, followed by a brief introduction
to games consoles and their increasing power consumption and proliferation.
1.2. Report Purpose
This report details the research area of this Engineering Doctorate project in Sustainability
for Engineering and Energy Systems. A description of the research completed to date,
followed by the research planned in order to complete the project, is included. Finally,
conclusions are drawn based on the anticipated contribution to knowledge that this
research will make.
1.3. Project Area
This project focuses on the use-phase energy use of games consoles and analyses possible
approaches for measuring and reducing this impact.
Carbon emission reductions are now high on many political agendas in order to mitigate
the anticipated impacts of climate change. For example, the UK Government adopted the
Climate Change Act which set a legally binding target to reduce carbon emissions by 80%
against a 1990 baseline, in order to stimulate the transition to a low carbon economy (UK
Government, 2008). The European Union (EU) has taken similar action, although not
binding, in implementing targets under its Climate and Energy Package (Europa, 2010). This
includes the “20-20-20” targets, which include at least a 20% reduction of EU greenhouse
gas levels, against a 1990 baseline, and a 20% reduction in primary energy uses through
improvements in energy efficiency. 3
The use-phase is an area where significant energy savings can be realised: de Almeida et al.
(2011) report that the average European Union energy consumption for electrical
appliances and lighting per household increased by 2.5% per year in the period 2000-2006.
Furthermore, the International Energy Agency (IEA) identifies the Information
3
Energy Efficiency is defined as a “comparative measure of energy required to achieve a particular
performance” (INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION 2010.) Improvements in energy
efficiency can be defined as “a reduction in the energy used for a given service”, for example lighting
or heating (WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL. 2010.). In contrast, Energy Consumption is defined as the
energy consumed when providing a given service. Simply measuring and comparing the energy
consumption of two similar products, when providing a given service, will not give an indication of
efficiency. Whilst they may be providing a similar service, for example light, one may be providing a
greater luminance whilst consuming the same amount of energy. This would therefore be more
efficient.
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Communication Technologies (ICT) and Consumer Electronics4 (CE) sectors as the fastest
growing, now accounting for 15% of residential electricity use (OECD/IEA, 2009).
Whilst improvements in the efficiency of CE will help to reduce their overall energy
consumption in the use-phase, consideration must be given to the fact that the number of
appliances in use is increasing rapidly; without intervention it is anticipated that by 2030
electricity use will increase by 250% for ICT and CE products (Asia Pacific Economic
Corporation, 2009). This is partly due to some newer, more sophisticated devices needing
more energy to run such as High Definition flat screen television (despite being more
efficient), and also due to old appliances being kept and used in other areas of the home
(Energy Saving Trust, 2011). Keirstead (2006) states the proliferation of domestic
appliances and smaller household units as drivers for a reported 3% per annum increase in
domestic electricity consumption since 1970 in the UK.
It is also important to consider that the efficiency of products is affected by the manner in
which they are used. For example, consumers are increasingly listening to the radio
through their televisions or PCs, which consumes far more energy than conventional means
(Energy Saving Trust, 2011). Lockton (2008) states that “user’s decisions and habits
ultimately have a major effect on the energy or other resources used by the product”.
Therefore, eco-design5 efforts also need to be focussed on overcoming barriers in
behaviour that can contribute to the energy saving potential of any measures introduced.
1.4. Games Console power consumption
Over time, games consoles have grown substantially in popularity. Comparing sales of fifth
generation consoles (from 1994) including the N64 and Sega Saturn, to current seventh
generation consoles (Playstation®3, Xbox 360 and Wii) sales have increased around tenfold
(Table 1). In general, the energy use of these devices has also increased significantly, as
they are able to offer more functions and improved performance. For instance, the most
recent PlayStation®2 model consumed 25 W (The Power Consumption Database, 2011),
with the PlayStation®3 console consuming around 200 W at launch (Natural Resources
Defense Council, 2008). An exception is the current generation Nintendo Wii, which offers
standard definition graphics, similar to that of the previous generation, thus requiring much
less power. However, Nintendo have recently announced the release of a new console, the
Wii U, that will also offer high definition graphics (Nintendo, 2011). This is likely to use a
similar level of power as the other current generation consoles. Comparing the energy use
of games consoles to other common domestic appliances shows that their annual
electricity consumption is relatively low. For example, televisions consume between 234
kWh/year and 504 kWh/year (Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM,
2007) and Set Top Boxes around 160 kWh/year (Ecostb, 2007), with consoles using around
115 kWh/year (See Section 4.4.2).
4
Consumer Electronics are “electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in
entertainment, communications and office productivity” (WIKIPEDIA. 2011.)
5
Eco-design “considers environmental aspects at all stages of the product development process,
striving for products which cause the lowest possible environmental impact throughout the product
lifecycle” (AOE, T. 2007.)
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Table 1 Sales figures for various consoles until 23rd July 2011 (VGChartz, 2011)
Console
Nintendo Wii
PlayStation®3
Xbox 360
Xbox
PlayStation®2
Nintendo 64
PlayStation
Sega Saturn
Total sales to
date (July 2011)
87,206,930
51,637,897
55,019,214
24,189,847
143,791,960
5,377,174
19,362,986
5,718,628
Despite the relatively low annual power consumption of consoles compared to other
domestic appliances, increased sales and increasing power demands of games consoles
over time means that aggregate energy use is increasing. As a result, authorities in the US,
Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Russia are considering regulation to limit the
power they consume and therefore reduce the contribution of the use-phase to the overall
life-cycle impacts (Section 2). At present, this use-phase impact has not been accurately
estimated and therefore current recommendations for regulations may miss potential
energy saving opportunities. This research will gather the data required in order to quantify
the use-phase and therefore help to direct policy in the right direction to maximise energy
savings.
1.5. Industrial Sponsor
The industrial sponsor for this research is Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE).
SCEE is responsible for “the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation® Portable,
PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3 hardware and software in 109 territories across Europe,
the Middle East, Africa and Oceania” (SCEE, 2010). The most recent console produced by
SCEE is the PlayStation®3. Originally released in 2007, an updated “slim” model was
released in September 2009.
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) forms part of the global Sony Corporation, including
Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and Sony Ericsson. SCE sits within the Consumer Products &
Services Group that was recently created in order to facilitate the transformation of Sony
into the world leader in provision of networked entertainment and solutions (SONY, 2011).
1.6. Section Conclusion
This section has shown that the use-phase energy use of electrical appliances contributes
significantly to the overall lifecycle impacts. Games consoles are shown to represent a
product group that is growing substantially in terms of popularity and power consumption,
leading to a large increase in the aggregate impacts. The industrial sponsor is also
introduced. The remainder of this report will look at the legislation currently under
development and the data already available for calculating the use-phase impacts. The
gaps, discrepancies and assumptions applied to these data are identified, followed by a
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section describing the research already conducted to address these. Finally, the report
concludes with a detailed plan for the research to be completed during the remainder of
the project, with the ultimate aim of identifying the best way to regulate both current and
future consoles for energy efficiency and power consumption.
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2. Consideration of Games Consoles for energy saving
2.1. Section Objectives
Games consoles have only been considered for regulation regarding energy saving,
relatively recently. In contrast, white goods such as washing machines and fridges, have
been subject to labelling and energy requirements for decades (Wiel et al., 2006). The
section begins by introducing games consoles as a product group and their development
over time. This is followed by a summary of different regulatory and voluntary initiatives,
and the proposed requirements, under development for games consoles.
2.2. Games Consoles
2.2.1. History of Games Consoles
The first home games console, the Magnavox Odyssey, was released in 1972 (The games
console, 2011). This was an analog system powered by batteries. In the following years
various consoles were released that offered more games and more sophisticated gaming,
including multi-player options. In 1976, the Fairchild Channel F console was released and
was the first programmable system and had games cartridges containing Read Only
Memory (ROM). Consoles continued to develop rapidly offering more colours, moving from
game cartridges to CDs, until today where the current generation of consoles offer a wide
variety of secondary functionalities6 including web browsing, online gaming, digital
television viewing and movie playback.
2.2.2. Diversity of Games Consoles
Despite only being available from three manufacturers, the current generation of games
consoles present an extremely diverse, multifunctional product group. In contrast, other
product groups considered for energy saving regulation offer very clearly defined functions
that are similar across the product group and available from numerous manufacturers. A
good example of this is televisions that offer the same function, albeit with varying levels of
picture quality, and are available from hundreds of manufacturers. A summary of the
current generation consoles technical specification and available secondary functionality is
shown in Table 2, demonstrating this broad variability. A good example of console diversity
is the media playback capabilities of the three current generation consoles. The Nintendo
Wii cannot play media discs, such as DVDs and CDs, the Xbox 360 can play DVDs and CDs
and the PlayStation®3 can play DVDs, CDs and Blu-ray discs. It is also important to highlight
that consoles are reprogrammable. With increasing network connectivity and functionality,
updates can be downloaded that alter the operating system. A recent example of this is a
software update for the APD functionality of PlayStation®3 that was automatically
downloaded to those consoles connected to the internet.
6
Secondary functionality can be considered as anything other than game play, such as internet
browsing and watching movies.
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Table 2 Technical specifications and secondary functionality of current generation games consoles (What Console, 2011)
Specification
CPU
GPU
Memory
PlayStation®3
Cell Broadband Engine
256MB XDR RAM, 256 MB GDDR3 VRAM
Xbox 360
3.2 GHz PowerPC Tri-core Xenon
512MB GDDR3 RAM, 512MB UMA
VRAM, 10MB EDRAM
1MB
500MHz ATI Xenos
4GB / 250GB (new slim model)
Wii
Custom-built IBM, "Broadway"
Custom-built ATI, "Hollywood"
MoSys-developed 1T-SRAM
L2 Cache
Graphics
Internal
Storage
Max
Resolution
Game Format
512KB
nVidia RSX @ 550 MHz
2.5" SATA non-removable hard drive
(120,250 and 320 GB versions)
1080p
1080i
480p
Blu-ray BD-ROM
HD DVD
Controllers
PlayStation® move
Six axis/ Dualshock 3 (Bluetooth wireless)
4x Xbox 360 Controllers (USB wired, 2.4
GHz Wireless)
Kinect
Networking
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Ethernet RJ45
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
2 USB 2.0 ports
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 a/b/g (needs
additional adapter)
12 cm Wii Disc, 8 cm GameCube disc
4.7 GB (or 8.5 GB Dual Layer)
Wii Remote & MotionPlus (supports up to 4 wireless
controllers)
/Balance Board /Nintendo GameCube controller /
Nintendo DS
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Input Output
Other
Features
Blu-ray/ DVD/ CD player
Up to HDMI 1.3a compatible
PlayStation® Eye
Bravia sync XMB control (CEC)
Dolby true HD and DTS-HD Master Audio
bistreaming
3x USB 2.0 ports
Ethernet (RJ45)
2x Memory Slots
Interchangeable Face Plates
Media Center Extender
Xbox LIVE
6
-
2x USB 2.0 ports
4x GameCube controller ports
2x 512 MB Flash Memory slots (SD Card compatible)
"Virtual console" for retro games
1x proprietary component/digital out
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2.2.3 Development of Interest in Games Consoles
An American NGO, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), first highlighted games
consoles as a product group that make a significant contribution to household energy use.
In their 2008 report, it was stated that consoles in the US consume 16 billion kWh/year
(Natural Resources Defense Council, 2008). This high energy use was attributed to
increasing ownership, increasing power consumption of consoles, inaccessible power
management features, and the belief that many consoles are left on for extended periods.
This stimulated much global attention around the energy consumption of games consoles
and the potential for this to continue to rise without intervention.
Following this, games consoles were included in Lot 3 for Sound and Imaging Equipment
under the Eco-design Directive Working Plan for 2009-2011 (Commission of the European
Communities, 2008). The preparatory study for Lot 3 began in 2009 and was completed in
November 2010. The Consultation Forum is due to take place later in 2011.
Appendix 8.1 contains a detailed description of the Eco-design Directive. Also in 2009, the
US Environmental Protection Agency ENERGYSTAR® program published draft requirements
for consoles (Energy Star, 2009b), however these were withdrawn due to serious
stakeholder concerns over the quality of the analysis and the suitability of the
requirements proposed. In 2011, the ENERGYSTAR® program showed a renewed interest in
games consoles on publication of new draft requirements (EnergyStar, 2011) which are
currently undergoing stakeholder consultation.
In order to provide a legitimate alternative to the recommendations made in the various
proposals, industry formulated its own proposal. In particular, this was due to serious
concerns over the quality of the analysis in the Eco-design Lot 3 study (discussed in Section
4.4.1) that could lead to implementation of requirements that would stifle innovation,
reduce consumer satisfaction and result in minimal energy savings. The industry proposal
was created via regular meetings of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to discuss possible
requirements that would be challenging, yet achievable, for all parties and result in real,
verifiable, energy savings. In order to be considered, any counter proposal must offer a
greater energy saving than the consultants’ proposal.
Most recently, the NRDC have made recommendations for games console requirements to
the Californian Energy Commission (CEC) (Natural Resources Defense Council and Energy
Solutions, 2011) as the appliance efficiency regulations are evaluated.
The recommendations made for games consoles under the instruments described above
are summarised in Table 3. It is important to note that the Australian government are
considering mandatory measures for games consoles as they are predicted to account for
20% of Home Entertainment Products (HEPs) energy use in the home in 2015 (Australian
Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 2011). In addition to
ENERGYSTAR® in the US, a bill has been passed that requires the Secretary of Energy to
conduct a study of video game console energy efficiency (2009). The Senator who
introduced the bill, Robert Menendez, stated, “Some consumers leave their games
consoles on 24 hours a day”, instigating this action. Assumptions such as this are addressed
in Sections 3.3 and 4.2. As yet, no results of the analysis by the Secretary of Energy have
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been published. Also in Table are horizontal Eco-design limits that apply to consoles, which
have been included in other recommendations globally as they are the most developed
requirements for theses aspects of product power consumption.
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Table 3 Summary of proposed requirements for games consoles
Responsible body/
Legislation
Year
Coverage of Proposed Requirements and Associated Limits
(where applicable)
Voluntary or
Mandatory
APD
NRDC
2008
N/A
Activate after 1-3 hours
inactivity
On by default
Autosave/
Autoresume
Sleep
button


Estimated Energy
Savings
Other modes
Standby mode (internet browsing
etc.)
Power supply
efficiency
Navigation
mode
Networked
standby mode
Reduce power in line
Scale processor voltage
with that of
and frequency
standalone DVD player
-
-
-
-
-
11 billion kWh in
US
-
-
-
-
-
3.7TWh/year in
2020 in EU

-
-
-
-
N/A - limits not yet
defined


In line with Eco- In line with Ecodesign Lot 26
design Lot 6
requirements
requirements

Tier 1 - 70W
Tier 2 - 60W
Tier 1 - 500GWh
Tier 2 - 700GWh
in California


In line with Eco- In line with Ecodesign Lot 26
design Lot 6
requirements
requirements
-
2.27TWh/year in
2020 in EU
Media playback
Idle/ Inactive mode
Either
Activate after 30 minutes
of inactivity
On by default
-
-
-
Improve chip
integration, through
use of power gating and
clock gating
technologies
2011
Voluntary
Activate after 1 hour of
inactivity
Shipped as enabled

-


NRDC to Californian
Energy Commission
(Tier 1 2014, Tier 2
2016)
2011
Enabled by default
Mandatory
Activate after 1 hour or less
-
-

Tier 1 - 50W
Tier 2 - 25W

Tier 1 - 70W
Tier 2 - 60W
-

Tier 1 - 70W
Tier 2 - 60W
Industry Proposal
Tier 1 2013
Tier 2 2017
2011
Voluntary
Activate after 1 hour of
inactivity or after 4 hours
when playing media
Shipped as enabled

-

Tier 1 - 90W
Tier 2 - 70W
-
-

Tier 1 - 90W
Tier 2 - 70W

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Tier 1 - 1W
Tier 2 - 0.5W
-
-

1 hour maximum period
of inactivity
-
-
-
-
-
-

Tier 1 - 4W
Tier 2 - 2W
-
-
6.7TWh/year in
2020 in EU
EU Eco-design
Directive
Lot 3 Sound and
Imaging Equipment
2009
EPA EnergyStar
Horixontal Eco-design measures
Lot 6 Standby and offmode losses
2008 Mandatory
Tier 1 - 2014
Tier 2 - 2016
Lot 26 Networked
standby
2011 Mandatory
Tier 1 - 2014
Tier 2 - 2016
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Table 3 shows the broad coverage of the requirements proposed under the various
instruments. All of the instruments include APD in their recommendations, as this is an
effective way to reduce the time a console spends on but not being actively used, often
described as idle or more accurately, inactive7. Proposals are also made for limiting inactive
mode power consumption, however this will significantly restrict active power use. This is
inconsistent with PC requirements that do not regulate active power use (Energy Star,
2009a) and would disproportionately affect consoles. Furthermore, the limits suggested in
the Lot 3 report (48 W) are around 50% lower than current best practice and are based on
limits that PCs are able to achieve. This would have severe implications for PlayStation®3,
for example, as it would require a complete redesign of the hardware; something that is
not cost effective at this late stage in the product lifetime (several hundreds of millions of
dollars are invested in games console chip development (SCEE, 2011)).
The recommended default time to activation of APD varies between 30 minutes and 4
hours. The Lot 3 default time of 30 minutes is deemed too short by the NRDC who are
concerned consumers may choose to disable the APD function if they find that their
console is powering down too soon. This would have the opposite to the desired effect,
leading to an increase in console energy use. In fact, research in the US has shown that PC
users disabled the APD function if it was too short for their intended use (Energy Center of
Wisconsin, 2010). Thus, the industry proposal recommends 1 hour, supported by the
ENERGYSTAR® program and CEC. The industry proposal also includes special APD
requirements for media playback to avoid consoles powering down whilst consumers are
watching a movie. NRDC limits suggested for media playback (50 W for Tier 1 and 25 W for
Tier 2) will certainly challenge manufacturers. The limits are based on the fact that standalone DVD and Blu-ray players consume much less power to provide the same function.
2.3. Section Conclusion
This section has documented the global interest in games consoles as a product group that
can offer significant energy savings via introduction of voluntary or mandatory legislation.
Recommendations cover broad aspects of console use from introduction of certain
technologies to proposing limits for specific functions or modes. Although certain areas
such as APD are included in all proposals, the recommendations are not consistent, which
provides a challenge for console manufacturers in terms of product compliance in different
regions. The industry proposal attempts to mitigate this risk. It is important to highlight
that all recommendations made are based on a paucity of data for user behaviour and
power consumption of consoles. Research to improve the data availability is discussed in
Sections 4 and 5.
7
The description of idle does not apply to consoles; even when not receiving any user input, certain
key functions are being performed. This includes loading the next scene in the background,
generating images on screen, and, in the case of online gaming, communicating via the internet
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE. 2010. Therefore, manufacturers use the term inactive.
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3. Quantifying the use-phase impact of games consoles
3.1. Section Objectives
The purpose of this section is to focus further on games consoles and the current approach
to quantifying the use-phase impacts. The methodology currently employed to calculate
the use-phase impacts of appliances is explained followed by a summary of the data
available at present for games consoles.
3.2. Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) methodology and data requirements
The potential energy saving from implementation of energy efficiency standards or
regulations must be quantified in order to ensure that it will make a tangible contribution
to targets, such as the EU “20-20-20 targets”, and does not result in any detrimental effects
to the consumer or manufacturer. To do this, a representative base case of console power
consumption in the use-phase must be constructed, against which improvements in
efficiency and overall energy use can be measured.
The approach to estimating the annual electricity use of electrical appliances is the TEC
method. This is the approach used by the ENERGYSTAR® Program in the United States, and is
the methodology employed in the ENERGYSTAR® Computer Requirements (Energy Star,
2009a). TEC is also employed by the Lot 3 study for illustrative purposes, although it is not
yet certain whether it will be employed in the final requirements for games consoles.
TEC uses a formula that multiplies the power consumed in a specific mode, by the time
spent in that mode. A generic formula is shown below for calculating TEC:
TEC = (P1 * T1) + (P2 * T2) +….. (Pn * Tn)
Where
P = power in Watts
T = time in hours
1, 2… n
= different modes
Benefits and limitations of this approach for games consoles are noted (AEA, 2010). The
main benefit is its flexibility, allowing new product functions to be added to the formula as
necessary. In addition, when considering limiting energy use it allows a single limit value to
be given to manufacturers, rather than stipulating exact power limits for each mode,
allowing them to meet the requirements in the most appropriate way for their product. By
allowing manufacturers to meet the TEC limit as they wish will facilitate continued
innovation whilst also improving efficiency. The major drawback is that a TEC limit for
future products cannot be set until product specifications are known. Each generation of
console represents a step-change in technology and functionality and at present, the next
generation of products has not been defined. Therefore, requirements would be set
retrospectively after launch of the product thereby missing the opportunity to employ ecodesign principles. In addition, the TEC methodology requires significant data inputs, which
as shown in Sections 3.3 and 3.4 are not currently available for consoles. Even if this
detailed information were available, consoles are reprogrammable via software updates
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that can alter the way a console functions, how consumers use them and the power they
consume.
The TEC methodology requires power consumption and user behaviour data for each
power-consuming mode or state available. The following modes are available on games
consoles:
ACTIVE: the state in which the mode has been selected and the user is engaged (Games
Console Industry, 2011)
INACTIVE: the state in which the mode has been selected but the user is not engaged ibid.
NAVIGATION: mode in which no other mode is engaged and the games console is
displaying a menu of functions from which the user may select ibid.
MEDIA PLAY: mode in which the Games Console is actively performing media/ audio-visual
functions such as DVD playing, video streaming etc ibid
STANDBY: defined as “state of the equipment during which it is connected to its power
source and offers no primary function but fulfils a secondary use-oriented function or
protective function” (International Electrotechnical Commission, 2010).
OFF: defined by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission, 2010) as a “ state
during which the equipment is connected to its power source but is not providing any
function except an indication of status or to ensure electromagnetic compatibility”.
This remainder of this section now turns to consider the data available for user behaviour
and power consumption that can be used in a TEC calculation for games consoles.
3.3. User Behaviour Data
Data regarding the consumer use of games consoles is available from numerous sources,
although the data vary in coverage of functions and consumer groups. For example, some
studies do not include the many gamers under 16 and none consider the time when a
console is inactive but switched on. The use of consumer surveys conducted by consumer
associations, industry and research institutes is recommended in the Methodology for the
Eco-design of Energy-Using Products (MEEUP) for use as sources on “frequency and
characteristics of use”(VHK, 2005). For games consoles, the following usage data are
available:
1. GameVision Europe Consumer Intelligence Report (GameVision Europe, 2009,
GameVision Europe, 2010): This survey is conducted biannually in Spring and
Autumn and contains detailed information regarding the frequency with which
consumers use the available functionality on the different console platforms. It
does not include an indication of for how long consumers are using these
functions. The study reports information using a categorisation of gamers
according to their “commitment”. Commitment is determined by hours of gameplay and how many games consumers have bought in the last 3 months. The
categorization is shown in Figure 1. The report summarises data collected in the
five main European markets: UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. It is based on a
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nationally representative face-to-face market sizing study of 13,141 and 13,113
respondents in 2009 and 2010 respectively and a gamer survey of 4,714 Active
gamers and 1,118 Non Buying gamers in 2009 and 5,272 Active Gamers in 2010.
Between the 2009 and 2010 surveys a tendency towards increasing commitment
for PlayStation®3 users is reported (i.e. number of gaming hours) in addition to
increases in frequency of use of numerous secondary functions including online
game play, internet browsing and watching DVDs (Table 6).
Figure 1 Gamer commitment index with figures for 2009 (GameVision Europe, 2009)
2. Interactive Software Federation of Europe Video Gamers in Europe 2010 (ISFE)
(Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010): This is a survey regularly
conducted by ISFE, an organisation that represents the interests of the interactive
software sector across the EU (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2011).
The survey covers aspects such as, who plays video games, why people play video
games, and what functions they use. It is important to note that this sample does
not include the many under 16s who are gamers. A study in America recorded 51%
of gamers as aged 17 and under (Nielsen, 2007). Therefore, the exclusion of this
age group could skew the results in favour of older gamers, who may exhibit
different usage patterns. The commitment categorisation from the GameVision
survey is also used in the ISFE study, although an intermittent category has been
added to include those gamers who are “not putting aside regular time to play
games every week”. The adapted categorisation is shown in Figure 2. The results of
the ISFE study show that the majority of PlayStation®3 users studied fall into the
Marginal/Dabbler commitment category, playing for between 1 and 5 hours a
week. Frequency of use of secondary functions such as watching DVDs and films
and listening to music are relatively high at around 45% (Table 7).
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Figure 2 Gamer commitment index with figures for 2010 (Interactive Software Federation
of Europe, 2010)
3. Nielsen - The State of the Video Gamer: PC and Video Game Console Usage
Fourth Quarter 2008 (Nielsen, 2009): This report contains data collected via the
use of metering technology for data collection in more than 17,000 US television
households. This therefore reports actual, not self-reported usage estimates. Data
relevant to consoles is shown in Table 4. It is important to highlight that this
information is based on data collected about American consumers, versus the
other sources, which are based on European consumers. This data reports that
PlayStation®3 users are active on their console for around 17.6 hours per week,
with Wii users active for around 8.6 hours per week. Most interesting from this
research is the number of sessions data that can be used to calculate inactive time
per day.
4. Industry data: console manufacturers submitted Industry data for console usage to
the Lot 3 consultants. This gives an indication of for how long consumers use their
consoles and which functions they use (Table 5).
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Table 4 Console user primary characteristics December 2008 (Nielsen, 2009)
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 2
Xbox 360
Xbox
Wii
GameCube
Average
Session
Mins
Average
Usage
Days
Daily Average
Number
Sessions
Console
User
Type
64
71
78
77
58
65
6.8
5.5
7.1
5.6
5.0
4.5
2.42
1.98
2.15
1.94
1.78
1.82
Heavy
Heavy
Heavy
Heavy
Medium
Heavy
Table 5 Manufacturer measured average use profiles (AEA, 2010)
Function
All
Game Play
Movie/Video
Playback
Internet Browsing
Other Functions
Active and Inactive
mode time
(hours/day)
2.1
1.4
Share
of time
100%
67%
0.4
0.4
0.3
19%
19%
14%
The industry data gives an insight into the breadth and frequency of secondary
functionality use by consumers. This clearly demonstrates that consumers no longer use
their console solely for gaming, but as a multifunctional home entertainment device.
One area where this data lacks detail is the split between active and inactive time within
each function. It is necessary to know the split between these so that the potential energy
savings of recommendations, such as APD, can be more accurately estimated.
Interestingly, despite the values including inactive time, the average daily on time amounts
to just over two hours a day. This further brings into question the assumptions made by the
NRDC suggesting that consoles are switched on 24 hours a day. This does, however, agree
with the figures in Table 8 published by the Lot 3 consultant. Although the split between
inactive (idle) and in-use is not known; the Lot 3 study suggests that inactive time is 2.5
times as much as active time. In terms of the survey data, the average game play time per
week is around 1 hour, in contrast to the industry data that suggests a much higher usage
of around 10 hours per week. It is not possible to draw a comparison for the usage time of
secondary functions as the survey data, nor the Lot 3 report, give usage times for these
aspects of console use.
Table 6 and Table 7 summarise the data for PlayStation®3 from sources 1 and 2 for 2009
and 2010 respectively.
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Table 6 Summary of data for 2009 regarding game play hours and the use of secondary
functions on PlayStation®3 per user
PlayStation®3 Game-play Data
Gamer Commitment
GameVision Study 8
(% consumers that use the function at
least once a week)
Marginals
Dabblers
Loyalist
Magpies
Committed
PlayStation®3 Secondary Function Data
DVD playback
Watch films
Listening to Music
Access a social networking site
Chat online
Online game play
Internet browsing
8
9
33%
57%
62%
66%
74%
GameVision Study 9
(% consumers that use the function
"regularly")
40%
29%
4%
9%
11%
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2010. Autumn 2009 European Consumer Intelligence Report Table 48 p.55
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2010. Autumn 2009 European Consumer Intelligence Report Table 50 p.55
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Table 7 Summary of data for 2010 regarding game play hours and the use of secondary
functions on PlayStation®3 per user
PlayStation®3 Game-play Data
Data source
ISFE Study10
GameVision Study11
(estimated usage per
week in the last 3 months)
(% consumers that
use the function at
least once a week)
Intermittent
Marginal/Dabblers
Loyalist
Magpies
Committed
PlayStation®3 Secondary Function Data
No hours (19%)
1-5 hours (41%)
6-10 hours (15%)
11-15 hours (9%)
16+ hours (16%)
43%/58%
75%
67%
78%
Data Source
DVD playback
Watch films
Listening to Music
Access a social networking
site
Chat online
Online game play
Internet browsing
ISFE Study12
(% of users that have used
the function in the last 12
months)
46%
46%
45%
GameVision Study13
(% consumers that
use the function at
least once a week)
43%
8%
29%
23%
20%
-
10%
24%
13%
As shown, although various sources of data exist, some aspects of console use such as the
time consoles spend in standby and inactive, are not covered. It is also apparent that the
way in which data is reported does not allow an accurate picture of usage time per function
to be constructed. Instead, frequencies of use are reported using terms such as “regularly”
that introduce ambiguity. This highlights the need for data regarding the inactive use of
consoles, in addition to usage times for secondary functions. Research to address these
requirements is detailed in Sections 4.2 and 5.3.
10
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2010. Video gamers in Europe 2010.Figure 20
p.28
11
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2010. Autumn 2010 European Consumer Intelligence Report Table 57 p.73
12
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2010. Video gamers in Europe 2010 Figure 18
p.27
13
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2010. Autumn 2010 European Consumer Intelligence Report Table 59 p.74
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Despite the lack of data in this regard, usage estimations (Table 8) for games consoles are
published in the Lot 3 preparatory study report. In addition, the Australian HEP report gives
annual energy consumption estimations for games consoles (Table 9).
Table 8 Use Phase Inputs (Games Consoles) (AEA, 2010)
Table 9 Figures for annual power consumption of a games console per mode (Equipment
Energy Efficiency Program, 2010)
Product Mode
Annual Energy Consumption
(kWh/year)
On
Active Standby
Passive Standby
Off
47.3
87.6
5.1
0.3
A comparison of the figures in Table 8 and Table 9 shows large discrepancies between the
EU and Australian estimates for annual power consumption of consoles. For example, 26.5
kWh versus 87.6 kWh for idle/active standby power consumption. It also shows
inconsistent terminology use for the same modes. Before games consoles can be regulated,
it is necessary to establish a correct base case – i.e. a figure that is representative of games
console power consumption per annum for those products already in the home. Without
this, it is impossible to identify areas where improvements can be made and the likely
magnitude of these savings. Work already completed towards achieving this is described in
Section 4.4, with further planned research detailed in Section 5.4.1.
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3.4. Power Consumption Data
There are various sources of power consumption data for consoles, of which NGOs and
research institutes have published the majority. These data are summarised in Table 10.
Table 10 Summary of power consumption data available for the PlayStation®3
Mode power use (W)
Source
Year
Active
Inactive
Standby
Off
Danish Technological Institute
(Danish Technological Institute,
2007)
2007
192
182
2
0
Natural Resources Defense
Council (Natural Resources
Defence Council, 2008)
PlayStation®3 launch (2006)
PlayStation®3 (2007)
2008
Sust-it (Sust- it, 2011)
189
150
181
153
1
1
2007
380
-
-
-
Sust-it (Sust- it, 2011)
2008
280
-
-
-
Sust-it (Sust- it, 2011)
2009
250
-
-
-
Electric Power Research Institute
(Electric Power Research Institute,
2010)
PlayStation®3 (2007)
PlayStation®3 (2010)
2010
150
85
As shown in Table 10, reported values for power consumption of PlayStation®3 vary
considerably between sources and over time. For example, figures for reported 2007
models vary between 150 W to 380 W in active mode. Since the launch of PlayStation®3 in
2006, numerous updates have occurred to the hardware, most obvious in the release of
the slim PlayStation®3 in 2009. These hardware changes have led to 60% reduction in the
power consumption of the console (Figure 3). The main factor responsible for this decrease
in power consumption is the reduction in size of the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and
Central Processing Unit (CPU) chips. The same performance can be achieved on a smaller
chip, which in turn reduces the distance the electrons have to travel leading to faster
computations and energy saving.
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Figure 3 Chart showing the reduction in power use of the PlayStation®3 since its launch in
2006
Voluntary energy reduction of PlayStation3 since launch
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Launch
Revision 1
Revision 2
Revision 3
Revision 4
The discrepancies in the data presented in Table 10 can be accounted for by two main
factors:
1. The lack of internationally recognised mode definitions for games consoles; and
2. The lack of an internationally recognised test methodology.
Both of these led to different results as like for like comparisons are not being made. The
discrepancies may be caused by testing different models (there are eight different models
of PlayStation®3 console on the market within the original and slim models versions).
It is also important to discuss data reported by AEA in the Lot 3 report, which gives an
average of 51.5 W for all consoles currently on the market. At present there are two high
definition consoles (Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3) that consume similar levels of power, and
the Nintendo Wii that consumes much less power as it offers standard definition graphics.
Therefore, an average of the three does not accurately represent the installed base14 of
consoles, or the expected market trend for all consoles to move to high definition. This
further serves to demonstrate that the actual efficiency of consoles is not sufficiently
considered if the power consumption of standard and high definition consoles is simply
compared. This highlights another area where standardisation is missing in the form of a
measure of efficiency. This would take into account the functionality of the console,
coupled with its energy use.
The rapidly changing nature of games consoles, even within a product lifetime, illustrates
the difficulty in constructing a base case for energy use, against which energy savings can
be measured.
14
Installed base is a measure of the number of units of a particular model that have already been
sold also known as stock.
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3.5. Section Conclusion
This section has described the TEC methodology currently used for quantifying the use
phase impacts of games consoles. It has shown that the data required for user behaviour
and power consumption is not currently available. A summary of the available data for
calculating the use phase impacts has been given, which has in turn identified the gaps and
discrepancies in the data. Research already completed, and research planned to improve
the data situation are discussed in Sections 4 and 5 respectively.
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4. Improving the Availability and Quality of Data: Research
Completed to Date
4.1. Section Objectives
This section will describe the research completed to date in order to fill in some of the gaps
identified in Section 3. The data collected will enable a more accurate base case of console
energy use to be calculated, against which possible energy savings can be measured.
Without this information, energy efficiency standards and regulations will be introduced
based on incorrect information. This would most likely result in the adoption of suboptimal requirements for games consoles that will not achieve the potential for energy
saving. The methodology, results and limitations are described below.
4.2. User behaviour
This section discusses research completed by the research engineer in order to address
some of the gaps and limitations identified in Section 3.3. Despite various sources of data
for user behaviour existing, not all aspects of games console use are covered.
•
Questions submitted to the 2010 ISFE study:
As identified, one aspect of console use that is not covered by the data available is the
inactive time. The intention of the research described here was to gather more information
regarding the switch off behaviour of consumers, including how long it took consumers to
switch off the console after use, how it was switched off and to what mode so that inactive
time could be estimated. The research engineer formulated three questions to address the
areas described above. The questions were included in the 2010 ISFE study that surveyed
5,800 gamers. The questions submitted for this research (Box 1) were asked to 4,168
gamers (3,814 when weighted), in 18 countries, who were identified as active on the three
main consoles: the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation®3.
The intention of the first question was to establish for how long consoles are left inactive
by consumers. One policy option is the implementation of an Auto Power Down (APD)
function that will power down the console to standby after it has been inactive for a certain
period. In order to measure the impact of this policy measure, it is necessary to know how
long consoles are inactive so that the optimum APD time can be established, in addition to
calculating the projected energy impact. The second question was asked to gain an
understanding of the mode consumers switched their consoles to if they switched it off.
Many assumptions around usage included suggestions that some consoles were on for 24
hours a day (2009) and that 50% of consumers leave their consoles on all the time (Natural
Resources Defence Council, 2008). Also unknown was the proportion of users that
switched their consoles off at the wall, or using the off switch on the back of their console
(if available).
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Box 1 Questions submitted to the 2010 ISFE study
1. When the console is not being used is it:
 Always switched off
 switched off after less than 1 hour
 switched off after 1-5 hours
 switched off after 6-10 hours
 switched off after 11-15 hours
 left on for more than 15 hours
 always left on
2. If the console is switched off, do you:
 switch off the controller/s but not the console
 switch off the console to standby using the
button on the front
 switch off the console to standby using the
controller
 switch off the console using the on/off switch at
the back of the console
 switch off at the plug/ unplug the console
3. Have you enabled the power management functions
on your console?
 Yes, I have activated it
 No, I know about it but have not I have not
activated it
 No, I am not aware there is a power
management function on my console
 Don’t know
Finally, the third question was related to consumers understanding of APD and whether
they had activated it on their console. A concern of an NGO was that the APD options were
buried too deeply in the menu making it hard for consumers to enable it (Natural
Resources Defence Council, 2008).
The results from these questions are shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 and Figure 6. The main
findings of this research are that:
•
18% of committed gamers claim to leave their console on after use, whereas 100%
of intermittent users on PlayStation®3 claim to always switch their console off after
use (Figure 4);
•
78% of intermittent gamers claim to switch their consoles to standby. In contrast,
64% of more committed gamers claim to switch their consoles off at the wall or
using the off switch on the back of the console (Figure 5); and
•
Around 30% of PlayStation®3 users are unaware of the APD functionality available,
and another 30% claim to have activated APD on their console (Figure 6).
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This shows that contrary to the assumptions around the proportion of users that leave
their consoles on all the time, just 3% of marginal users and 4% of committed users
responded with “always left on”. However, it would appear that concerns around the
complexity of enabling APD may be valid and therefore warrants further investigation.
Percentage
Switch off behaviour for PlayStation®3 Users
100%
98%
96%
94%
92%
90%
88%
86%
84%
82%
80%
Always left on
Switched off after 15+
hours
Switched off after 11-15
hours
Switched off after 6-10
hours
Switched off after 1-5
hours
Switched off after <1hr
Always switched off
Intermittent Marginals Loyalists
Gamer Commitment
Figure 4 Chart showing the proportion of consumers exhibiting the different switch off
behaviours on PlayStation®3
Mode switched to after use for PlayStation®3
users
Percentage
100%
80%
Intermittent
60%
Marginals
40%
Loyalists
20%
0%
Only
Console
Console Console left
controllers switched to switched off
on
switched off standby
Mode switched to
Figure 5 Chart showing the proportion of PlayStation®3 users surveyed that switch off to
each mode available
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Mid-course Dissertation
APD awareness for PlayStation®3
Percentage
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes, I have
activated it
No, I know about No, I am not
it but I have not aware there is a
activated it
power
management
function on my
console
Don't know
APD awareness and activation
Figure 6 Chart showing the awareness of PlayStation® users regarding the availability of
APD functionality on their console
Although the information collected from this survey provides new insights into consumer
behaviour, there are some limitations to the data. Firstly, as stated above, the ISFE study
does not include gamers under 16 that are known to make up a significant proportion of
users. It is also clear from some of the responses that the question formulation was weak,
thus leading to some erroneous responses. For example, some Wii users stated that they
had activated APD on their console, yet this feature does not exist on this platform. Other
issues include ambiguity around the options given to respondents. This is particularly true
for Question 1, where respondents may select “Always switched off” when they do not
switch their console off immediately. The questions also assumed knowledge and
understanding of the respondents, especially regarding terms such as APD and standby.
This may have led to consumers unwittingly giving incorrect answers. Finally, as with any
survey research, when respondents are aware that their values and beliefs are under
observation they have a tendency to behave artificially.
The ISFE data augments the available data regarding the consumer usage of games
consoles. However, there are still numerous gaps and uncertainties surrounding some
aspects of console use such as standby time and inactive time. In particular, it was
established that to calculate inactive time it is necessary to know how many sessions (i.e.
how many times) consoles are used by consumers a day. Work to extend this research and
correct these errors is detailed in Section 5.3.1.
4.3. Power Consumption
As discussed in Section 3.4 there are numerous sources of power consumption data for the
PlayStation®3 and other console platforms. These vary significantly over time and between
sources. As shown, data on the power consumption of games consoles when performing
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Mid-course Dissertation
secondary functions is limited. The research engineer conducted independent power
consumption testing to provide data for use in the TEC methodology15 (Table 11).
Table 11 Modal Power Demand Data for PlayStation®3 slim console
Function
Gaming
System Inactive
Media Playback
Internet
Browsing
Audio Listening
Power Modes
Estimated Power Demand
(W)
Game Play - 1Player
Game Play - 2
Player
Game Pause
Game Play Inactive
System Inactive
Media Play
Media Pause
Media Play Inactive
99
Media Play
Media Play
Media Pause
82
83
85
97
98
98
82
78
78
77
4.4. Calculating Energy Saving Opportunities
The EuP product Lots that cover games consoles report potential energy savings in terawatt
hours (TWh). These savings are calculated using the TEC methodology to model the
anticipated impacts on implementation of proposed requirements. The potential energy
savings, of Lot 3 in particular, have been calculated using assumptions about user
behaviour and power consumption due to the lack of available data. Given the new data
collected through the research described in Sections 4.2 and 4.3, adjusted energy savings
are calculated for the Lot 3 and Industry proposals through the refinement of assumptions
and augmentation of data. These calculations were used by the console industry to
calculate the energy savings of their proposal and presented to the European Commission.
4.4.1. Lot 3 Predicted Energy Savings
The Lot 3 consultants’ suggested requirements led to a predicted energy saving of 3.7 TWh
in 2020. The assumptions and errors on which these savings are based are listed below,
followed by a description as to why they are questionable.
The following assumptions are made:
1. Averaging the power consumption of current generation consoles is representative
of both standard and high definition consoles;
15
The power consumption testing was conducted using a Yokogawa WT110 Digital Power Meter.
Measurements were taken according to the ENERGYSTAR® Test Procedure outlined in Appendix A of
the Draft Games Console requirements (ENERGY STAR 2009b.). Power readings were averaged over
5 minutes.
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2. A 30 minute APD function would decrease standby time by 50% and inactive time by
25% ; and
3. Games consoles with Best Available Technology (BAT) implemented would reduce
inactive power consumption by 50% to 25.4 W.
The following errors were made:
1. Any time not spent in-use, standby or inactive is off (Table 8) only accounts for 4373
hours of 8760 in a year); and
2. Estimated console sales figures are too low.
The original base case calculated by the consultant, using these assumptions, gave a base
case power consumption of 41.2 kWh/year per console.
The consultant updated assumption 1 and error 1 after the submission of corrected data by
industry. The data submitted led the consultants to create a separate base case for high
definition consoles, resulting in a higher base case energy use of 76.5 kWh/year per
console (Table 12). This increase of around 35 kWh/year is due to the revised power
consumption figures that have increased from 51.5 W (the average of current generation
power consumption) to 93.3 W in active mode.
For error 2, sales of consoles in 2010 were estimated by the consultant to be around 8
million, in fact this figure was closer to 15 million (VGChartz, 2011).
Assumption 2 is incorrect as an APD function will reduce inactive time whilst increasing
standby time by the same amount. Finally, assumption 3 is based on application of
reductions in inactive (idle) power consumption that are possible in PCs using the most
efficient chips available. Console manufacturers have suggested alternative reductions,
based on console technology, in the joint industry proposal, described in Section 0.
In order to verify the consultants predicted energy savings, the requirements suggested in
the Lot 3 report were applied, with the questionable assumptions, to the high definition
base case (Table 12) created by the consultants. It is important to note that this actually
represents current best practice for high definition consoles in terms of power
consumption, i.e. those consoles currently on sale, rather than the average of those in the
installed base.
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Mid-course Dissertation
Table 12 Estimated TEC values for current high definition games consoles (AEA, 2010)
Function
Game Play
Movie/Video
playback
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Standby/Off
All
Hour
s/day
Time in
Each
function
(%)
Estimated Share
of Time During
On Modes
Active
Idle
Stand
by/Off
Power
TEC Based on
Manufacturer
Use Hours
Active
Mode
Idle
Mode
Time
(Hours
/ day)
(W)
Time
(Hours
/ day)
(W)
(W)
kWh/year
1.4
0.4
6%
2%
70%
70%
30%
30%
1.0
0.3
93.3
74.9
0.4
0.1
92.8
73.9
-
47.6
10.9
0.1
0%
70%
30%
0.1
74.1
0.0
74.1
-
2.7
0.3
1%
70%
30%
0.2
74.6
0.1
74.6
-
8.2
21.8
91%
0.9
7.2
24
100%
76.5
Using the consultants predicted stock values (AEA, 2010), introduction of these
requirements resulted in much lower energy savings than predicted of 0.93 TWh in 2020.
4.4.2 Creating a New Base Case and Predicting Energy Savings of
Industry Proposal
In order to demonstrate the extra saving of the industry proposal and to correct some of
the assumptions discussed in Section 4.4.1, work was carried out by the research engineer
to establish a more appropriate base case and calculate the savings of the industry
proposal. This work was subsequently accepted and used within the industry proposal.
As stated above, the high definition base case created by the consultants actually
represents current best practice for power consumption figures. The base case should in
fact represent the average of consoles in the installed base. Therefore, a new base case
was constructed using averages of power consumption for all models of PlayStation®3
released to date, with the same usage times as the consultants’ high definition base case.
At present, these are the best available data for user behaviour and broadly agree with
other data sources available, described in Section 3.3. The power values are not weighted
by sales of each model, although this could be done to further improve the accuracy. The
new high definition base case is shown in Table 13. This gives a figure for power
consumption of 113.1 kWh/console/year. The increase between Table 12 and Table 13 is
due to increases in standby and active power values to 1.6 W and 125 W respectively.
Implementation of Tier 1 of the industry proposal reduces power consumption by 31.3
kWh/console/year, and Tier 1 and 2 together lead to a reduction of 36.4
kWh/console/year.
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Table 13 High definition base case for games consoles
Function
Game Play
Movie/Video
playback
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Standby/Off
All
Hour
s/day
Time in
Each
function
(%)
Estimated Share of
Time During On
Modes
Active
Inactive
Stand
by/Off
Power
TEC Based
on
Manufact
urer Use
Hours
Active
Mode
Inactive
Mode
Time
(Hours/
day)
(W)
Time
(Hours
/ day)
(W)
(W)
kWh/year
1.4
0.4
6%
2%
70%
70%
30%
30%
1.0
0.3
125.0
125.0
0.4
0.1
125.0
125.0
-
63.9
18.3
0.1
0%
70%
30%
0.1
125.0
0.0
125.0
-
4.6
0.3
1%
70%
30%
0.2
125.0
0.1
125.0
-
13.7
1.6
12.7
21.8
91%
24
100%
113.1
To calculate the total energy saving, a revised estimate of console sales was calculated
using data published by VGChartz (VGChartz, 2011). Sales of all consoles between January
2005 and January 2011, indicating an estimated 6-year product lifetime, were 80,882,074,
with average annual sales calculated at 13,500,000. This figure is used to calculate the
annual savings from all consoles as in the future all consoles in future are expected to be
high definition. The energy savings of the industry proposal are estimated to be 2.81 TWh
in 2020 – three times that of the Lot 3 proposal (see Table 14).
Table 14 Projected energy savings for high definition consoles on adoption of the console
industry’s proposal
Tier 1 savings
Year
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Tier 1 & 2 savings
Cumulative
sales
Per
console
(kWh/year)
Total
(TWh/year)
13500000
27000000
40500000
54000000
54000000
54000000
40500000
27000000
31.3
31.3
31.3
31.3
31.3
31.3
31.3
31.3
0.42
0.85
1.27
1.69
1.69
1.69
1.27
0.85
Per
console
(kWh/year)
Total
(TWh/year)
Total
Savings
(TWh/year)
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.4
36.4
0
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.49
0.98
1.48
1.97
0.42
0.85
1.27
1.69
2.18
2.68
2.74
2.81
0
0
0
0
13500000
27000000
40500000
54000000
Although this calculation gives a more accurate picture of where energy savings will occur
and the potential magnitude of energy savings, compared to the erroneous calculations in
the consultant’s report, it can still be improved through further data collection. The
calculations for the energy savings of the industry proposal contain the following
assumptions:
1. Sales of each PlayStation®3 model to date are equal;
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Amanda Webb
Mid-course Dissertation
2. 30% of the active time on a console is actually inactive (AEA, 2010);
3. Console sales will be 13,500,000 per year from 2013 onwards (VGChartz, 2011)
4. The APD proposal will reduce inactive time by 50%;
5. Game play inactive and active power use will remain constant, despite the
reductions in navigation and media modes; and
6. Inactive power use is the same as active power use.
It is likely that the calculated energy savings are highly conservative. For instance, for
PlayStation®3, reductions in navigation and media mode power use is likely to reduce
active power use; however, the extent to which this will occur is unknown. Furthermore, if
next generation consoles offer greater performance, and therefore use more energy, the
savings will be even greater as the base case energy use will be higher. This highlights the
need to model predicted increases in power consumption and improvements in energy
efficiency so that policy measures implemented today can be evaluated regarding their
long-term effectiveness. Research planned in this regard is detailed in Section 5.4.1.
4.5. Section Conclusion
This section has described the research conducted to date with the intention of
constructing a base case representative of the installed base of games consoles. This has
improved estimates of game console energy use in the use-phase and shown the many
assumptions and errors applied by the Lot 3 consultants, leading to projected energy
savings being overestimated. In calculating the projected energy savings of the industry
proposal, assumptions are still employed, highlighting areas where further research is
required.
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5. Identifying the Best Approach for Regulating Games Consoles for
Energy Efficiency and Power Consumption: Plans for Future
Research
5.1. Section Objectives
This section will outline the research to be undertaken over the remaining two years of the
EngD programme. The objectives of each research theme are stated, which all contribute
towards the overall aim of the EngD project; to define the most appropriate way to
regulate consoles for increased energy efficiency and reduced power consumption. A
detailed project plan is included, in addition to details of two planned journal submissions.
5.2. Research Themes
The research planned for the remainder of this EngD project is split into three main
themes:
1. Investigating and modelling user behaviour;
2. Calculating energy savings and modelling future technology trends; and
3. Assessing the effectiveness of current policy strategy for games consoles.
The three research themes are interlinked. Figure 7 shows the elements that influence
games console power consumption and the connections between them. In particular, it
demonstrates the complexity of estimating the energy use of games consoles in the usephase, which is determined by user behaviour, technological developments and innovation,
power consumption and the legislative background. This research aims to gain a detailed
understanding of all of the elements, and the interactions between them, in order to
establish the best approach to regulating both current and future generations of consoles
for improved efficiency and reduced energy use.
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LEGISLATION
USER
BEHAVIOUR
TECHNOLOGICAL
CONSRAINTS
INNOVATION
ENERGY
USE
POWER
CONSUMPTION
Figure 7 Diagram showing the connections between the elements that influence games
console energy use. Arrows indicate the direction of the interactions.
5.3. Estimating and Modelling User Behaviour
This research theme has two objectives:
i. To create a user behaviour profile/profiles that are representative of the usage at
present and for the future; and
ii. To provide methodological guidelines for estimating user behaviour.
5.3.1. Understanding User Behaviour
As shown in Sections 3.3 and 4.2, data are available for the consumer use of consoles.
However, some aspects of console use, such as inactive and standby are not well
understood. Given that these aspects have a significant impact on the magnitude of energy
savings, it is important to conduct further research in this area. For instance, a better
understanding of inactive time will allow the impact of an APD feature to be calculated
more accurately. To refine and complete the user behaviour profiles will form the focus of
the research for the immediate months ahead. This will be achieved by the following:

Inclusion of questions in 2011 ISFE study - following analysis of the data gathered
from the questions submitted to the 2010 ISFE study, numerous areas for
improvement were identified. One main issue was ambiguity of the questions and
poor understanding by respondents of the terminology used in the questions.
Therefore, further questions have been requested for inclusion in the next ISFE
study, due to take place in late 2011. In order to ensure that the questions are more
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appropriate, a pilot study will be conducted. The pilot study will use an online survey
tool that will also allow the respondents to write any queries or comments on the
questions, in addition to answering them. If respondents continue to be confused by
the terminology used in the questions, this exercise will be repeated using adjusted
questions.
The questions will remain focused on consumer switch off behaviour, as the 2010
questions were, although questions regarding gamer’s number of sessions will be
added. This is a key piece of information needed to calculate accurately the time a
console spends inactive, something that is currently unknown.

Constructing Consumer Profiles – Using the existing data available, and the new
information to be collected in the 2011 ISFE study, detailed consumer profiles will be
constructed that cover both inactive and active time for high definition consoles
currently on the market. Most importantly, inactive time has previously been
estimated based on assumptions; this research will provide the first estimation of
inactive time based on data collected specifically on this area of console use.
Constructing consumer profiles for games console users is complex due to the varied
usage between consumers; users of consoles exhibit extremely varied behaviour;
ranging from less than 1 hour a week (Interactive Software Federation of Europe,
2010) to more than 5 hours a day (Nielsen, 2007). The main limitation of this data is
under 16s are not surveyed; known to make up a significant proportion of gamers. In
order to overcome this, other data sources will be used to create scenarios for
younger gamers. In addition, usage of secondary functions are reported in
frequencies not time values. Again, other data sources will be used to build scenarios
for usage of secondary functions.

Consumer profiles for the future – As discussed throughout this report, games
consoles are a diverse, rapidly changing product group. Figure 7 shows that user
behaviour can be affected by technological developments and innovation in both
hardware and software, for example the addition of a new functionality. Therefore,
when considering the likely impact of legislation in the future, it is necessary to
predict how user behaviour will change. In order to establish whether user behaviour
is dynamic over time, trends in usage will be assessed for the period that data is
available. It is likely that this will be limited to comparing active usage data due to the
limited availability of data for other aspects of console usage at present. Active usage
will be broken down into its constituent parts where possible, by comparing the use
of secondary functions such as online gaming and media playback. If it appears that
overall usage is not sensitive to changes in functionality then the profile/s
constructed will be used in assessing the potential for energy saving in the future. In
addition, factors driving differences in user behaviour will be examined so that user
trends can be modelled. For example, it may become apparent that younger gamers
are also the heaviest gamers. Therefore, if the population of younger gamers is set to
increase then this will drive an increase in energy use. This assessment will require a
reanalysis of the existing data on user behaviour and user characteristics. This
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research is linked to the research described in Section 5.4.1, that will assess likely
trends in console functionality and technology in the future.
5.3.2. Developing a Methodology
As described in Section 3.3, guidelines for gathering user behaviour data to model the usephase power consumption of games consoles are, at present, minimal. Information
available is collected for other end-uses, except for the questions submitted to ISFE as part
of this research. Although the use of consumer surveys is the suggested methodology for
the Eco-design process (VHK, 2005), there are numerous limitations and complexities
associated with this approach. One issue is that data are reported in different formats,
making combination of data sources extremely difficult. Secondly, most of the sources of
data for games consoles only cover active time, estimated to account for only 2 hours of
use per day. The following activities will be undertaken to aid the development of
guidelines for a methodology to model the user behaviour of games consoles and estimate
the use-phase power consumption:

Assessment of key methodological parameters – numerous factors will dictate the
methodology adopted. The following parameters will be discussed with consultants
involved in undertaking preparatory studies for the Eco-design Directive, Desk
Officers responsible for Lots underway or already completed and representatives
of NGOs and industry involved in the process:
o
The time needed to collect the necessary data;
o
The cost of collecting the necessary data;
o
The longevity of the data (i.e. how often will it need to be updated); and
o
Who should be responsible for collecting the data.
Consultation of these groups will cover the main stakeholder groups involved in the
Eco-design process, all of whom have different objectives and expectations for the
Directive. The relative importance of the parameters investigated will also be
considered and results weighted accordingly.
5.4. Calculating Energy Savings
The objective of this research theme is:
i. To provide an approach for creating a base case against which energy savings can be
measured for current and future products.
5.4.1. Creating an Accurate Base Case
To assess the effectiveness of policy recommendations it is necessary to be able to quantify
the projected energy savings. In order to do this, a base case needs to be constructed that
includes power consumption data that is representative of the installed base and user
behaviour data that is representative of the gaming population (see research planned in
Section 5.3.1. This section discusses research that will enable projected energy savings to
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be modelled for current and future generations of consoles so that the optimum
requirement/ set of requirements can be identified.
As discussed in Section 4.4.1, the Lot 3 report has used current best practice power
consumption figures for consoles in its high definition base case. This has led to predicted
energy savings three times larger than would actually occur. Current best practice power
consumption figures do not represent the installed base; PlayStation®3 energy use has
steadily declined over the product lifetime from 200 W at launch to around 70 W today in
active mode. Already a new base case has been constructed through the research that
more accurately represents the installed base of consoles. This uses an average for active
and standby power consumption for all models of PlayStation®3 sold to date. The following
research will be completed to develop further an accurate base case:

Refined base case for current products – the new base case for high definition
consoles created through this research will be further refined by weighting the
power consumption figures of each model by the proportion of total sales it
accounts for. It is also important to consider that the power consumption values
used in the base case will become obsolete as new versions of existing consoles
become available. Using reductions in power consumption seen to date in the
PlayStation®3, expected reductions will be modelled and a new base case power
consumption figure calculated for each calendar year. Sales volumes will be
predicted using past patterns of sales seen for games consoles. At present, the
aggregate energy savings have been estimated using an average sales volume of
13,500,000 consoles per year. However, games consoles generally experience peak
sales mid-way through the product lifetime. This information will be used to model
anticipated savings from current generation consoles in the future.

Base case for future products – On release of a new model, it is anticipated that the
power consumption of consoles will be generally higher than the current model
due to introduction of new functionalities, increased performance and more
sophisticated specifications, e.g. for resolutions beyond high definition. In order to
model the base case energy use of future generation consoles it is necessary to
have an understanding of technology trends. An assessment of what consumers
expect from their consoles in the future, the development of new functionalities
that may be incorporated into consoles and any new modes of gaming that may
become available will be completed. This will involve consultation with consumers,
games console manufacturers and games developers who are all involved in the
direction of games console development. This will be accompanied by an
assessment of the likely power implications of these technologies and therefore,
the effect on the base case against which energy savings will be measured.

Modelling technologies to facilitate efficiency improvements/ reductions in power
consumption – It is also important to follow developments in technology that can
be adopted by console manufacturers to reduce power consumption and/or
improve energy efficiency. An example of this is scalable chips that use
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proportional computing, thus, rather than running at full capacity, they scale down
their activity to an appropriate level for the task in hand. At present, the magnitude
of the possible savings that these technologies can achieve for consoles is
unknown. In order to quantify the likely impacts of these technologies, a model will
be developed that will enable the user to apply different technologies to the base
case, such as scalable chips, to establish whether the technology will facilitate
energy savings and the likely magnitude of these savings. This will enable policy
makers to identify so called “energy hotspots” where efforts by console
manufacturers will result in significant energy savings.
5.5. Policy Strategy
The objective of this research is:
i. To provide a critical assessment of the Eco-design Directive, and other measures where
appropriate, and their application to games consoles.
At present, the Eco-design Directive is the most developed energy efficiency measure
regarding requirements for consoles although no regulations have been implemented
specifically for games consoles. Despite the lack of regulation, console manufacturers have
made significant reductions in games console power consumption, on a voluntary basis,
over the product lifetime. These reductions have been made because of technological
developments that occur under a business as usual model, not because of legislative
pressure. The value of applying the Directive to games consoles is therefore questionable,
as reductions in power consumption are already occurring. However, as shown in Figure 7,
legislation has the potential to exert influence over all elements that contribute towards
the power consumption of games consoles. The following research will be undertaken:

Critical assessment – In order to assess whether policy strategy is targeting the
right areas of games console power consumption, a critique of the Eco-design
Directive and its application to games consoles will be conducted. Referring to
Figure 7 shows that legislation could target areas that are not currently covered
under the Directive, for example innovation and user behaviour, which effect the
power consumption of games consoles. The areas not covered by the Directive will
be assessed in terms of the contribution they can make to improving the efficiency
of consoles and reducing their power consumption. As stated in Section 1.3, the
efficiency of a product is affected by the manner in which it is used. It is therefore
important to understand the extent to which introduction of measures such as an
APD feature will be undermined by consumers disabling it. If this were shown to be
the case then efforts to educate consumers alongside introduction of an APD
feature would maximise the benefit of implementing this measure.

Official assessment – The Eco-design Directive is currently undergoing an
evaluation by the EC. The results of this assessment will be monitored and
considered in terms of games consoles, the scope of this research and suggested
improvements to the process. The study is scheduled for completion in December
2011.
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5.6. Project Plan
A project plan detailing when the above research will be completed is shown in Table 15.
Over the coming months research will focus on augmenting the data available for user
behaviour, creating detailed consumer profiles and refining the high definition base case
for current products. Early 2012 will focus on assessing trends in user behaviour and
constructing consumer profiles for future products. This will be done alongside an
assessment of future trends in game console functionality and possible efficiency
technologies that could be implemented. This research will inform the development of a
base case for future consoles, in addition to a tool that can be used to model games
console power consumption and identify where energy saving efforts should be focussed.
The first journal submission on estimating consumer usage will paper will be drafted and
submitted to supervisors for comments in early 2012, with a second paper on regulating
the energy efficiency of consoles following in early 2013. The final 6 months of the EngD
programme are set aside for writing up.
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Table 15 Detailed project plan
2011
Oct
Activity
Nov
2012
Dec
Jan
Task
Refine ISFE questions
Plan pilot study
Conduct pilot study
Review questions as necessary
Submit questions to ISFE
User
Behaviour
Analyse ISFE results
Continue to review literature for user behaviour
data
Continue to analyse industry data
Construct consumer profiles
Assess limitations of data used for consumer
profiles
38
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
2013
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
MarOct
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Assess trends in consumer usage over time
Assess trends in user characteristics over time
Develop consumer profiles for future products
Identify key parameters in data collection via
consultation with stakeholders in Eco-design
process
Establish guidelines for collecting user behaviour
data
Further refine base case for high definition
consoles
Model future base case for current consoles
Model base case for future consoles
Calculating
Energy
Savings
Identify expected trends in game console
functionality
Model power implications of expected
developments
Model efficiency technologies that can be applied
to consoles
Estimate magnitude of energy savings
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Identify future energy hotspots and recommend
areas of focus for policy
Critique Eco-design Directive
Identify areas that are not covered
Policy
strategy
Assess potential contribution that coverage of
these areas could make
Monitor developments in EC assessment of EcoDesign Directive
Make recommendations for coverage of other
areas
Draft abstract on estimating consumer usage
Draft paper on estimating consumer usage
Receive supervisor feedback
Journal
Papers
Redraft and receive further comments
Submit paper to target journal
Draft abstract on regulating energy efficiency
Draft paper on regulating energy efficiency
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Receive supervisor feedback
Redraft and receive further comments
Submit paper to target journal
Draft contents
Progress
Reports
Draft report
Receive feedback and rework report
Submit report
Modules
Attend Module
Write up
Write Thesis
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5.7. Journal Publications
The following two journal papers are planned for submission to peer reviewed journals
during the next two years of the EngD project:
1. Proposed Title – Estimating the Consumer Usage of Multifunctional Devices, for
submission to the Journal of Energy Efficiency. The paper will use the example of
games consoles to illustrate the complexity and large data requirement in order to
quantify the use phase impacts. An assessment of key data collection parameters will
also be included. This is planned for mid-way through year 3.
2. Proposed Title - Regulating the Energy Efficiency of Games Consoles: What is the best
approach?, for submission to the Journal of Energy Policy. The paper will describe the
development of a model for identifying the “energy hotspots” in both current and
future generation consoles. This will describe the work to model trends in user
behaviour and technological developments to create a base case for the future. This
will allow the effectiveness of policy recommendations to be assessed in addition to
recommending areas that current policy strategy does not address.
5.8. Section Conclusion
This section has detailed the planned research activities to take the research project to
completion. This will improve the availability of data regarding user behaviour and result in
development of a base case against which energy savings can be measured for both future
and current games consoles. A model will be developed, that uses the chosen base case
and predicted user behaviour and technological trends, to identify energy hotspots for
future products. This will allow the potential energy saving of current policy
recommendations to be assessed into the future. A detailed project plan is included, in
addition to two planned journal submissions.
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6. Conclusions
This report has described the rationale for this project that focuses on the use-phase
energy use of games consoles and how to measure the impacts of proposed requirements
and developments in technology.
It has been demonstrated that to date, policy measures have been recommended based on
a paucity of data for user behaviour and power consumption, leading to the application of
numerous incorrect assumptions. This has led to projected energy savings of the Lot 3 Ecodesign process for consoles being overestimated by three times.
Work already completed to augment the data available for user behaviour and power
consumption of consoles has been described; however, numerous gaps still exist. This has
demonstrated that the dynamic and diverse nature of consoles as a multifunctional
product make construction of a representative base case very complex.
The research planned will allow creation of an accurate base case for current games
consoles, against which potential energy savings of policy recommendations can be
measured. In addition, trends in consumer usage, consumer characteristics and technology
will be assessed in order to estimate the energy use of consoles in the future. This will
allow the impact of policy recommendations to be quantified for both current and future
generation consoles.
Without an appropriate base case, it is likely that energy saving opportunities will be
calculated incorrectly, as has happened to date. In addition, without a detailed
understanding of the product being studied, it is possible that there could be unintended
consequences from introduction of policy requirements that do not address the right areas
of console energy use. All of these factors will lead to the failure of policy initiatives, such
as the EU 20-20-20 targets and the Eco-design Directive, that are intended to enhance the
security of energy supply in the future and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. In terms
of sustainability of the EU, and the global community, achieving these goals is essential at a
time when conventional energy supplies are diminishing and energy demands are
increasing.
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7. References
2009. Green Gaming Act 2009. S.1696. United States: United States Congress.
AEA 2010. Building on the Eco-design Directive, EuP Group Analysis (I) ENTR Lot 3 Sound
and Imaging Equipment Task 1-7 Report.
AOE, T. 2007. Eco-efficiency and ecodesign in electrical and electronic products. Journal of
Cleaner Production, 15, 1406-1414.
ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC CORPORATION. Year. Why Appliance Energy Efficiency Matters.
In: Workshop on Environmental Goods and Services, 2009 Singapore.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
2011. Session 2: Other Home Entertainment [Online]. Available:
http://www.energyrating.gov.au/pubs/2011-04-HE2-ryan-holt2.pdf [Accessed
10/08/2011].
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 2008. Establishment of the working plan
for 2009-2011 under the Ecodesign Directive. COM (2008) 660 final. Brussels.
DANISH TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE 2007. Final Test Report Sony PlayStation3.
ECEEE. 2011. Products covered and their status in the EuP process [Online]. Available:
http://www.eceee.org/Eco_design/products/?sort=status [Accessed 12/07/2011].
ECOSTB 2007. Simple Digital TV Converters (Simple Set Top Boxes) Final Report.
ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE. 2010. Power Play: EPRI Analysis Reveals That Video
Game Consoles Differ in Energy Consumption [Online]. Available:
http://my.epri.com/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_230564_317_205_776_4
3/http%3B/uspalecp604%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/power_play__epri_an
alysis_reveals_that_video_game_consoles_differ_in_energy_consumption_da_753
432.html [Accessed 09/08/2011].
ENERGY CENTER OF WISCONSIN 2010. Electricity Savings Opportunities for Home
Electronics and Other Plug-In Devices in Minnesota Homes: A technical and
behavioural field assessment.
ENERGY SAVING TRUST. 2011. Planet pays the price of home entertainment [Online].
Available: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Features/Featuresarchive/Planet-pays-the-price-of-home-entertainment [Accessed 14/07/2011].
ENERGY STAR 2009a. Program Requirements for Computers Version 5.
ENERGY STAR 2009b. Program Requirements for Computers, Version 5.1 Game Console
Requirements – Draft Final.
ENERGYSTAR 2011. Proposed Performance Requirements for Games Consoles Draft 1.
EQUIPMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM 2010. Home Entertainment Products: Product
Profile - Survey of Compliance with Energy Efficiency Labelling Laws.
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EUROPA. 2010. The EU Climate and Energy Package [Online]. Available:
http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/package/index_en.htm [Accessed 04/05/2011].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. 2011. Sustainable and responsible business: Products [Online].
Available: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainablebusiness/ecodesign/product-groups/index_en.htm [Accessed 12/07/2011].
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL 2005. European Parliament and Council Directive
2005/32/EC of 6 July 2005 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign
requirements for energy-using products and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC
and Directives 96/57/EC and 2005/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council. Official Journal of the European Union, L191/29.
FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR RELIABILITY AND MICROINTEGRATION IZM 2007. EuP
Preparatory Studies "Televisions" (Task 5) Final Report on Task 4 "Technical
Analysis".
GAMES CONSOLE INDUSTRY 2011. Corrected Analysis and Energy Savings Estimates:
Comparing the draft industry proposal and the Lot 3 report.
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2009. Autumn 2009 European Consumer Intelligence Report.
GAMEVISION EUROPE 2010. Autumn 2010 European Consumer Intelligence Report.
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2010. Video gamers in Europe 2010.
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE. 2011. Who We Are [Online]. Available:
http://www.isfeeu.org/index.php?oidit=T001:06d569232a8b2ec994c57a95653a831f [Accessed
09/05/2011].
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION 2010. IEC 62542 : Environmental
Standardisation for Electrical and Electronic Products and Systems - Glossary of
Terms.
KEIRSTEAD, J. 2006. Evaluating the applicability of integrated domestic energy consumption
frameworks in the UK. Energy Policy, 34, 3065-3077.
LOCKTON, D., HARRISON, D. & STANTON, N. 2008. Making the user more efficeinct: design
for sustainable behaviour. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, 1, 3-8.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENCE COUNCIL 2008. Lowering the Cost of Play: Improving the
Energy Efficiency of Video Game Consoles.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL 2008. Lowering the Cost of Play: Improving the
Energy Efficiency of Video Game Consoles.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL & ENERGY SOLUTIONS 2011. Proposal
Infromation Template - Game Consoles 2011 Appliance Efficiency Standards.
NIELSEN 2007. The State of the Console: Video Game Console Usage Fourth Quarter 2006.
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NIELSEN 2009. The State of the Video Gamer: PC Game and Video Game Console User
Fourth Quarter 2008.
NINTENDO. 2011. Wii U [Online]. Available: http://e3.nintendo.com/hw/#/introduction
[Accessed 04/08/2011].
OECD/IEA 2009. Gadgets and Gigawatts: Policies for Energy Efficient Electronics,
International Energy Agency.
SCEE. 2010. Organisation [Online]. Available:
http://www.scee.presscentre.com/content/detail.asp?NewsAreaID=141&ReleaseI
D=4627 [Accessed 15/01/2010].
SCEE 2011. Response to ErP Lot 3, Sound and Imaging Equipment Final Report.
SONY. 2011. Sony Corporation Announces Executive Appointments and Realignment of Key
Businesses [Online]. Available:
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01/08/2011].
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE. 2010. RE: EuP Lot 3, Sound and Imaging
Equipment: Video Game Consoles Final Task 1-7 Report. Type to AEA.
SUST- IT. 2011. Games Consoles ranked by annual running cost [Online]. Available:
http://www.sust-it.net/energy_saving.php?id=71 [Accessed 09/08/2011].
THE GAMES CONSOLE. 2011. A Brief History of the Home Video Game Console [Online].
Available: http://www.thegameconsole.com/videogames70.htm [Accessed
04/08/2011].
THE POWER CONSUMPTION DATABASE. 2011. Games Consoles [Online]. Available:
http://www.tpcdb.com/list.php?type=12 [Accessed 04/08/2011].
UK GOVERNMENT 2008. Climate Change Act 2008.
VGCHARTZ. 2011. Hardware Comparison Table [Online]. Available:
http://vgchartz.com/hwtable.php?cons%5B%5D=Wii&cons%5B%5D=PS3&cons%5B
%5D=X360&cons%5B%5D=PS2&reg%5B%5D=UK&reg%5B%5D=France&reg%5B%5
D=Germany&reg%5B%5D=Spain&reg%5B%5D=Italy&reg%5B%5D=Scandinavia&reg
%5B%5D=Other+Europe&start=39824&end=40181 [Accessed 23/03/2010].
VHK 2005. Methodology Study Eco-design of Energy-using Products: Final Report.
WHAT CONSOLE. 2011. Microsoft XBOX 360/ Sony PlayStation3 (PS3)/ Nintendo Wii
[Online]. Available: http://www.whatconsole.co.uk/index.php [Accessed
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WIEL, S., EGAN, C. & DELTA CAVA, M. 2006. Energy efficiency standards and labels provide
a solid foundation for economic growth, climate change mitigation, and regional
trade. Energy for Sustainable Development, 10, 54-63.
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WIKIPEDIA. 2011. Consumer Electronics [Online]. Available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_electronics [Accessed 07/11/2011].
WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL. 2010. Energy Efficiency Policies around the World: Review and
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_world_review_and_evaluation/1_introduction/1175.asp [Accessed 26/02/2010].
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8. Appendices
Appendix 8.1 Summary of the Eco-design Directive
The Eco-design Directive was introduced to take advantage of the significant potential that
exists for reducing the environmental impacts arising from the use of ErP, including saving
energy. The intention is to stimulate action to be taken during the design phase of ErP as
this is identified as the stage where the impacts of a product, throughout its lifetime, are
determined.
In order for it to be deemed necessary to create eco-design requirements under the
Directive, the following criteria must be fulfilled:

The product shall represent a significant volume of sales and trade, indicatively
>200,000 units within the Community;

The product shall, considering the quantities placed on the market and/or put into
service, have a significant environmental impact within the Community; and

The product shall present a significant potential for improvement in terms of its
environmental impact without entailing excessive costs.
In accordance with these criteria, a working plan is adopted that sets out an indicative list
of product groups that are considered a priority for adoption of an implementing measure.
This working plan is amended periodically.
Once a product is identified as a priority, the process of product evaluation begins with the
following stages:

A Preparatory study;

A Consultation Forum (consultation of all interested stakeholders);

An Impact Assessment;

A Regulatory Committee; and

A scrutiny by the European Parliament.
Requirements are then set for the product under consideration that are implemented via
either a mandatory Implementing Measure (IM)16 or a more flexible Voluntary Agreement
(VA)17. The requirements must not:

significantly impact the user of the product;

adversely affect the health and safety of the environment;
16
An IM, as defined in Article 2(3) (EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL 2005). is a measure
adopted pursuant to the Eco-design Directive that lays down eco-design requirements for defined
ErPs or for environmental aspects thereof. These requirements are mandatory.
17
A VA, the preferred approach to implementing the Eco-design Directive, is an agreement between
industry and the Commission with no legislative implications. Annex VIII of the Directive gives a list
of “indicative criteria to evaluate the admissibility of self-regulatory initiatives (VAs) as an alternative
to an implementing measure”.
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
significantly impact consumers, in particular regards the affordability and life cycle
cost of the product;

significantly impact industry’s competitiveness;

impose the use of proprietary technology on manufacturers; or

place an excessive administrative burden on manufacturers.
Proposals for Eco-design measures, or Product Lots18, can be either horizontal or vertical. A
horizontal Lot covers an aspect of energy use available on many different products, for
example standby. In contrast, a vertical Lot focuses on a specific product group, for
example Televisions, and addresses all aspects of that products power consumption.
To date, twelve IMs have been adopted under the Eco-design Directive with an estimated
annual energy saving of 376 TWh in 2020 (European Commission, 2011) along with one VA
that has recently been accepted for complex Set Top Boxes. In total, 38 product Lots are
currently at some stage in the process (eceee, 2011).
18
A Lot is a product or group of products that has been identified as having significant potential for
energy saving.
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30 Month Progress Report
Executive Summary
This report documents the progress made on the research project since submission of the
24 month report in October 2011. It also updates the project plan and details the activities
due for completion during the next 6 months’ of research. Any developments outside of
the project, such as new regions considering regulations for games console energy use, are
discussed to ensure the project is up-to-date and relevant.
The overall objective of the research is to improve the approach to regulating consoles in
order to reduce their energy use, compared to Business As Usual, thereby reducing their
environmental impact. The introduction of policies concerning appliance energy use now
forms an important part of energy policy to reduce CO2 emissions. The International Energy
Agency (IEA) identify the Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Consumer
Electronics (CE) sectors as the fastest growing, now accounting for 15% of residential
electricity use (OECD/IEA, 2009). As a result, games consoles have been identified as a
product group that make a significant contribution to household energy use, and therefore
hold potential for energy savings. However, there is limited information regarding the
usage of games consoles, how consoles use energy and what policy options are applicable
to consoles. As discussed in previous progress reports, the study of consoles to date has
often involved the use of poor quality and incomplete data, the application of numerous
assumptions and a lack of understanding of console architecture. This has led to the
recommendation of requirements based on other domestic appliances, such as PCs and
DVD players, for which more information is available. Some of the recommendations are,
therefore, not applicable to consoles and offer little or no environmental benefit while also
restricting innovation.
This research is concerned with improving the assessment of console usage estimates,
power consumption and architecture in order to aid the development of appropriate
efficiency standards of other measures to reduce the energy use of consoles. Work of this
nature is of critical importance if games consoles are to continue to be sold in the EU; many
millions of consumers of all ages enjoy using games console in the home for entertainment
purposes. Furthermore, the games console industry employs thousands of people
throughout Europe, and generates more revenue than the cinema box office (Interactive
Software Federation of Europe, 2012).
The report concludes with an updated project plan to reflect changes from the past 6
months and also to include any new tasks that have arisen. Work planned for the next 6
months’ of research is also detailed.
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Contents
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... i
1
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2
2
Developments Regarding Energy Efficiency Instruments and Standards .......................... 3
3
2.1
Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.......................................... 3
2.2
Californian Energy Commission – Appliance Efficiency Regulations ...................................... 4
2.3
ENERGYSTAR® ......................................................................................................................... 4
2.4
Energy Efficiency, Energy Use and Power Consumption ........................................................ 4
2.5
Section Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 5
Research Progress .............................................................................................................. 6
3.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour ....................................................... 6
3.2
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Saw Tooth .............................................................................. 7
3.2.1
3.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Analysis ....................................................................................... 8
3.3.1
4
PlayStation® Power Consumption Testing ...................................................................... 7
Summary of Baseline Analysis....................................................................................... 10
3.4
Work Package 4 – Understanding Console Power Consumption ......................................... 13
3.5
Work Package 5 – Energy Efficiency Technology Assessment .............................................. 13
3.6
Section Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 13
Project Plan Update ......................................................................................................... 14
4.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour ..................................................... 14
4.2
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Saw Tooth ............................................................................ 14
4.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Analysis ..................................................................................... 15
4.4
Work Package 4 – Understanding Console Power Consumption ......................................... 15
4.5
Work Package 5 – Energy Efficiency Technology Assessment .............................................. 15
4.6
Project Plan ........................................................................................................................... 16
4.7
Section Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 18
5
Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 19
6
References ....................................................................................................................... 20
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30 Month Progress Report
Introduction
This report discusses the progress made on the research project since submission of the 24
month report in October 2011, and the addendum in December 2011. It includes an update
on the status of the tasks outlined for the past 6 months of research. In addition, any
contextual developments such as new regions considering legislation, and the likely impact
of these on the project, are discussed. Finally, the report turns to focus on the tasks due for
completion over the coming 6 months.
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Developments Regarding Energy Efficiency Instruments and
Standards
This section gives an update to the background and context of the research in terms of
developments regarding the regulation of games consoles for energy saving. These are
discussed in turn below.
2.1
Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Based on studies of Australian Home Entertainment Products (HEPs), games consoles were
predicted to account for 20% of HEPs energy use in Australian homes by 2020 (Australian
Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 2011). As a result, the
Australian government initiated a process to develop requirements for game consoles. A
document detailing energy efficiency19 options for games consoles was published in late
January (EnergyConsult, 2012a), followed by a stakeholder meeting in early February. The
Australian government are keen to pursue a voluntary agreement with the console industry
(Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 2012),
although it is stated that mandatory intervention would be contemplated in the absence of
meaningful agreement with industry. Since the initial stakeholder meeting, the energy
efficiency options document has been revised in light of the discussion and submissions of
data by industry. These submissions have resulted in the following significant changes
(EnergyConsult, 2012b):

Estimated energy consumption of games consoles in Australia in 2010 has been
revised from 600 GWh pa to 325 GWh per annum;

Stated voluntary reductions for in-use power consumption of the PlayStation®3
and Xbox 360 have been revised from 50% to 60% (since first release model);

Usage estimates have been revised, including a reduction in gameplay time from
2hrs/day to 1hr/day and inadvertent (inactive)/media/other use reduced to
1hr/day from 5hrs/day.
It is anticipated by the Australian government that the console industry will make an
announcement in June 2012 stating their commitment to developing a voluntary
agreement by 2013 (Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy
Efficiency, 2012). Of particular relevance to this process will be the baseline assessment,
the results of which can be used by the Australian authorities to measure the impact of
different policy options.
If the development of a voluntary agreement for consoles progresses according to the
schedule outlined by the Australian government, then this could set the precedent for all
other legislation under development globally.
19
There is no definition of energy efficiency in the document itself. Please refer to Section 2.4 where
definitions used in this document are listed
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30 Month Progress Report
Californian Energy Commission – Appliance Efficiency Regulations
Established in 1976, the Californian Appliance Efficiency Regulations were developed in
response to a legislative mandate to reduce California’s energy consumption (The California
Energy Commission, 2012). In response to a scoping workshop held in August 2011, the
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) submitted a proposal to the Californian Energy
Commission (CEC) regarding regulating games consoles for energy efficiency20 (Natural
Resources Defense Council and Energy Solutions, 2011). As stated in the 24 month report,
the NRDC proposal is broadly in line with the console industry’s proposal, although the
power limits for Media playback and navigation modes are around 20 W lower. Of
particular concern to console manufacturers is the power limit suggested for media
playback, which is 50 W in 2014 and 25 W in 2016. At present, consoles use around 75 W in
media playback mode (Natural Resources Defense Council and Energy Solutions, 2011).
Recently, amendments were published to the Commission’s Appliance Efficiency
Regulations (State of California, 2012). This document outlines the products to be
considered and when action is likely to take place. Games consoles are listed under phase
1, which is planned to run from 2nd Quarter 2012 to 2nd Quarter 2013.
2.3
ENERGYSTAR®
As discussed in the 24 month report, the ENERGYSTAR® program had shown a renewed
interest in developing requirements for games consoles. These recommendations lacked
significant detail with power limits and timelines simply left as “To Be Defined” (TBD)
(EnergyStar, 2011). As a result, console manufacturers have expressed their concern over
the proposals due to their undefined nature and no indication of time lines. This has once
again led to the process being delayed until a more comprehensive analysis can be
completed.
2.4
Energy Efficiency, Energy Use and Power Consumption
As demonstrated in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 the term energy efficiency is used in many
instances without a definition being offered. It is also often used interchangeably with
energy consumption. Below definitions are given for the terms used in this document so
that it is clear exactly what is being referred to.
Energy Efficiency – this is a measure of the power required to provide a specific service. For
instance, take two DVD players that have high definition output. One uses 45 W when
playing a disc, and the other 25 W. Therefore, the second is more efficient as it provides
the same service but requires less power to do so. The key to efficiency comparisons is that
like for like services or functions are being compared. Simply comparing the power
consumption does not indicate the efficiency.
Power Consumption – this is the power required by an appliance to perform a specific task
or fulfil a user request. Using the example above, 45 W is a measure of the power
20
There is also no definition of the meaning of energy efficiency under this instrument. As above in
footnote 1, the definitions employed throughout this document are listed in Section 2.4
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30 Month Progress Report
consumed by the DVD player when playing a disc. The power consumption of the DVD
player could also be measured in standby mode, for example.
Energy use – this refers to the energy used by an appliance over time. For instance,
consider a DVD player playing a film disc for two hours per day with a power consumption
of 45 W. This appliance would use 90 Wh a day, or 630 Wh per week, playing film discs.
2.5
Section Conclusion
This section has discussed developments regarding the introduction of legislation for games
consoles. It shows that interest in consoles and their energy saving potential is growing,
and that many requirements are planned for introduction in 2013. This highlights the
importance of the research project at this time, which will deliver essential information and
analysis to the various discussions underway. This will improve the assessment of consoles
and aid development of requirements that result in environmental benefit, whilst also
allowing console manufacturers to innovate.
An explanation of the definitions used in this document is also given to ensure that it is
clear what is being referred to when these terms are used.
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30 Month Progress Report
Research Progress
This section discusses the progress made in the research project since submission of the 24
month report. Progress will be measured against the project structure laid out in the
addendum to the 24 moth report submitted in December 2011, which split the research
into five “work packages”. All of the work packages contribute to the overall objective to
improve the approach to managing games console energy use to reduce their
environmental impact against a Business as Usual scenario. The project structure is
summarised in Figure 1. Each work package is discussed in turn below.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Understand user
behaviour and power
consumption of games
consoles
Construct a
representative base
line
Identify opportunities
to reduce console
energy use
WP1 – User
behaviour
WP3 – Base
line analysis
WP4 – Model
of console
power
consumption
WP5 –
Technology
Assessment
WP2 – Plotting
the Saw Tooth
Figure 1 Schematic showing the organisation of the work packages (WP) under each subobjective
3.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour
The objective of this work package is to improve understanding of user behaviour, both to
aid estimation of the energy use of games consoles in the use-phase and, by extension, to
estimate the potential energy saving of different policy measures. In particular, the
calculation of inactive time has proven extremely difficult due to a lack of data regarding
this aspect of console energy use. It was suggested in the 24 month report that further
survey research would be undertaken regarding inactive time by the research engineer.
However, after careful consideration, it was acknowledged that further data collection
would continue to have the same limitations as that already collected; including no
coverage of under 16’s and reliance on methods involving self-reported usage. As a result,
the existing data for consumer usage of consoles has been used to calculate inactive time,
which at the moment is the best available estimate.
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30 Month Progress Report
A literature review has also been on-going under this work package, identifying some new
sources of data with different aspects of console usage in the home covered. Of most
interest is data collected through intrusive surveys of Australian households, whereby
every appliance found in the households surveyed are recorded (Equipment Energy
Efficiency Program, 2006, Equipment Energy Efficiency Program, 2011). These surveys have
recorded the mode in which consoles were found when the survey was carried out. In
2005, 72% of units were found off, 23% unplugged and 5% in passive standby (inactive)
compared to 2010, which found 63% in off mode, 32% unplugged, 4% in passive standby
and 1% in active standby. In both cases, this shows that 95% of consoles were either off or
unplugged, with a very small percentage found inactive. This is in direct contrast to the
assumption that “50% of consoles are left on all of the time” (Natural Resources Defense
Council, 2008). This highlights the lack of certainty around this aspect of console usage,
which has a large impact on the energy savings estimates for introduction of Auto Power
Down.
3.2
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Saw Tooth
The objective of this work package is to map the aggregate energy use of consoles over
time through combination of power consumption data and sales of consoles. The “saw
tooth” phenomenon has been widely cited by console manufacturers when explaining the
dynamic nature of console power consumption within the product lifetime i.e. the power
reductions that occur during a console generations’ lifetime as hardware and software is
redeveloped. This research will measure and plot the power consumption of PlayStation®
consoles (for use in the home only) to construct the saw tooth. Furthermore, by combining
the power consumption data of each model of PlayStation® with sales data, the aggregate
energy use of PlayStation® may be estimated. If stakeholders involved in the policy process
can be persuaded of the existence of the saw tooth then policy measures sympathetic to
such a trend could be developed. By calculating the aggregate energy use of each
generation of PlayStation® products over their lifetime will enable the benefit of
introducing legislation to be assessed at different times. It could also indicate the optimum
time to introduce legislation in order to speed up the Business As Usual energy reductions
already seen over the product lifetime.
Work to gather sales data for each version of each PlayStation® console is complete,
however issues regarding confidentiality need to be overcome if they are to be used as
required. Sourcing consoles for testing has also proved more complicated than anticipated
for PlayStation®2 and identification of specific models will have to be done manually as
multiple models are labelled with the same model number. This has led to a delay in
console testing, however power consumption testing has begun on the consoles already
available to the research engineer, and a summary of testing for PlayStation® is given
below.
3.2.1 PlayStation® Power Consumption Testing
The power consumption of each chassis of PlayStation® has been tested using a Hameg
HM8115-2 8 kW Power Meter. Measurements have been taken in the following modes:
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30 Month Progress Report

Standby/off – console is plugged into the mains, but not switched on, a controller
is connected, but no disc is loaded.

Menu/navigation – console is plugged into the mains and switched on, a controller
is connected, but no disc is loaded.

Active gameplay – console is plugged into the mains with a controller connected
and a disc loaded. Measurements taken while playing an exhibition match on ISS
Pro Evolution.
Measurements were taken according to the ENERGYSTAR® test methodology (Energy Star,
2009), where the console was left in the mode to be tested for 5 minutes before recording
began for a further 5 minutes, with measurements being taken at 1 second intervals. The
initial results, for PlayStation® are shown in Figure 2. These values are averages of the
readings taken over the 5 minute testing period. This shows that for PlayStation® models,
power consumption decreased with each revision. It is interesting to note the low power
consumption in Active and Menu modes compared to high definition consoles today,
around 9 W compared to around 80 W today, while standby power consumption is
relatively high, just over 2 W for PlayStation® compared to less than 0.5 W today. This
highlights the progress already made in terms of power consumption in modes that do not
provide a main function, but simply offer reactivation.
10.0
9.0
Power Consumption (W)
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
Active
4.0
Menu
3.0
Standby/Off
2.0
1.0
0.0
PS1_1
PS1_2
PS1_3
PS1_4
PS1_5
PlayStation® Chassis
Figure 2 Chart showing the average power consumption of each PlayStation® chassis in the
modes tested
3.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Analysis
Significant progress has been made on this part of the research project. The objective of
this research is to develop a representative baseline, against which the energy saving
potential of different policy measures can be estimated. This has involved construction,
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30 Month Progress Report
comparison and critique of the baselines in use by various stakeholders, in addition to the
development of new ones. This work is detailed below in Section 3.3.1.
One task under this work package not yet included in the baseline analysis is the research
to estimate how many consoles form the installed base, i.e. the number of consoles still in
consumers’ homes. Data regarding console product lifetimes has been collected where
available, which indicates an average product lifetime for a games console of around 5
years (AEA, 2010, Market Transformation Programme, 2009). These sources will be
critiqued in terms of the basis for these estimations in addition to studying other
appliances of a similar nature and with similar components, such as Set Top Boxes and PCs.
A sensitivity analysis will also be performed on the lifetime figures. Another aspect being
researched is the retirement rate of consoles. A general retirement rate for appliances was
found in the literature (Koomey et al., 1998) which gives a linear retirement rate according
to the following parameters:

If Age <2/3*(average life) then 100% survive

If Age >2/3 *(average life) and Age <4/3 *(average life) then 2-age*1.5/(average
life) survive

If Age >4/3*(average life) then 0% survive
This is shown graphically in Figure 3. This gives a very general indication of appliance
survival rates. The Australian government provided the research engineer with the survival
function they have developed specifically for games consoles. This estimates much longer
lifetimes, with 99% of consoles expected to be in use 6 years after purchase, 50% of
consoles still to be in use 15 years after purchase and 25% expected to be in use 25 years
after purchase. Comparing to the retirement function in Figure 3, suggests the average
lifetime of a console to be 15 years in Australia, much higher than the figures found in the
literature of around 5 years. Further work will be completed on this over the next 6
months’ to refine these estimates.
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30 Month Progress Report
Figure 3 Graphical representation of a linear retirement function for appliances (Koomey et
al., 1998)
3.3.1 Summary of Baseline Analysis
This section gives a brief summary of the initial results of the baseline analysis work
completed to date. It was anticipated that a draft paper would be ready for inclusion in this
report; however, the draft is not yet complete. A review of the literature regarding console
energy use was completed to identify existing baselines, where a baseline is the estimated
energy use of a games console at a particular point in time. For example, the Lot 3 ErP
report on Sound and Imaging equipment (AEA, 2010) estimates the energy use of a console
based on user behaviour and power consumption data. Seven other estimates of console
power consumption were identified in addition to that contained in the ErP report. For
ease of comparison, the data for each baseline was assembled into the same format as that
used in the ErP report, shown in Table 1. This format was chosen as it clearly lays out the
data inputs to the calculation. In some cases, data was not available at the granularity
required and so assumptions were applied to the data that was available to construct the
baseline. For instance, the NRDC 2011 data did not have power consumption data for
internet browsing; it was therefore assumed that power consumption in navigation was
representative of all other secondary functions. All assumptions made by both the research
engineer and the original author of the baseline are clearly stated so that it is evident how
the baseline was constructed and what the limitations of the data are, and by extension,
the limitations of any conclusions drawn.
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30 Month Progress Report
Table 1 Example of the format for constructing baselines (AEA, 2010)
The estimated energy use of a console per year was calculated for the various baselines.
This ranged between 917.8 kWh (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2008) and 44.1 kWh
(EnergyConsult, 2012b). The results for each baseline are shown in Table 2. A detailed
comparison of the baselines will be included in the draft paper.
Table 2 Summary of the estimated energy use of consoles for each baseline included in the
assessment
Energy use (kWh/year)
Game
Play
Movie/video
playback
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Standby/
Off
Total
Lot 3 Original
25.0
6.2
0.0
6.2
8.8
46.2
Lot 3 (High Definition)
47.6
10.9
2.7
8.2
7.2
76.5
NRDC 2008
511.5
172.9
77.7
153.0
2.7
917.8
NRDC 2011
71.5
39.3
5.5
2.9
3.6
122.9
Australia original
60.8
78.6
12.4
151.7
Australia updated
21.0
19.2
4.0
44.1
Industry (Installed base)
57.7
10.3
101.1
Base case
Industry (Current
chassis)
16.5
4.1
12.4
61.8
36.8
10.5
2.6
7.9
4.0
This phenomenal difference in estimates of games console energy use illustrates why
estimating the potential energy saving of different policy measures is complex; potential
energy savings would depend on which baseline is chosen to measure against. Much of the
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30 Month Progress Report
difference encountered is due to the following reasons that were identified during the
critiquing process:

Different data used for power consumption and user behaviour: in some cases
this is due to the baselines being constructed at different times. As described in
Section 3.2, the power consumption of games consoles changes over time due to
the redevelopment of software and hardware.

Baselines not equivalent: some of the baselines were intended to represent all
consoles of the current generation, while others were specifically created to
represent high definition consoles. There were also differences regarding whether
the baseline was to represent the installed base of current generation consoles or
the current best practice.

Incomplete data and application of assumptions: many of the baselines were
constructed using data that was incomplete in some way, resulting in the
application of assumptions. For example, the NRDC 2008 baseline was constructed
on the assumption that 50% of users leave their consoles on all of the time, as no
data was available for the time a console spends inactive. This resulted in the
estimate of energy use for consoles of 917.8 kWh/year, six times greater than the
next largest estimate.
Following a critique of the baselines, key criteria to consider when constructing a baseline
have been identified. These are:
1. Definition – clear definition of what the baseline represents e.g. installed base or
current best practice
2. Data – use of appropriate and comprehensive data for power consumption and
user behaviour that is verifiable and not based on assumptions
3. Comprehensive – the baseline must account for all on-time and contain data that
fulfils the requirements of the definition
These criteria were then employed in the construction of two new baselines, one to
represent the installed base of high definition consoles and the other to represent the
current best practice high definition consoles. It has been deemed necessary to create two
in order to account for the dynamic nature of console power consumption. The estimated
energy use of consoles per year for the two baselines is 94.2 kWh for the installed base and
65.1 kWh for the current best practice. These baselines have employed the newly
calculated estimate for inactive time, mentioned in Section 3.1, the averages of best
available power consumption values and manufacturer usage estimates that have been
accepted by numerous studies, including the Lot 3 ErP study. The new baselines will
continue to be refined as more data becomes available regarding usage and power
consumption, in addition to performing a sensitivity analysis.
The full draft paper will be included in the next progress report in October 2012, by which
time it is anticipated that it will have been submitted to a peer reviewed journal.
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30 Month Progress Report
Work Package 4 – Understanding Console Power Consumption
The research completed so far for this work package has resulted in construction of an
initial theoretical model of console power consumption. This has involved research into the
power consumption of similar specification components to those present in current high
definition games consoles, including the CPU, GPU, Optical Drive and Memory. This
research will help to improve understanding of console architecture and how games
consoles use the energy they consume. It will also help to develop power limits for consoles
based on console architecture and not reductions seen in other appliances, such as PCs. As
stated by (Koomey et al., 2011), more research is needed to understand the relative
contributions of different components to progress in the electrical efficiency of computer
systems as a whole. A key contribution of this research will be the ability to estimate the
impact of power and clock gating technologies, for which data is currently only available
regarding reductions seen in PCs. The model of console power consumption will undergo
significant refinement during the next 6 months and will be included in the October
progress report.
3.5
Work Package 5 – Energy Efficiency Technology Assessment
The aim of this research is to assess the technologies that have been recommended by the
stakeholders involved in setting requirements for consoles. This work has not yet started
due to the model of console power consumption taking precedence. However, this will not
delay any other work and the first two tasks for completion under this work package have
been scheduled for completion by the end of March, one month later than planned.
3.6
Section Conclusion
This section has summarised the progress made over the past 6 months of research. It
demonstrates that numerous tasks have been completed and that the research is
progressing well. The next section will follow on from this to detail the tasks and
deliverables due for completion in the next 6 months.
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30 Month Progress Report
Project Plan Update
This section updates the status of the tasks and deliverables that were scheduled for
completion over the last 6 months and also details the plan for research over the next 6
months. Where deadlines have not been met, an explanation is given with a new deadline
where necessary. The project status is summarised in Section 4.6.
4.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour
The research under this work package is on track and will be finished before submission of
the month 36 progress report. As stated above, no further market research will be
conducted by the research engineer so this, and subsequent tasks, are no longer necessary.
During the next 6 months the following tasks and deliverables will be completed:
4.2

Assess trends in usage over time – data collected regarding consumer usage of
consoles and collated for the situational review of user behaviour will be assessed
in terms of trends in usage over time. This will identify changes in the frequency of
use of functions such as media playback, video streaming etc. Any trends that are
identified will help to inform projections of console usage into the future, that
could affect the energy use and therefore the effectiveness of policies
recommended.

Create future usage scenarios – following on from the above task the assessment
of console usage over time will aid development of scenarios of usage in the future,
for instance increased video streaming. A sensitivity analysis will also be performed
on the data.

Situational review – the literature will be checked on a quarterly basis to identify
any new sources of user behaviour data that can be included in the situational
review and will keep the development of the future usage scenarios up-to-date
with any relevant changes in usage.
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Saw Tooth
During the next 6 months the power consumption testing will be completed and the saw
tooth plotted. In addition, the power consumption data will be matched to the sales data
allowing the aggregate energy use of PlayStation® products to be estimated. This will then
be analysed to identify when the peak energy use occurs within each generation of
PlayStation® products. This information will highlight when the introduction of legislation
can have the greatest impact over and above the voluntary, Business As Usual reductions
already made through hardware and software redevelopment. The sourcing and testing of
consoles has been extended due to issues in identifying the different models of
PlayStation® products, and therefore sourcing them. However, once this is complete,
testing can continue immediately and the delay will not affect the remaining tasks in this
work package.
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30 Month Progress Report
Work Package 3 – Baseline Analysis
This work package will be completed during the next 6 months’ of research, with all tasks
scheduled for the past 6 months completed, except for the draft paper which is currently in
draft. The baselines created for high definition consoles will continue to be refined and a
sensitivity analysis will be performed. It is also planned that the draft paper will be
submitted to a peer reviewed journal during this period.
4.4
Work Package 4 – Understanding Console Power Consumption
Significant progress has been made on the research under this work package, with an initial
model of console power consumption completed. This will continue to be refined in terms
of the data used and the assumptions made. The next steps include:
4.5

Identification of the high power components – this will improve stakeholder
understanding of console power consumption on a component basis. It will also
help to illustrate the magnitude of energy savings that can be expected on
introduction of the various technologies recommended by authorities developing
legislation (related to Work Package 5). This will be useful in discussions concerning
the likely energy saving on implementation of scalable chips.

Developing models of potential future generation consoles – this will involve
creating scenarios of possible future generation consoles in terms of product and
component specifications. These scenarios will be accompanied by estimates of
their likely energy use. This will help in assessment of the anticipated energy use of
consoles in the future, and therefore, the likely applicability of current
recommendations.
Work Package 5 – Energy Efficiency Technology Assessment
Research under this work package has been delayed due to the complications described in
Section 4.2, and Work Package 4 being of more use to the sponsor organisation at this
time. The delay will not have a significant impact on completion of the overall research
project as activities that require this to be complete are not scheduled until the beginning
of May. The next 6 months will see a comprehensive assessment of the various energy
saving technologies recommended for consoles, including the feasibility of implementation
and the likely magnitude of the associated energy savings. This work is closely linked with
the research regarding console power consumption (Work Package 4) and will use the
model developed for future consoles to assess the potential energy savings of the
technologies for next generation products. This will be of use when considering the
longevity and appropriateness of policy recommendations and assessing the magnitude of
savings that can be expected.
15
Amanda Webb
4.6
30 Month Progress Report
Project Plan
This section summarises the status of the tasks and deliverables planned under each work package. The project plan extends until the end of the research
project in October 2013 and it is expected that the thesis will be submitted on time. Items highlighted in green are those that have already been completed
or are on schedule, while those in yellow are items that have been delayed and the date due for completion extended.
Project Management - Gantt Chart March 2012
Tasks and Deliverables
Start Date Duration (days) End Date Status
WP1 - User Behaviour Situational Review
Identify new sources of user behaviour data
Commission market research
Update situational review of user behaviour over time
Assess trends in usage over time
Insert results of market research into situational review
Create future usage scenarios
Chapter - situational review of user behaviour over time + projections for future
01/02/2012
01/01/2012
12/03/2012
01/04/2012
01/07/2012
01/08/2012
01/08/2012
90
60
50
20
31
31
45
01/05/2012
01/03/2012
01/05/2012
21/04/2012
01/08/2012
01/09/2012
15/09/2012
Ongoing
Cancelled
Ongoing
Delayed
Cancelled
01/02/2012
WP2 - Plotting the Saw Tooth
Identify all models of PlayStation consoles ever sold
Gather sales data for each model
Pilot study: ascertain methodology and time needed for testing
Source each console and games to play on each
Test console power consumption
Plot power consumption over time
Identify peak energy use in each generation
Create future power consumption scenarios
01/01/2012
01/01/2012
16/01/2012
01/01/2012
07/02/2012
01/05/2012
01/05/2012
01/01/2013
31
60
22
121
84
30
30
31
01/02/2012
01/03/2012
07/02/2012
01/05/2012
01/05/2012
31/05/2012
31/05/2012
01/02/2013
Complete
Complete
Complete
In progress
In progress
07/01/2012
07/03/2012
05/02/2012
WP3 - Baseline Analysis
Critique existing baselines and identify strengths and weaknesses
Identify key criteria for baseline construction
Establish how many consoles are still in use
Construct baseline for high definition consoles
Research Paper (doubling as 30 month report)
Conduct sensitivity analysis
01/01/2012
01/01/2012
01/02/2012
01/02/2012
01/03/2012
01/04/2012
30
30
30
42
31
30
31/01/2012
31/01/2012
02/03/2012
14/03/2012
01/04/2012
01/05/2012
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
15/01/2012
18/01/2012
01/03/2012 Data sources need critiquing + sensitivity analysis
04/03/2012
01/04/2012
WP4 - Understanding Console Power Consumption
Create theoretical models of consoles and associated power consumption
Identify high power components
Develop models for possible future console scenarios and associated power consumption
Research paper - Console energy use on a component basis: Where energy savings can be realised
01/01/2012
01/04/2012
01/04/2012
01/08/2012
60
61
122
61
16
01/03/2012 Complete
01/06/2012
01/08/2012
01/10/2012
Date Completed Comments
12/03/2012
No impact on subsequent tasks or deliverables
Extended to account for problems in sourcing consoles
Extended to account for problems in sourcing consoles
24/02/2012 Second revision completed 16/03/2012
Amanda Webb
30 Month Progress Report
WP5 - Energy Efficiency Technology Assessment
List energy saving technologies available for consoles
Identify those with greatest energy saving potential
Assess feasibility of implementation
Consider future consoles and potential energy saving of different technologies
Research paper - Assessment of most appropriate energy saving technologies for consoles
01/03/2012
01/03/2012
01/05/2012
01/04/2012
01/08/2012
29
29
61
122
61
30/03/2012 Delayed
30/03/2012 Delayed
01/07/2012
01/08/2012
01/10/2012
EngD Requirements
30 month Report
EngD Conference 2012
36 month Report
Write up thesis
42 month Report
Re-work/ gather more data as necessary/ re-write
01/03/2012
26/06/2012
01/09/2012
01/01/2013
01/03/2013
01/04/2013
31
2
30
90
31
183
01/04/2012 Complete
28/06/2012
01/10/2012
01/04/2013
01/04/2013
01/10/2013
17
Now due for completion at end of March
Now due for completion at end of March
Amanda Webb
4.7
30 Month Progress Report
Section Conclusion
This section has shown that the research is on track for completion by October 2013, when
the thesis will be submitted. Despite some tasks being delayed, these have not had a
significant impact on the overall progress of the research and should easily be incorporated
within the next 6 months of work.
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Amanda Webb
5
30 Month Progress Report
Conclusions
This report has detailed the progress made on the research project over the past 6 months
and updated the project plan accordingly. The research planned for the next 6 months has
also been discussed.
Highlights of the research over this period have been detailed including the initial power
consumption testing results and the model of console power consumption. In addition, the
relevance of these highlights to the broader project background has also been elicited.
Any changes to the project plan have been highlighted and deadlines adjusted where
necessary, however this has not affected the October 2013 submission date for the final
dissertation.
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6
30 Month Progress Report
References
AEA 2010. Building on the Eco-design Directive, EuP Group Analysis (I) ENTR Lot 3 Sound and Imaging
Equipment Task 1-7 Report.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. 2011.
Session 2: Other Home Entertainment [Online]. Available:
http://www.energyrating.gov.au/wpcontent/uploads/Energy_Rating_Documents/Library/Home_Entertainment/Home_Entertai
nment/2011-04-HE2-ryan-holt2.pdf [Accessed 10/08/2011.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 2012.
Video Game Console Consultation Working Group MINUTES MEETING 1.
ENERGY STAR 2009. Program Requirements for Computers, Version 5.1 Game Console Requirements
– Draft Final.
ENERGYCONSULT 2012a. Video Game Consoles: Energy Efficiency Options - DRAFT.
ENERGYCONSULT 2012b. Video game Consoles: Energy Efficiency Options - DRAFT 2.
ENERGYSTAR 2011. Proposed Performance Requirements for Games Consoles Draft 1.
EQUIPMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM 2006. 2005 Intrusive Residential Standby Survey Report.
EQUIPMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM 2011. Third Survey of Residential Standby Power
Consumption of Australian Homes - 2010.
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE. 2012. The Facts [Online]. Available:
http://www.isfe.eu/industry-facts/facts [Accessed 26/03/2012.
KOOMEY, J. G., BERARD, S., SANCHEZ, M. & WONG, H. 2011. Implications of Historical Trends in the
Electrical Efficiency of Computing. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.
KOOMEY, J. G., MAHLER, S. A., WEBBER, C. A. & MCMAHON, J. E. 1998. Projected Regional Impacts
of Appliance Efficiency Standards for the U.S. Residential Sector. University of California.
MARKET TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME 2009. BNCE GC01: Game Consoles (GCs) Government
Standards Evdience Base 2009: Key Inputs.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL 2008. Lowering the Cost of Play: Improving the Energy
Efficiency of Video Game Consoles.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL & ENERGY SOLUTIONS 2011. Proposal Infromation
Template - Game Consoles 2011 Appliance Efficiency Standards.
OECD/IEA 2009. Gadgets and Gigawatts: Policies for Energy Efficient Electronics, International
Energy Agency.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 2012. Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: 2012
Rulemaking on Appliance Efficiency Regulations.
THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION. 2012. California's Appliance Efficiency Program [Online].
Available: http://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/ [Accessed 19/03/2012.
20
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36 Month Progress Report
36 Month Progress Report
Executive Summary
This report documents the progress made on the research since submission of the 30
month progress report in April 2012. Important recent developments are discussed and the
specific involvement of the research engineer is highlighted. Research progress under each
work package, and the tasks for the next 6 months, are detailed. The project plan has been
updated and summarises the next 12 months of work that will take the research project to
completion.
Considerable progress has been made over the last 6 months with research for three of the
four work packages drawing to a close. Most noteworthy is the completion of a paper for
submission to a peer review journal that offers two representative and reliable baseline
energy use estimates for games consoles, based on a meta-analysis of user behaviour and
power consumption data. Power consumption testing is complete, the results of which will
be used to show how console power consumption has changed over time and to estimate
the aggregate energy use of consoles. This provides a more comprehensive data set for
console power consumption than that which appears to be available in the literature to
date.
Research activities draw to a close over the next 6 months, with the focus shifting to
writing up the thesis. In particular, the final work package will draw together the research
already completed to consider different scenarios of possible future console development
in terms of power consumption and functionality. This will enable consideration of future
console energy use and allow the energy saving potential of proposed policy measures and
various technologies to be assessed. This will be used to identify the policies and
technologies that offer the greatest energy saving.
It is anticipated that a first draft of the thesis will be ready for review by the time of the
next progress report in April 2012. In addition, a journal paper on console power
consumption is also planned to be completed at the same time.
i
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36 Month Progress Report
Contents
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... i
1
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1
2
Developments Regarding Energy Efficiency Instruments and Standards .......................... 2
2.1
Energy related Products Eco-design Directive Lot 3 – Sound and Imaging
Equipment .......................................................................................................................................... 2
3
2.2
Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.......................................... 6
2.3
EnergyStar® ............................................................................................................................. 7
2.4
Other Regions ......................................................................................................................... 7
2.5
Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 7
Research Progress .............................................................................................................. 8
3.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour ....................................................... 8
3.2
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Aggregate Energy Use of Consoles ...................................... 11
3.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Assessment ............................................................................... 12
3.4
Work Package 4 – Understanding console power consumption and potential
energy saving opportunities ............................................................................................................. 13
3.5
4
Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 15
Project plan for remaining 12 months ............................................................................. 16
4.1
Thesis Structure .................................................................................................................... 16
4.2
Project Plan ........................................................................................................................... 16
5
Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 19
6
References ....................................................................................................................... 20
7
Appendices ....................................................................................................................... 22
ii
Amanda Webb
1
36 Month Progress Report
Introduction
This report discusses the progress made on the research project since submission of the 30
month report in April 2012. Recent developments, such as new policy recommendations,
and the likely impact of these are discussed. Finally, the report focuses on the tasks due for
completion over the coming 6 months, which will draw the research to a close.
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2
36 Month Progress Report
Developments Regarding Energy Efficiency Instruments and
Standards
This section reports on progress made towards the implementation of policies and
standards that target the energy use of games consoles. It is increasingly clear that the US,
Europe and Australia and New Zealand have started to consult one another in order to
share information and understanding of consoles. This is partly due to the submission of a
console manufacturer industry proposal, to the various interested authorities, outlining the
requirements of a possible global self-commitment for games consoles. Although draft
requirements from each region appear to be aligned with many areas of the industry
proposal, for example the recommendation of power caps on media and navigation modes,
the values associated with these requirements are still under discussion. Policymakers and
NGOs are pushing industry to commit to lower power levels despite manufacturers’
argumentation explaining that limits more stringent than those in the industry proposal are
not technically or economically feasible, at least for the current generation of consoles. This
indicates the beginning of a new stage in discussions where the focus is shifting from
quantification of console energy use, to technical justification and evaluation of policy
measures. Specific developments related to the individual instruments and standards
under development for consoles, are discussed below.
2.1
Energy related Products Eco-design Directive Lot 3 – Sound and Imaging
Equipment
Since submission of the last progress report, the Eco-design process for games consoles has
moved forward significantly. After a long period of inactivity, due to changes in personnel
within the European Commission, an impact assessment study is underway. Part of this
involves revising the existing preparatory study assessment published in 2010 (AEA, 2010),
as it is now out of date. Console manufacturers have been keen to ensure that any
remaining errors and issues within the preparatory study are corrected before the impact
assessment is finalised and presented to the Commission. To facilitate this process the
European Commission held a meeting between console manufacturers and the consultant
undertaking the impact assessment in June 2012. Before the meeting, a draft extract of the
Impact Assessment was released detailing the policy options under consideration for
games consoles and their suitability (Intertek, 2012). This covers the full spectrum of
options from no action through to mandatory eco-design requirements.
Reviewing the draft impact assessment shows that much of the previous input from
console manufacturers has not been included in this new assessment. In order to address
this and other issues persisting from the preparatory study, industry submitted a document
summarising their concerns, accompanied by the latest version of the industry proposal.
Parts of this document, including argumentation against inclusion of separate circuitry for
media playback functions and revised calculations of console energy use and potential
energy savings, were completed by the research engineer (detailed in Section 3.3).
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36 Month Progress Report
The industry proposal summarises requirements that manufacturers believe would
improve console efficiency without stifling innovation or unnecessarily increasing the lifecycle cost to the consumer, both stated in the Energy related products Directive, Article 15,
5(c and d), as criteria that must be met by any implementing measure (European
Parliament and Council, 2009). The power caps proposed for media play and navigation
modes (90 W at tier 1 and 70 W at tier 2) are based on technological and economic
assessments completed by console manufacturers. The power caps commit console
manufacturers to maintain the current level of power consumption in these modes for any
future generation product that will, inevitably, be higher performing, thus resulting in an
improvement in energy efficiency. Furthermore, in achieving the modal power caps stated
in the industry proposal, other functions such as gameplay are likely become more
efficient. Therefore, the energy savings of the proposal are likely to be underestimated as
future power consumption in gameplay cannot be accurately predicted at this time and, as
such, has not been included in the energy saving calculations. The baseline energy use
estimate for high definition consoles and the estimated savings of the industry proposal
have been calculated by the research engineer.
The baseline calculated considers the power consumption of the installed base of consoles,
in contrast to the Lot 3 report (AEA, 2010) that only considers consoles currently on sale,
leading to an underestimate of console energy use as it fails to consider the earlier, higher
power models. As a result, the baseline console energy use estimate in the industry
proposal is 101.1 kWh/year versus 74.8 kWh/year (Table 1). This baseline was used to
calculate the energy savings of the industry proposal (Table 2). This shows that the
magnitude of energy saving attributable to Lot 3 is much lower than expected at just 0.7
TWh/year in 2020, with APD and standby requirements (mandated under the standby
regulation already in force) (European Commission, 2008) offering 1.9T Wh/year in 2020
for consoles. 0.7 TWh/year is very low compared to the energy savings anticipated from
other product lots that already have implementing measures adopted. For instance, the
implementing measure for TVs was expected to save between 43 TWh and 51 TWh over
the lifetime of products placed on the market between 2009 and 2014 (Commission of the
European Communities, 2009), with product lots currently being studied, such as boilers
and water heaters, estimated to account for almost 25% of EU CO2 emissions (Railio, 2012).
The impact assessment for games consoles is due to be finalised in October when the
commission will distribute documents to stakeholders in preparation for the consultation
forum, scheduled for early November. In preparation for this, console manufacturers are
meeting with key Member States, including France, Sweden, Germany, Holland, UK and
Denmark that are likely to be active during the Consultation Forum. This will allow console
manufacturers to explain the rationale behind the industry proposal, technical details
about games console energy use, and get feedback on the proposed approach that can be
incorporated where appropriate.
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36 Month Progress Report
Table 1 High definition baseline
Function
Hours
/day
Time in
Each
function
(%)
Estimated Share of
Time During On
Modes
Active
Active
Mode
Time
(Hours/
day)
Inactive
Mode
Inactive
Standby/Off
Power
TEC Based on
Manufacturer
Use Hours
kWh/year
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Time
(Hours/
day)
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Power
Consumption
(W)
35.8
0.53
113.0
21.9
-
57.7
0.15
113.0
6.3
-
16.5
0.04
113.0
1.6
-
4.1
0.11
113.0
4.7
-
12.4
Game Play
1.40
6%
62%
38%
0.87
113.0
Movie/Video
playback
0.40
2%
62%
38%
0.25
113.0
Internet
Browsing
0.10
Other
Functions
0.30
Total ON
2.20
-
-
-
-
-
56.3
-
-
34.5
-
-
Standby/Off
21.80
91%
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1.3
10.3
All
24.00
100%
10.2
0%
62%
38%
0.06
113.0
2.6
1%
62%
38%
0.19
113.0
7.7
101.1
4
Amanda Webb
36 Month Progress Report
Table 2 Estimated energy savings of the industry proposal
Percentage Contribution to Total
Energy Savings
1
APD
2
Standby
2
Total Savings
(TWh/year)
Year
Power caps
2013
18.8%
59.5%
21.7%
0.39
2014
18.8%
59.5%
21.7%
0.78
2015
18.8%
59.5%
21.7%
1.17
2016
18.8%
59.5%
21.7%
1.56
2017
21.3%
57.6%
21.0%
2.02
2018
23.0%
56.4%
20.6%
2.47
2019
24.9%
55.0%
20.1%
2.54
2020
26.8%
53.7%
19.6%
2.60
1 Lot 3
2 Commission Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008
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Amanda Webb
2.2
36 Month Progress Report
Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Since submission of the last progress report, the final version of “Video Game Consoles:
Energy Efficiency Options” has been published on behalf of the Australian Department for
Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (EnergyConsult, 2012a). Alongside this report, a
voluntary code for improving games console energy efficiency was circulated, outlining
how requirements are likely to be implemented in Australia. This covers areas including
maximum power consumption targets (no limits defined), measurement procedure,
definition of a console and operational modes and reporting requirements.
It was anticipated that in June 2012 console manufacturers would make an announcement
stating their commitment to developing a voluntary agreement by 2013. This has not yet
happened due to revision of the games console assessment and on-going discussions
regarding the best way to proceed i.e. which instrument is most appropriate for consoles.
Prior to a teleconference held for console manufacturers in August, a document was
circulated with suggested limit values for media playback and navigation modes. These
were much lower than those proposed by manufacturers in the industry proposal. During
the teleconference manufacturers explained that these limits were technically impossible
to achieve for current generation consoles as they would require a complete redesign of
the hardware, something that at this stage of the product lifecycle is too costly. In light of
the discussion, the Australian authorities agreed to drop this proposal and will continue to
discuss with other regions, including the EU and US, regarding limit values.
The Australian government is keen to pursue setting a limit based on the TEC methodology,
rather than power caps for individual modes. It was explained during the teleconference
that this would be calculated using power caps for media play and navigations modes,
multiplied by an agreed usage profile, resulting in a limit for energy use per year in these
modes. Manufacturers expressed concern with this approach, particularly regarding the
agreed usage profile. Measuring console usage is a difficult and inaccurate science, and
usage is likely to change over time as the functionality available on consoles changes.
Changing the usage profile used to set the limit value in the future, to reflect increasing or
decreasing usage, would change the requirements for manufacturers. A major concern for
manufacturers is that limits are set now for next generation products so that current
investments are made with certainty regarding possible limit values. As previously stated,
due to the high initial development costs of games consoles, redesigning the hardware is
not an option and would be likely to result in consoles being removed from the market.
However, setting a single limit value does allow console manufacturers more flexibility in
achieving the limit. For instance, it may be cheaper to reduce the power consumption in
navigation mode enough to meet the limit, rather than having to invest in both modes
under consideration.
Another teleconference is scheduled for October, where discussions around requirements
are expected to continue.
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Amanda Webb
2.3
36 Month Progress Report
ENERGYSTAR®
Since submission of the 30 month report, the ENERGYSTAR® programme for consoles has
continued to develop. Draft USEPA ENEGYSTAR® requirements published in 2011 and early
2012 left any limit values as “To Be Defined”. Following stakeholder feedback on the
proposed requirements, a new draft was circulated in July 2012 with power limits defined
at 0.5 W for standby, 35 W for Active Navigation menu and 45 W for Active Streaming
Media plus an Auto Power Down requirement (United States Environmental Protection
Agency, 2012). Although the power limits for media and navigation modes are much lower
than those proposed by console manufacturers in their industry proposal, the most recent
version of the requirements has incorporated many of the concerns expressed by industry
and NGOs including a revision of the period until APD activates (from 15 minutes to 1
hour), removal of references to sleep and idle modes (these modes do not exist on a
console) and removal of autosave requirements that are not necessary or relevant on all
games.
A webinar was held in August for all stakeholders, including industry, government and NGO
representatives. Similar to the discussion with the Australian government, manufacturers
explained why the proposed limits are not technically achievable. It was revealed that
these were based on comparisons with Set Top Boxes. The USEPA agreed to revisit these
proposed limits and continue discussions with manufacturers and NGOs at a later date.
2.4
Other Regions
In addition to the energy efficiency instruments discussed above, numerous other regions
are currently considering energy related policy for appliances and ICT. The main
development in this regard is the introduction of mandatory energy labelling in Mexico,
covering 186 products from televisions to video consoles (Underwriters Laboratories,
2012). Although at present this is simply a labelling requirement, it highlights the increasing
global interest in energy policy and energy efficiency. It is also likely that countries such as
Mexico will look to the regions where policy is already well developed for energy efficiency,
such as the EU and US, and as such games consoles are likely to feature on the product
agenda. Other countries are also reported to be following energy related policy
developments, including Canada, Brazil and Argentina.
This highlights the importance of this research project, as the impact of any policies or
standards set in the US, EU and Australia are likely to increase as more countries
implement product related energy policies.
2.5
Conclusions
Interest in product energy use, in terms of environmental impact and carbon emissions, is
growing with an increasing number of regions considering regulation, including Canada,
Brazil and Argentina. Specifically for games consoles, progress regarding the development
of policies and standards has been significant since submission of the 30 month progress
report, with discussions entering their final phase in the US, Australia and the EU.
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3
36 Month Progress Report
Research Progress
This section discusses the progress made on the research project since submission of the
30 month report. The project structure is summarised in Figure 1. Each work package is
discussed in turn below, covering details of the research completed over the past 6 months
plus the research that still needs to be completed. Most importantly, work packages 4 and
5 have been merged as the outputs and methodology are the same. This is explained in
more detail in Section 3.4.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Understand user
behaviour and power
consumption of games
consoles
Construct a
representative base
line
Identify opportunities
to reduce console
energy use
WP1 – User
behaviour
WP3 – Base
line analysis
WP2 – Plotting
the Saw Tooth
WP4 –
Understanding
console power
consumption
and potential
energy saving
of technology
and policy
options
Figure 1 Schematic showing the organisation of the work packages (WP) under each subobjective
3.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour
The objective of this work package is to improve understanding of user behaviour, both to
aid estimation of the energy use of games consoles in the use-phase and, by extension, to
estimate the potential energy saving options to improve energy efficiency of consoles.
During the past 6 months of research, a meta-analysis of user behaviour data has been
completed. This analysis shows that estimates available for the time a console spends
switched on vary between 1.4 hours (Market Transformation Programme, 2009) and 3.14
hours per day (Consumer Electronics Association, 2010), although seven of the nine
estimates reported the time a console is switched on to be 2 and 2.64 hours per day. The
time that consoles are reported to spend in standby varies hugely between sources (4.8
and 22 hours per day), with gameplay time estimates varying between 1 and 2.7 hours per
day. A summary of the available usage data for games consoles is shown in Table 3. As part
of this analysis, the method of data collection has also been considered to determine how
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36 Month Progress Report
reliable the estimates are. For instance, some estimates are derived from metering
technology that records consumer usage (Nielsen, 2007, Nielsen, 2009), while others are
based on survey data collected for 8-18 year olds (Rideout et al., 2010). Taking
methodology into account, the total on time of a console is estimated to be 2.2 hours per
day given the strong agreement between the mean, mode and median (2.2, 2 and 2.2
respectively). Where this figure for usage is employed, a sensitivity analysis considers the
range of figures reported for total on time. The analysis also includes new usage data
published by DEFRA (Intertek/DEFRA, 2012) for a household electricity survey that
recorded the power consumption of appliances in people’s homes as well as for how long
they were used. The DEFRA study reported on time per day of 2 hours, which is very similar
to the estimates provided by manufacturers for high definition consoles, of 2.2 hours per
day. The broad agreement of the majority of sources regarding time a console is switched
on increases the credibility of using this value in further analysis, such as that discussed in
Section 3.3. The total on time is split between the different modes according to the average
use profiles reported by manufactures and submitted to the Eco-design Lot 3 study.
However, inactive time estimates are still problematic. Since submission of the 30 month
report, the inactive calculation performed by the research engineer has been updated,
suggesting that a console is inactive for 38% of the total on time. This figure was calculated
using survey data for switch off behaviour collected through the Interactive Software
Federation of Europe study (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010), reported in
the 12 month progress report, combined with usage data from GameVision (2011) and
industry data regarding the number of gaming sessions per week. The figure of 38% is
higher than the AEA estimate of 30% (2010), but much lower than estimates based on the
assumption that 30-50% of users leave their consoles switched on all of the time (Hittinger
et al., 2012, NRDC, 2008). A sensitivity analysis is currently underway on the calculation of
inactive time to establish what the determining factors are and how much inactive time
varies when employing different assumptions and data.
A literature review is on-going for this work package so that any new sources of data can be
incorporated into the analysis. In addition, the Interactive Software Federation of Europe is
preparing their biennial survey of gamers in Europe that was last conducted in 2010. It is
hoped this will include further questions on consumer switch off behaviour and the
number of times consumers use their console per week, which can be used to update the
calculation of inactive time.
This work package is now complete and will be updated as and when new data on games
console usage becomes available. The results from this research have already been used in
the research on baselines estimates of console energy use (Work Package 3) and will be
used in Work Package 4 to create scenarios of future console energy use.
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36 Month Progress Report
Table 3 Summary of usage data for HD games consoles
Time (hours per day per console)
Source
Data collection
method
Gameplay
Media
Usage
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Active
Inactive
Standby
Total on time
(AEA, 2009)
Metered usage
-
-
-
-
0.6
1.4
10
2
(Nielsen, 2007)
Metered usage
-
-
-
-
2.3
-
2.3
(Nielsen, 2009)
Metered usage
-
-
-
-
2.64
-
2.64
(Nielsen, 2010)
Metered usage
-
-
-
-
-
2.6
(Console Manufacturers, 2011)
Manufacturer data
1.4
0.4
0.1
0.3
21.8
2.2
(EnergyConsult, 2012b)
Manufacturer data
1
1
22
2
(Market Transformation Programme, 2009)
Metered
usage/survey/ expert
assumptions
Survey
-
-
-
-
0.4
1
10
1.4
2.1
0.9
0.2
-
2.57
0.57
21
3.14
Survey
1.26
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Survey
2.7
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
4.8
2
(Consumer Electronics Association, 2010)
1
(Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010)
(Rideout et al., 2010)
1
(Intertek/DEFRA, 2012)
Survey of households
2.56
-
1 The data from these sources is on a per user basis, whereas the other data is per console. Research has shown that multiple users are active on each console. In order to normalise the data
the usage estimates from these sources have been multiplied by 1.8, the average number of gamers active on a platform reported in the GameVision studies between 2009 and 2011.
10
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3.2
36 Month Progress Report
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Aggregate Energy Use of Consoles
The objective of this work package is to estimate the aggregate energy use of consoles over
time through combination of power consumption data and sales of consoles. This will
establish if the “saw tooth” phenomenon, a descriptor used to describe the decrease in
power consumption within a generation of consoles and the increase in power
consumption between generations of consoles, also exists when considering aggregate
energy use of PlayStation® consoles used in the home.
Power consumption testing is now complete, with measurements taken for each model of
PlayStation®One, PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3 consoles sold, in each of the modes
available. Testing was conducted according to the ENERGYSTAR® guidelines (EnergyStar®,
2009) and the International Electrochemical Commissions’ guidance for testing the power
consumption of audio, video and related equipment (International Electrotechnical
Commission, 2008). Preliminary power consumption results, for all consoles tested, in the
Menu/Navigation screen are shown Figure 2. Although these results show that power
consumption between product generations increases, followed by a decrease during the
product lifetime, sometimes described as the “saw tooth” effect, it is important to consider
that these results are based on only one console sampled to represent each console model.
In order to ensure the power consumption data is representative, a larger sample of
consoles of one model of each generation is currently being tested to establish how much
console power consumption varies between models that are identical e.g. 30 units of a
PlayStation®One model. Quantifying any variation in power use for identical models will
allow the accuracy and representativeness of the power consumption data to be verified.
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36 Month Progress Report
200
160
120
80
40
Console
Figure 2 Chart showing the power consumption of all PlayStation® consoles in
menu/navigation mode since 1996
At present, the data for power consumption and sales are being combined in order to
identify the peak energy use in each generation of products.
The results of this work package will be summarised into a paper for submission to a peer
reviewed journal in early 2013. This work will also inform the scenarios that will be
considered in work package 4.
3.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Assessment
The research for this work package is now complete and has been summarised in a paper
due to be submitted to Energy Policy in September 2012. The latest version of the paper is
currently being reviewed by supervisors before submission for peer review. The abstract,
summarising the content and conclusions, is shown below:
Abstract
With increases in the energy use of domestic appliances, estimated at 2.5% per year in the
European Union, various governments are adopting energy efficiency standards with the
aim of reducing associated carbon emissions.
One appliance being studied for regulation by the European Commission, and authorities in
the United States and Australia, is games consoles. Estimating the potential energy saving
that can be achieved by such policies requires a baseline energy estimate against which
savings can be measured. Existing estimates of console energy use offered by
manufacturers, NGOs and government authorities involved in the development of
12
PS3_J
PS3_H
PS3_G
PS3_F
PS3_D'
PS3_D
PS3_B'
PS3_B
PS2_90004R
PS2_79004N
PS2_77004M
PS2_75004L
PS2_50008HIJ
PS2_50004H
PS2_30003F
PS2_30003C
PS1_6
PS1_5
PS1_4
PS1_3
PS1_2
0
PS1_1
Power consumption (W)
Menu/Navigation Mode
Amanda Webb
36 Month Progress Report
regulation for consoles are unreliable as they are based on incorrect data and assumptions
and, consequently, vary widely between 32 and 500kWh per year. Based on a metaanalysis of available usage and power consumption data, and using TEC methodology, this
paper calculates the energy use of each console currently in use to be 112kWh per year on
average. Given efficiency improvements of consoles since launch, models currently on sale
are calculated to use nearly 40% less energy on average, at 69kWh per year.
This research highlights the need for a consistent approach to estimating the energy use of
games consoles and addresses shortcomings in the existing research and data. Current
assessments have led to the recommendation of policy measures that focus on media play
energy use and introduction of an Auto Power Down feature. However, the results of this
analysis suggest that potential savings in gameplay energy use, which accounts for over
60% of games console energy use, and the increasing diversity of console functions are
perhaps worthy of greater attention. This research will be potentially useful for producers
and policy makers involved in developing energy efficiency standards.
3.4
Work Package 4 – Understanding console power consumption and potential
energy saving opportunities
As stated above, this work package now represents the research to be completed in order
to achieve objective 3; to identify opportunities to reduce console energy use (Figure 2).
Work packages 4 and 5 have been merged as the outputs and methodology are the same
and were initially separated on the basis that one considered current products and the
other future products.
Progress on work package 4 over the past 6 months has been limited due difficulty in
finding data for individual components of the same specification as those in the
PlayStation®3, in addition to allocating more time to complete work packages 1-3. Despite
this, a simplified model of console power consumption has been used by industry to
illustrate how components in a PlayStation®3 use the power consumed (Table 4). Although
very basic, this has already helped to illustrate where energy savings can be realised
through the use of different technologies. For instance, many reports suggest that consoles
incorporating scalable chips, so that they only use computing power proportional to the
task in hand, could reduce console power consumption by up to 50% (AEA, 2010).
However, to date, assessments of this technology have been based on PC architecture,
which is different to that of a console; console manufacturers invest hundreds of millions of
dollars developing bespoke chips with the current Reality Synthesizer (RSX) graphics chip
reported to represent 1500 person years of investment (NVIDIA, 2005), versus PC
manufacturers that buy “off the shelf” chips. The assumption by various stakeholders,
including the Lot 3 consultant and NRDC, that consoles can realise the same energy savings
as PCs has led to the recommendation of a 25 W power limit for media playback (NRDC and
Energy Solutions, 2011), however, manufacturers argue that the limits suggested in the
industry proposal (90 W and 70 W for media play and navigation) are at the lowest figures
that can be achieved without compromising functionality and innovation.
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36 Month Progress Report
Table 4 Indication of component power use in a games console
Component
Percentage contribution to
total power consumption
CPU
GPU
Chipset
e.g. 33%
Optical Drive
Hard Drive
Memory
Wireless
Clock
e.g. 33%
Conversion losses
Fan
Other
e.g.33%
TOTAL
100%
In order to address these areas where understanding of console architecture is lacking or
conflicting in the assessment of possible technologies and their energy saving potential,
this research will help to quantify the actual saving that different technologies can achieve.
To achieve the stated objective, the tasks listed below will be completed over the next 6
months. This will result in a recommendation regarding which technologies should be
implemented for consoles in order to improve their efficiency. The project plan has been
updated to reflect these changes (Table 5).
1. Literature Review – this will summarise how consoles use power and, using the
research already completed concerning component power consumption, it will
show that standalone components of equivalent specification consume more
power than the PlayStation®3. This demonstrates that direct comparisons cannot
be made due to the integrated nature of console architecture. Research will also be
conducted regarding where developments in console technology are expected and
what new functionality and user experiences are anticipated. Consideration will
also be given to other products that provide the same function/s as a console and
the energy required to do so. This will help to place consoles in the market in terms
of the efficiency of the different functions and whether console manufacturers can
justify the higher power consumption of some functions, such as media playback.
2. Technology Assessment – previously listed under work package 5, this will
establish a comprehensive list of possible technologies that could be incorporated
into consoles to improve their efficiency. A detailed discussion of each technology
will be given. This task is currently underway.
3. Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) calculation for each technology – using the
baseline calculated in work package 3, and two scenarios created to represent
possible next generation consoles’ power consumption, each technology will be
assessed in terms of its’ energy saving potential. The future scenarios will also
consider any changes in functionality and how this may impact usage time.
Technologies will be assessed in terms of cost to implement, and the payback time
14
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36 Month Progress Report
in terms of energy saving for this cost, in order to assess whether the extra
investment is justified. Although a relatively crude measure, this is an accepted
approach to assessing energy saving options under the Eco-design directive. For
example, the impact assessment on TVs takes this approach (Commission of the
European Communities, 2009). This assessment will also include a sensitivity
analysis considering energy prices, cost of technologies and energy saving
potential.
4. Evaluation of technology options – using the results of the assessment detailed in
task 3 above, this task will consider different combinations of technologies that
could be implemented. Options will include maximum technology uptake, i.e.
maximum energy saving, versus payback options i.e. those technologies that pay
back the extra cost of implementation in terms of energy saved over the product
lifetime. The optimum combination of technologies will be identified for each
scenario.
The results of these tasks will form a large part of the discussion for the thesis, considering
what energy savings are possible, whether they are cost effective to implement and, most
importantly, whether regulating consoles will offer energy savings above those already
realised voluntarily. In addition, the most appropriate technologies to reduce console
energy use and improve efficiency for future products will be identified.
3.5
Conclusions
This section details the research progress over the last 6 months, including an outline of
work that still needs to be completed under each work package; specific tasks and
timelines are shown in the project plan (Table 5). Although some research planned for the
past 6 months has not been completed, other research has been completed ahead of
schedule as this feeds into the final work package.
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36 Month Progress Report
Project plan for remaining 12 months
This section outlines the research plan for the final 12 months of the Engineering Doctorate
program. This includes specific tasks, and their intended date of completion, in addition to
a structure for the final thesis showing where the different work packages fit into the
broader picture. At present, the research project is on schedule for completion by October
2013.
4.1
Thesis Structure
An outline for the structure of the final thesis is shown in Appendix 1. This illustrates how
the work packages of research will be drawn together into a coherent structure. This
highlights the contributions to knowledge of the research and the anticipated conclusions
of the project. These will continue to be refined as the process of writing up begins.
4.2
Project Plan
This section summarises the status of the tasks and deliverables planned under each work
package, shown in Table 5. The project plan extends until the end of the research project in
October 2013 and it is expected that the thesis will be submitted on time.
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36 Month Progress Report
Table 5 Project plan detailing tasks and deliverables under each work package
Tasks and Deliverables
Start Date Duration End
(days)
Date Status
WP1 - User Behaviour Situational Review
Identify new sources of user behaviour data
Update situational review of user behaviour over time
01/02/2012
12/03/2012
WP2 - Plotting the Saw Tooth
Identify all models of PlayStation consoles ever sold
Gather sales data for each model
Pilot study: ascertain methodology and time needed for testing
Source each console and games to play on each
Test console power consumption
Plot power consumption over time
Identify peak energy use in each generation
Assess variability of consoles of same model
01/01/2012
01/01/2012
16/01/2012
01/01/2012
07/02/2012
01/05/2012
01/05/2012
01/08/2012
31
60
22
121
175
91
91
30
01/02/2012 Complete
01/03/2012 Complete
07/02/2012 Complete
01/05/2012 Complete
31/07/2012 Complete
31/07/2012 Complete
31/07/2012 In progress
31/08/2012 Complete
07/01/2012
07/03/2012
05/02/2012
17/04/2012
17/08/2012
17/08/2012
WP3 - Baseline Analysis
Critique existing baselines and identify strengths and weaknesses
Identify key criteria for baseline construction
Establish how many consoles are still in use
Construct baseline for high definition consoles
Research Paper
Conduct sensitivity analysis
01/01/2012
01/01/2012
01/02/2012
01/02/2012
01/03/2012
01/04/2012
30
30
30
42
31
30
31/01/2012 Complete
31/01/2012 Complete
02/03/2012 Complete
14/03/2012 Complete
01/04/2012 In progress
01/05/2012 Complete
15/01/2012
18/01/2012
01/03/2012
04/03/2012
01/04/2012
01/05/2012
17
90 01/05/2012 On-going
50 01/05/2012 On-going
Date Completed
01/02/2012
12/03/2012
14/09/2012
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36 Month Progress Report
WP4 - Understanding Console Power Consumption
Establish how power is used by console components
Comparisons of equivalent components power consumption to those in PS3
List energy saving technologies available for consoles
Review possible development of gaming i.e. functionality, software and firmware etc.
Create two future power consumption scenarios for consoles
For all scenarios Calculate a TEC for each technology + sensitivity analysis
Calculate cost of implementation of each technology
Calculate pay back period for each technology
Evaluate options in terms of max energy saving versus payback time
EngD Requirements
30 month Report
EngD Conference 2012
36 month Report
Write up thesis
42 month Report
Re-work/ gather more data as necessary/ re-write
18
01/01/2012
01/09/2012
01/09/2012
01/09/2012
15/09/2012
60
61
30
61
30
01/03/2012 On-going
01/11/2012 In progress
01/10/2012 In progress
01/11/2012
15/10/2012 In progress
01/10/2012
01/10/2012
01/10/2012
01/11/2012
60
60
60
30
30/11/2012
30/11/2012
30/11/2012
01/12/2012
01/03/2012
26/06/2012
01/09/2012
01/01/2013
01/03/2013
01/04/2013
31
2
30
90
31
183
01/04/2012 Complete
28/06/2012 Complete
01/10/2012 Complete
01/04/2013
01/04/2013
01/10/2013
24/02/2012
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36 Month Progress Report
Conclusions
This report has summarises research progress over the last 6 months and research to be
completed over the coming 6 months until April 2012. A first draft of the thesis is planned
for review in April 2013, with 6 months for final completion.
It is anticipated that over the course of the next 6 months one journal paper will be
submitted for peer review and another will be written ready for submission.
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36 Month Progress Report
References
AEA 2009. Building on the Eco-design Directive, EuP Group Analysis (I)
ENTR Lot 3 Sound and Imaging Equipment Draft Task 1-5 Report.
AEA 2010. Building on the Eco-design Directive, EuP Group Analysis (I) ENTR Lot 3 Sound
and Imaging Equipment Task 1-7 Report.
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 2009. Commission staff working
document: Accompanying document to the Commission Regulation implementing
Directive 2005/32/EC with regard to ecodesign requirements for televisions. Full
Impact Assessment. Brussels.
CONSOLE MANUFACTURERS 2011. Energy Efficiency of Games Consoles: Draft Ouline
Proposal to Further Improve the Energy Consumption of Games Consoles.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION 2010. Consumer Electronics Association Gaming
and Energy Study.
ENERGYCONSULT 2012a. Video Game Consoles: Energy Efficiency Options.
ENERGYCONSULT 2012b. Video game Consoles: Energy Efficiency Options - DRAFT 2.
ENERGYSTAR® 2009. EnergyStar®,Program Requirements for Computers, Version 5.1 Game
Console Requirements – Draft Final.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2008. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008 of 17
December 2008 implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the European parliament
and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for standby and off
mode electric power consumption of electrical and electronic household and office
equipment. Official Journal of the European Union, L339/45.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL 2009. Directive 2009/125/EC of 21 October 2009
establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energyrelated products (recast). Official Journal of the European Union, L285/10.
HITTINGER, E., MULLINS, K. A. & AZEVEDO, I. L. 2012. Electricity consumption and energy
savings potential of video game consoles in the United States. Energy Efficiency, 5,
531-545.
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FEDERATION OF EUROPE 2010. Video gamers in Europe 2010.
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION 2008. Methods of measurement for
the power consumption of audio, video and related equipment.
INTERTEK 2012. Impact Assessment Study for Sustainable Product Measures: Lot 3 Sound
and Imaging Equipment, Extract of Task 4 (Draft content) Identification of Policy
Options for Video Game Consoles.
INTERTEK/DEFRA 2012. Household Electricity Survey: A study of domestic electrical product
usage.
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36 Month Progress Report
MARKET TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME 2009. BNCE GC02: Game Consoles (GCs)
Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Reference Scenario. In: DEFRA (ed.).
NIELSEN 2007. The State of the Console: Video Game Console Usage Fourth Quarter 2006.
NIELSEN 2009. The State of the Video Gamer: PC Game and Video Game Console User
Fourth Quarter 2008.
NIELSEN. 2010. Game Consoles Edge Closer to Serving as Entertainment Hubs [Online].
Available:
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/game-consolesedge-closer-to-serving-as-entertainment-hubs/ [Accessed 09/05/2012.
NRDC 2008. Lowering the Cost of Play: Improving the Energy Efficiency of Video Game
Consoles.
NRDC & ENERGY SOLUTIONS 2011. Proposal Information Template - Game Consoles 2011
Appliance Efficiency Standards.
NVIDIA. 2005. NVIDIA Presents Breakthrough Next Generation Graphics at Sony Computer
Entertainment's PlayStation(r)3 Press Conference [Online]. Available:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_21111.html [Accessed 13/09/2012.
RAILIO, J. 2012. Ecodesign of energy related project - progress with boilers and water
heaters. Rehva.
RIDEOUT, V. J., FOEHR, U. G. & ROBERTS, D. F. 2010. Generation M2: Media in the Lives of
8- to 18- Year- Olds. Washington DC: Kaiser Family Foundation.
UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES. 2012. National Commission for Efficient Energy Use
(CONUEE)
and
UL
[Online].
Available:
http://www.ul.com/global/por/pages/offerings/services/energyefficiency/conuee/
[Accessed 09/08/2012.
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2012. Proposed Performance
Requirements for EPA Game Console Recognition Program Draft 3.
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Appendices
Appendix 1 Thesis Structure
Evaluating Games Console Energy Use: Technologies and
Policy Options to Improve Energy Efficiency
1. INTRODUCTION

Policies and standards are being considered, by a number of governments
and authorities, to reduce games console energy use and thus the impact
of this product group on the environment
o Lighting and electrical appliances contribute 15% to residential
energy use, which has increased by 5% since 1990
o Without intervention the electricity use of ICT and CE products in
2030 is anticipated to be 250% higher than today
o Consequently, a number of policy initiatives have been introduced to
tackle this growing area of energy use, such as energy labelling
schemes and efficiency targets
o Specifically, games consoles are perceived by stakeholders including
NGOs and governments, to have high energy use that is expected to
increase in the future as performance improves and new
functionality is added
o As a result, consoles are under consideration in the EU, Australia,
USA and California for the introduction of energy policies and or
standards to limit their energy use and improve their efficiency


EU

Australia

US

California

Other stakeholders – e.g. NRDC, NGOs
Summary of development
over time and proposed
policies/standards
Games consoles are multifunctional products that have radically evolved,
both in terms of functionality and performance, between the different
generations of products launched over the last two decades. This has been
accompanied by an increase in power consumption.
o Performance and functionality of games consoles has increased
rapidly over time leading to an increase in power consumption
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36 Month Progress Report
between each generation of products e.g. the addition of media
playback capabilities including audio discs, DVDs and Blu-rays
o Over the lifetime of each console generation, console hardware is
redeveloped to reduce costs and improve reliability, whilst also
reducing power consumption. This has led to a reduction in power
consumption of over 60% for current generation, high definition
consoles

Gaming is becoming a more mainstream activity that is available through
an increasing number of platforms. Therefore, the energy use of gaming is
likely to continue to increase as more people play.
o Increasing numbers of people are gaming through mobile devices
such as mobile phones and tablet computers; 22% of gamers in
Europe now play Smartphone games (GameVision, 2011).
o Gaming is most popular among the young, however, 30% of 30-49
year olds play video games (ISFE, 2010)
o The number of active classical gamers has increased by 10 million
between 2007 and 2011 (Gamevision, 2011)

The energy impact of games consoles is yet to be accurately estimated,
which is problematic when determining which policy options are most
appropriate and effective
o Current estimates vary between 32 kWh/year and 500
kWh/year/console as they are based on measurements of console
usage and power consumption data that do not accurately represent
the consoles currently in use
o Where data are lacking, incorrect data and/or assumptions have
been used that contribute to the large variation in energy use
estimates
o As such, the energy saving potential of proposed policies and
standards for games consoles has not been accurately estimated,
which is likely to lead to implementation of policies and standards
that may not offer the greatest energy saving possible.

This research investigates the most suitable approach to improving the
energy efficiency of games consoles and determines the cost effectiveness
and magnitude of energy savings possible through adoption of energy
efficient technologies and policy measures. This includes a number of key
research areas:
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Amanda Webb
36 Month Progress Report
o Collection of new data on usage and power consumption of games
consoles, plus a detailed analysis of existing sources identifying the
most appropriate and representative data available
o Analysis of console power consumption over time and calculation of
aggregate console energy use to establish when it is most effective
to introduce requirements during the product lifetime
o Estimate of current generation games consoles TEC and assessment
of proposed standards and regulations in terms of their energy
saving
o Assessment of technology to consider the energy saving potential,
cost of implementation and the payback period of each technology,
both for current generation consoles and two future scenarios
o Finally, a recommendation of the most appropriate policies and or
standards is made that will improve energy efficiency while
facilitating continued innovation in performance and functionality of
games consoles
2. META ANALYSIS OF DATA AVAILABLE FOR CONSOLE USAGE AND
POWER CONSUMPTION

To estimate the energy use of consoles, the time a console is used is
multiplied by the power consumed. However, available data for user
behaviour and power consumption vary in both coverage and accuracy.

User behaviour and power consumption change over the lifetime of each
console generation, so the data needs to account for these changes in
order to accurately estimate console energy use.
USER BEHAVIOUR DATA
o Available data for console usage varies considerably in terms of its
coverage of gamers and functions, for example, estimates of gaming
hours vary between 1.4 and 2.7 hours per day per console and total
on time varies between 2 and 3.14 hours per day per console
o The time a console spends inactive was highlighted as a potential
area where policy could reduce energy use; however, estimates of
inactive time were based on assumptions that between 30-50% of
users never switched their consoles off
o Without more accurate information on usage, the energy use of
consoles could not be accurately estimated
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Amanda Webb
36 Month Progress Report
o This research collected survey information regarding consumer
switch off behaviour to improve the estimates of the time a console
spends inactive
o In addition, internal industry data were analysed to give new
estimates of console usage, both in terms of total on time and the
proportion of this time spent in the different functions
o These new data were added to the existing estimates for console
usage and compiled into a meta-analysis by the research engineer
o This resulted in a representative estimate for console usage,
including:
 An estimate of the total on time, at 2.2 hours per day
 An estimate of the time spent using the different functions
with 1.4 hours a day spent gaming, 0.4 hours per day spent
playing media, 0.1 hours per day spent internet browsing
and 0.3 hours per day spent using other secondary functions
 An estimate of the proportion of the total time a console
spends inactive, at 38%
POWER CONSUMPTION DATA
o Data available for console power consumption over the lifetime of
the current generation of products does not show the decrease in
power consumption that has occurred due to hardware revisions
o Available data is based on various methods of collection including
checking the manual for estimated power consumption and testing
actual units using a power meter
o Data for current high definition console power consumption is
available for between 2007 and 2012 and varies between 380 W and
79.1 W for active mode
o Some sources only report data for active and inactive modes,
whereas others are more comprehensive and report active and
inactive data for various functions
o Collating the available data for console power consumption reveals a
number of data gaps; data does not cover all modes of operation and
is missing entirely for some models
o To address this power consumption testing was carried out on all
PlayStation® console models sold to date. This accurately records the
decrease in power consumption seen within each product
generation, as a result of hardware changes, and the trend of
increasing console power consumption over time as they have higher
performance and offer more functions
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Amanda Webb
36 Month Progress Report
o Power consumption of a launch model PlayStation® playing a game is
9 W compared to 183 W for a launch model PlayStation®3
o Power consumption of the PlayStation®3 when playing a game has
decreased from 183 W at launch to 76 W for the latest model
o Power consumption of secondary functions, such as playing audio
and media discs is lower than that required for gaming – e.g. playing
a DVD on the most recent PlayStation®3 model requires 10 W less
than gaming
3. TYPLICAL ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION (TEC) OF CONSOLES

In order to assess whether proposed policies and standards will help
reduce the energy use of consoles, it is first necessary to understand how
much energy consoles use

The method used to calculate the energy use of games consoles is the
Typical Electricity Consumption or TEC method. This multiplies the power
consumption of a product in a specific mode by the time the product
spends in that mode. TEC is normally calculated for one year, and is the
method used by government authorities when assessing product energy
use
o Using the meta-analysis of usage and the power consumption data
collected by the research engineer, two baseline energy estimates
were calculated; one to represent the energy use of consoles
currently in use (112 kWh/year) and another to represent the
energy use of consoles currently on sale (69 kWh/year)
o High definition consoles currently on sale use ~43 kWh/year less
energy than those currently in use
o Aggregate energy use of consoles over time is unknown
 Due to the BAU hardware revisions that take place in consoles,
resulting in reductions in power consumption, opportunities to
speed up the implementation of efficient technologies are often
missed due to slow legislative procedures
 Consoles are an unusual product group in that they have long
lifetimes, ~10 years, and sales peak around midway through the
product lifetime
 Therefore, for regulation to have the desired impact, it is likely
that there is a cut-off point beyond which regulation can offer
little more than BAU
 Power consumption measurements are combined with sales data
to estimate the energy use of PlayStation consoles over time
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36 Month Progress Report

For PlayStation®3 this reveals that the aggregate energy use of
consoles has increased over time since launch in 2007 until April
2012, when energy use has started to decline
 This identifies the point during the lifetime of the product
generation by when regulation needs to be adopted to reduce
energy use beyond the BAU case
4. UNDERSTANDING CONSOLE POWER CONSUMPTION AND
POTENTIAL ENERGY SAVING OPPORTUNITIES

Various technologies could be used in games consoles, including scalable
chips, efficient power supplies and separate media circuitry, to improve
console efficiency and reduce power consumption. However, the
magnitude of the potential energy savings and the cost to implement are
unknown
o Current generation consoles cannot be significantly redesigned to
incorporate new technologies without substantial investment from
manufacturers. Considering the point in the product lifecycle, it is extremely
unlikely such large costs would be recouped by consumers in terms of
energy savings
 Proposed technologies to improve console efficiency are
evaluated in terms of the potential energy saving, cost of
implementation and payback time
 This will allow the feasibility of technology options to be
established, both in terms of the consumer and the manufacturer
 Different combinations of options are considered with a
recommendation made for the most appropriate options e.g.
maximum technology implementation versus payback options
o Future generation consoles can incorporate these technologies as they
are either not yet designed or currently being designed
 Two scenarios of possible future energy use of consoles are
created based on the launch model power consumption of
current high definition models and power consumption of the
highest specification gaming PC currently on the market
 It is likely that future consoles will have higher performance and
include new functionalities, which in turn may change usage
rates. These are considered in a sensitivity analysis
 Different combinations of options are considered with a
recommendation made for the most appropriate options e.g.
maximum technology implementation versus payback options
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36 Month Progress Report
5. DISCUSSION

Do games consoles need regulating?
o Are any of the current approaches suitable for games consoles?
 Games consoles are an unusual product group with few
manufacturers, long product lifetimes, sales that peak in the
middle of the product lifetime and power consumption that is
already reduced voluntarily during the product lifetime for
economic reasons
o Can any of the current approaches offer energy savings beyond the
BAU case?
o If so, when should requirements be introduced in the product
lifetime?
 What is the determining factor of this i.e. sales, reduction in
energy use?
o What is the magnitude of potential energy savings that can be
realised through introduction of options already being considered?
o What is the magnitude of potential energy savings that can be
realised for other policy options not currently being considered?
o What type of policy would be appropriate?
6. CONCLUSIONS

Assessments of console energy use have, to date, been based on
incomplete data and assumptions leading to the recommendation of
policies and standards with unknown energy savings

This could lead to energy saving opportunities being missed or, of more
concern, unintended consequences including increasing energy use
o This research has improved the data available for console power
consumption and user behaviour
o This has been used to calculate more representative and reliable
baseline energy use estimates, than were previously available in the
literature, both for consoles currently in use and those currently on
sale. This showed that some existing estimates were up to four times
higher than the new estimate calculated through this research
o This shows that the reduction in console power consumption over
the lifetime of a generation of products needs to be considered
when calculating the energy use of console and thus estimating the
potential energy savings of policies, otherwise incorrect
recommendations may be made

Games consoles are an unusual product group; they have long product
lifetimes (~10 years), they are able to be updated through firmware
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36 Month Progress Report
downloads, and the hardware is updated as part of on-going
environmental targets and cost saving activities, but performance is held
constant
o Under a BAU scenario, the changes experienced over the lifetime of
a console generation make it unclear clear where policy can add
value
o This research has calculated the energy use of consoles over time to
identify when during the product lifetime the introduction of policy
can reduce the energy use of games consoles

Many suggestions of what is achievable, in terms of energy reductions for
games consoles, have been made using experiences from other product
groups

This comprehensive analysis of technology and console architecture shows
that:
o X is the best approach to reduce games console energy use
o A, B, C are the most appropriate technologies for consoles, in terms
of cost, energy saving and payback time
o Z is the potential energy saving on introduction of A, B, C

This research has broader implications in terms of other product groups
and energy saving initiatives in general:
o What lessons from the games console process can be transferred to
other product groups?
 Accurate
assessment
products
is
essential
if
recommendations are to be meaningful and appropriate

Representative baseline energy use estimate



Full understanding of the products development over
time and potential future trends
There is no one size fits all policy or programme – each
product group needs to be considered on an individual basis
It is essential that the impact of any recommended policies or
standards is fully understood so that efficiency improvements
are maximised and lead to verifiable energy savings
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42 Month Progress Report
42 Month Progress Report
Contents
1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
2
Developments Regarding Energy Efficiency Instruments and Standards ........................ 1
2.1
Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency ................ 1
2.2
ENERGYSTAR®................................................................................................ 1
2.3
Californian Energy Commission – Appliance Efficiency Regulations ............ 2
2.4 Energy related Products Eco-design Directive Lot 3 – Sound and Imaging
Equipment ................................................................................................................ 2
3
Research Progress ............................................................................................................ 5
3.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour ............................. 5
3.2
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Aggregate Energy Use of Consoles .............. 5
3.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Assessment........................................................ 5
3.4 Work Package 4 – Understanding console power consumption and
potential energy saving opportunities ..................................................................... 6
4
Project plan for remaining 6 months ............................................................................... 7
5
Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 10
6
References ..................................................................................................................... 11
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42 Month Progress Report
Introduction
This report reviews the progress of the research project over the past six months.
2
Developments Regarding Energy Efficiency Instruments and
Standards
This section summarises progress towards adoption of energy efficiency policies and
standards for games consoles that has occurred during the past six months; important
developments have occurred with respect to various initiatives, as discussed below.
Something with the potential to affect all of the current policy and standard discussion is
the announcement by SONY Computer Entertainment Incorporated (SCEI) of the successor
to the PlayStation®3, the PlayStation®4, expected to launch late in 2013 (Sony Computer
Entertainment Incorporated, 2013). PlayStation®4 is described as “a computer
entertainment system that redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics
and speed, intelligent personalisation, deeply integrated social capabilities and innovative
second screen capabilities” (ibid.,). Of particular interest are some features of
PlayStation®4 that have energy saving implications, in improving the user experience. This
includes a “suspend mode” which keeps the system in a low power state while preserving
the gaming session and a background download function that allows digital titles to be
played as they are being downloaded.
At a time when the various initiatives concerned with developing requirements for
consoles are nearing or have reached their end, the launch of a new platform could lead to
a delay; new products are likely to offer higher performance and new functionality not
currently available. Therefore, current proposals may not apply to new products. In this
case it is likely that parts of the process, such as data collection, will need to be revisited in
order to ensure that new product’s performance and functionality is not detrimentally
affected and, more importantly, that they fall within the scope of any requirements.
2.1
Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
The process for games consoles in Australia has been withdrawn since submission of the 36
month progress report. This decision has been taken after reviewing progress according to
the original timelines and in order to allow the console industry to fully participate in the
other on-going dialogues in Europe, California and America. The Department of Climate
Change and Energy Efficiency do, however, “remain committed to support globally
applicable solutions developed in the future, with either mandatory or voluntary
application”(Holt, 2012). It is anticipated that after the EU process has been finalised that
Australia will adopt something similar.
2.2
ENERGYSTAR®
Subsequent to the circulation of the draft Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recognition criteria for games consoles in July 2012, as mentioned in the 36 month progress
report, a final draft was circulated in December 2012 (Environmental Protection Agency,
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42 Month Progress Report
2012). This included revised power limits for active navigation and media streaming modes
following stakeholder feedback that the limits included in the July document were not
achievable; both power limits were raised by 5 W to 40 W and 50 W respectively. After
publication of the final draft requirements, further stakeholder feedback was received
stating that the power limits cannot be met without significant expense and disruption to
the users experience (Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). Despite this feedback, the
requirements for games consoles contained in the final draft were adopted on March 5
2013 with immediate effect. As yet no consoles have applied for recognition by the
programme.
2.3
Californian Energy Commission – Appliance Efficiency Regulations
Until March 2013, the past 12 months have seen no progress regarding the development of
appliance efficiency regulations for games consoles in California. Following submission of a
proposal by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) outlining efficiency measures
for games consoles (NRDC and Energy Solutions, 2011), it was suggested that games
consoles would be considered for efficiency standards between the 2nd Quarter 2012 and
the 2nd Quarter 2013 (State of California, 2012). More recently, however, the Californian
Energy Commission has issued an “Invitation to Participate” in the development of
appliance efficiency measures (State of California, 2013). This requests interested parties to
submit data and information including, but not exclusive to, product definition and scope,
product lifetime, installed base characteristics and product development trends. The
deadline for this submission is 9 May 2013, with no further indication of timings outlined.
It is likely that the adoption of the final requirements for games consoles under the
ENERGYSTAR® process has sparked the Californian government back in to action. This is of
concern to some stakeholders, including manufacturers and industry bodies, as Californian
process is mandatory, versus the voluntary ENERGYSTAR® approach. As such, if the same
power limits are adopted (currently unachievable) this will essentially ban several games
consoles from the market in California. Any further developments under this process will
be included in the final Thesis.
2.4
Energy related Products Eco-design Directive Lot 3 – Sound and Imaging
Equipment
Following the update given in the 36 month report, the Eco-design process has developed
as anticipated. A consultation forum was held in November 2012 after initiation of the
Impact Assessment (IA) study earlier in the year. As part of the IA a questionnaire for each
product group being considered under Lot 3 was distributed to the relevant stakeholders.
The survey covered broad areas such as the scope of the impact assessment and whether
action was needed in the EU to improve the environmental performance of sound and
imaging equipment (PE International, 2012). More specifically, feedback was requested
regarding the discarding of two policy options (an energy labelling scheme and the
ENERGYSTAR® voluntary labelling approach) and the continued assessment of three policy
options:
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42 Month Progress Report
1. Mandatory Eco-design regulation – the aim of this option is to set limit values that
provide the highest energy savings while ensuring no negative impact on the
functionality and affordability of products. No draft regulation has been produced
to date, however, limit values of 70 W for media playback and navigation modes in
2013 (Tier 1) and 50 W in 2017 (Tier 2) are proposed.
2. Industry Proposal – this would be an industry-led approach, meaning less
administrative burden and greater flexibility to update requirements as consoles
change over time. Feasibility of this option would depend on commitment of
industry to revise the requirements as products develop over time and the
participation of all three manufacturers. This proposes power limits of 90 W for
media playback and navigation modes at Tier 1 and 70 W at Tier 2.
3. Internationally recognised agreement – this is an option currently being explored
regarding the potential for an international agreement on games console energy
efficiency. This would be brokered by the Australian Department for Climate
Change and Energy Efficiency under the umbrella of the International Energy
Agency. This suggests that the most robust requirements would be chosen, but
that the adoption of the same requirements in various countries would be
advantageous to manufacturers.
Following presentation of the options, respondents were asked to rank them in order of
preference and then to indicate their opinion regarding the proposed requirements under
each option. The results of the questionnaire were presented at the consultation forum. In
terms of the two discarded policy options, 75% of respondents agreed that they were not
the best options for consoles. Interestingly, around 75% of respondents also stated that
they did not agree there is a need to create regulation for games consoles. Feedback to the
industry proposal stated the requirements for voluntary measures, as outlined in Annex VIII
of the Eco-design Directive are not met(European Parliament and Council, 2009), including
the absence of monitoring and reporting requirements and the belief that the
requirements outlined in the industry proposal do not go beyond Business As Usual (BAU).
As expected, NGOs oppose the industry proposal as they believe regulation will deliver
results more quickly but want to see the limits lowered. In contrast, industry
representatives support the industry proposal and the limits but oppose the regulatory
proposal.
Preliminary results of the IA were presented, by the consultant undertaking the study, at
the consultation forum suggesting that regulation will offer the greatest energy saving
(Intertek, 2012). In response to the proposed regulatory limits, console manufacturers
stated that these would effectively drive most of the console industry out of business in the
EU (Console Manufacturers, 2012). Console manufacturers were also given the opportunity
to present the Industry Proposal and explain the rationale behind the limits and
recommended approach. Feedback to the industry proposal from Member States argues
that the power limits for media and navigation modes are too high, that other non-energy
requirements need to be included and that manufacturers should provide energy saving
advice to consumers. One stakeholder recommended a different approach after
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42 Month Progress Report
acknowledging that the console market structure does not lend itself well to the Eco-design
process given the small number of manufacturers and highly sensitive nature of next
generation product information (NL Agency, 2012). It is suggested that manufacturers
publicly report the power consumption of their products, with the lowest values
establishing a target figure for any new products placed on the market 2 years later.
Manufacturers that do not comply will have to publish the details of non-compliant
models. At this point, new targets are set based on the lowest measured values of current
products and so on. Although this is a very straightforward approach, it is unlikely to result
in significant additional savings and fails to take account of potential next generation
consoles and their anticipated increased power consumption.
The IA study is now complete, although this is not available to stakeholders at present, and
is currently undergoing Inter-Service Consultation (ISC); this is a process whereby the other
Directorate Generals (departments in the EC) review the results of the study. At a meeting
with the Lot 3 representative at the European Commission, it was stated that since the
consultation forum the IA had been significantly revised, and further inputs from
stakeholders incorporated. Simultaneous to the ISC, console manufacturers are working
towards adding relevant text to the industry proposal to cover the requirements of Annex
VIII, particularly regarding reporting, monitoring and verification, as requested by
stakeholders.
It is anticipated that the ISC will soon be complete and the results of the IA submitted to
the Impact Assessment Board in April 2013. The aim of the Commission is to have
something in place for games consoles before the summer.
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42 Month Progress Report
Research Progress
This section discusses the progress made on the research project since submission of the
30 month report. The project structure is summarised in Figure 1. Each work package is
discussed in turn below, covering details of the research completed over the past 6 months
plus any research still outstanding.
WP3 –
Base line
analysis
Figure 1 Schematic showing the organisation of the work packages (WP) under each subobjective
3.1
Work Package 1 – Situational Review of User Behaviour
This work package is now complete with a first draft of the thesis chapter submitted to
Supervisors for review.
3.2
Work Package 2 – Plotting the Aggregate Energy Use of Consoles
Since submission of the 36 month report, the analysis of console energy use over time is
now complete. The thesis chapter summarising this research has been submitted to
Supervisors and comments received back, which are now being incorporated into the
document. The final task for this work package is to write a paper for submission to a Peer
Review Journal. This is scheduled for July 2013.
3.3
Work Package 3 – Baseline Assessment
This work package was complete at the time of writing the 36 month report, however, it
was stated that a paper covering this research would be submitted to a peer review
journal. Although later than planned, the paper was submitted to Energy Policy in late
January 2013. As yet, no feedback has been received. In addition to submission of the
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42 Month Progress Report
paper, the thesis chapter summarising this research has also been completed and
submitted to Supervisors.
3.4
Work Package 4 – Understanding console power consumption and potential
energy saving opportunities
Under this Work Package, the following tasks were listed for completion over the past 6
months –

Literature Review

Technology Assessment

Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) calculation for each technology

Evaluation of technology options
Although significant progress has been made towards completing these tasks, given the
announcement regarding the launch of PlayStation®4, and anticipation of a similar
announcement from Microsoft regarding their next generation console, some of this
research has been delayed as improved assumptions can be made in light of product
specifications for next generation consoles becoming available. At present, work towards
each of the four tasks outlined above has been completed as far as possible, with the
remainder scheduled to take place in April and May as further product details are released.
This will make the resulting conclusions more applicable as they will be based on actual
products, rather than projections of what future consoles might be like.
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42 Month Progress Report
Project plan for remaining 6 months
This section summarises the status of the tasks and deliverables planned under each work
package, shown in Table 1. The project plan extends until the end of the research project in
October 2013 and it is expected that the thesis will be submitted on time. The submission
schedule for the thesis is also included.
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42 Month Progress Report
Table 1 Project Plan
Tasks and Deliverables
Start Date Duration End
(days)
Date Status
WP1 - User Behaviour Situational Review
Identify new sources of user behaviour data
Update situational review of user behaviour over time
01/02/2012
12/03/2012
WP2 - Plotting the Saw Tooth
Identify all models of PlayStation consoles ever sold
Gather sales data for each model
Pilot study: ascertain methodology and time needed for testing
Source each console and games to play on each
Test console power consumption
Plot power consumption over time
Identify peak energy use in each generation
Assess variability of consoles of same model
01/01/2012
01/01/2012
16/01/2012
01/01/2012
07/02/2012
01/05/2012
01/05/2012
01/08/2012
31
60
22
121
175
91
91
30
01/02/2012 Complete
01/03/2012 Complete
07/02/2012 Complete
01/05/2012 Complete
31/07/2012 Complete
31/07/2012 Complete
31/07/2012 Complete
31/08/2012 Complete
07/01/2012
07/03/2012
05/02/2012
17/04/2012
17/08/2012
17/08/2012
01/10/2012
14/09/2012
WP3 - Baseline Analysis
Critique existing baselines and identify strengths and weaknesses
Identify key criteria for baseline construction
Establish how many consoles are still in use
Construct baseline for high definition consoles
Research Paper
Conduct sensitivity analysis
01/01/2012
01/01/2012
01/02/2012
01/02/2012
01/03/2012
01/04/2012
30
30
30
42
31
30
31/01/2012 Complete
31/01/2012 Complete
02/03/2012 Complete
14/03/2012 Complete
01/04/2012 Complete
01/05/2012 Complete
15/01/2012
18/01/2012
01/03/2012
04/03/2012
24/01/2013
01/05/2012
WP4 - Understanding Console Power Consumption
Establish how power is used by console components
Comparisons of equivalent components power consumption to those in PS3
List energy saving technologies available for consoles
Review possible development of gaming i.e. functionality, software and firmware etc.
Create two future power consumption scenarios for consoles
01/01/2012
01/09/2012
01/09/2012
01/09/2012
15/09/2012
60
61
30
61
30
01/03/2012 On-going
01/11/2012 Complete
01/10/2012 Complete
01/11/2012 Complete
15/10/2012 Complete
24/02/2012
8
90 01/05/2012 Complete
50 01/05/2012 Complete
Date Completed
01/02/2012
12/03/2012
15/01/2013
Amanda Webb
For all scenarios Calculate a TEC for each technology + sensitivity analysis
Calculate cost of implementation of each technology
Calculate pay back period for each technology
Evaluate options in terms of max energy saving versus payback time
EngD Requirements
30 month Report
EngD Conference 2012
36 month Report
42 month Report
Thesis Plan
Draft abstract
Comments from Supervisors
First draft of Chapter 3, "TEC of consoles", submitted to Supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
First draft of introduction submitted to Supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
First draft of Chapter 2 "Meta Analysis" submitted to Supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
First draft of Chapter 1, "Policy Development for Games Consoles"
Comments from Supervisors
First draft of Chapter 4, "Understanding console power consumption" submitted to Supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
Executive Summary written alongside chapters
Draft conclusions and discussion submitted to supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
Second full draft to Supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
Third full draft to Supervisors
Comments from Supervisors
Complete thesis
Print/bind/submit
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42 Month Progress Report
01/11/2012
01/11/2012
01/11/2012
01/11/2012
120
120
120
120
01/03/2013 In progress
28/02/2013 In progress
28/02/2013 In progress
28/02/2013 In progress
01/03/2012
26/06/2012
01/09/2012
01/03/2013
31
2
30
31
01/04/2012 Complete
28/06/2012 Complete
01/10/2012 Complete
01/04/2013 Complete
05/12/2012
07/12/2012
07/12/2012
21/01/2013
21/01/2013
18/02/2013
04/02/2013
26/03/2013
25/02/2013
05/04/2013
25/02/2013
16/05/2013
07/12/2012
16/05/2013
06/06/2013
20/06/2013
04/07/2013
18/07/2013
08/07/2013
26/08/2013
09/09/2013
09/09/2013
1
14
45
14
28
14
50
14
39
14
80
14
160
21
14
14
14
28
14
14
21
21
06/12/2012 Complete
21/12/2012 Complete
21/01/2013 Complete
04/02/2013 Complete
18/02/2013 Complete
04/03/2013 Complete
26/03/2013 Complete
09/04/2013 In Progress
05/04/2013 Complete
19/04/2013 In Progress
16/05/2013 Delayed
30/05/2013
16/05/2013
06/06/2013
20/06/2013
04/07/2013
18/07/2013
15/08/2013
22/07/2013
09/09/2013
30/09/2013
30/09/2013
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Conclusions
This report has summarised the progress made towards completing the Engineering
Doctorate research project. The remaining research will be completed by June, leaving four
months for writing up and amending sections of the thesis already completed. Another
paper will also be submitted summarising the research in WP2 and it is hoped that the
paper submitted to Energy Policy will be accepted before the thesis is submitted.
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42 Month Progress Report
References
CONSOLE MANUFACTURERS 2012. Response to issues raised at the EU Consultation Forum
on Sound and Imaging Equipment, 9th November 2012.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2012. EPA Proposed Performance Requirements
for Game Consoles: Final Draft.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2013. Final Draft Version 1.0 EPA Game Console
Performance Requirements and Test Method Comment Summary and Response.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL 2009. Directive 2009/125/EC of 21 October 2009
establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energyrelated products (recast). Official Journal of the European Union, L285/10.
HOLT, S. 12/12/2012 2012. RE: Games Consoles. Type to WEBB, A.
INTERTEK 2012. Lot 3 - Sound and Imaging Impact Assessment.
NL AGENCY 2012. Preliminary comments on the working document on Sound and Imaging
Equipment, including Game Consoles.
NRDC & ENERGY SOLUTIONS 2011. Proposal Information Template - Game Consoles 2011
Appliance Efficiency Standards.
PE INTERNATIONAL 2012. Sound and Imaging Consultation - Game Consoles.
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INCORPORATED. 2013. Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc.
Introduces
PlayStation®4
(PS4TM)
[Online].
Available:
http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/130221a_e.pdf
[Accessed
12/03/2013.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 2012. Energy Resources Conservation and Development
Commission: 2012 Rulemaking on Appliance Efficiency Regulations.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 2013. Invitation to Participate in the Development of Appliance
Energy Efficiency Measures.
11
Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Energy Policy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol
Estimating the energy use of high definition games consoles$
A. Webb a,b,n, K. Mayers a, C. France b, J. Koomey c
a
b
c
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., 10 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7LP England, United Kingdom
Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH England, United Kingdom
Steyer-Taylor Centre for Energy Policy and Finance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
H I G H L I G H T S
Estimates of games console energy use vary significantly.
New energy use estimates calculated for high definition games consoles.
Consoles currently on sale use 37% less energy than earlier models.
Gaming accounts for over 50% of console energy use.
Further research regarding console usage is needed, particularly inactive time.
art ic l e i nf o
a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Received 24 January 2013
Accepted 16 May 2013
Available online 3 July 2013
As the energy use of games consoles has risen, due to increased ownership and use and improved
performance and functionality, various governments have shown an interest in ways to improve their
energy efficiency. Estimates of console energy use vary widely between 32 and 500 kWh/year. Most such
estimates are unreliable as they are based on incorrect assumptions and unrepresentative data.
To address the shortcomings of existing estimates of console energy use, this study collates,
normalises and analyses available data for power consumption and usage. The results show that the
average energy use of high definition games consoles (sold between 2005 and 2011 inclusive) can be
estimated at 102 kWh/year, and 64 kWh/year for new console models on sale in early 2012.
The calculations herein provide representative estimates of console energy use during this period,
including a breakdown of the relative contribution of different usage modes.
These results could be used as a baseline to evaluate the potential energy savings from efficiency
improvements in games consoles, and also to assess the potential effectiveness of any proposed energy
efficiency standards. Use of accurate data will help ensure the implementation of the most effective
efficiency policies and standards.
& 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Games consoles
Energy use
Energy efficiency
1. Introduction
Policy concerning the energy use of appliances1 now forms an
important part of governments' environmental strategies to reduce
carbon emissions associated with domestic energy use. The Information and Communication Technologies and Consumer Electronics
sectors are the fastest growing contributors, accounting for 15% of
global residential electricity consumption (OECD/IEA, 2009). As such,
☆
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
n
Corresponding author at: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., 10 Great
Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7LP England, United Kingdom.
Tel.: +44 2078595488.
E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Webb).
1
In this study appliances covers home electrical and electronic goods such as
washing machines, TVs and consumer electronics equipment.
government policies targeting the energy efficiency of appliances will
contribute towards initiatives such as the European Union (EU)
Climate and Energy package that, among other things, aims to
improve the EU's energy efficiency by 20% (Europa, 2010).
Games consoles have undergone considerable technological development since their introduction 40 years ago. The first home games
console (the Magnavox Odyssey) was released in 1972 and was an
analogue system powered by batteries (The games console, 2011).
1976 saw the introduction of the Fairchild Channel F console, the first
programmable system that had games cartridges containing Read
Only Memory. Over time consoles have continued to develop rapidly
offering more display colours, moving from game cartridges to CDs,
until today where the current generation of consoles offer photo
realistic gaming and a wide variety of secondary functionalities2,
2
Secondary functionality refers to any function that is not gaming such as
Internet browsing or DVD playback.
0301-4215/$ - see front matter & 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.056
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
including Internet browsing, online gaming, digital television viewing
and movie playback. Games consoles available in May 2013 include
the Nintendo Wii U, the Microsoft XBOX360 and the Sony PlayStations3, all of which are High Definition3 (HD) consoles. These consoles
are each different in terms of the functionality and the level of
performance they offer, for example, consider media playback; the
Wii U does not offer DVD playback, the XBOX360 offers DVD playback
and the PlayStations3 offers DVD and Blu-ray playback. All of these
consoles are reprogrammable; updates to the operating system are
downloaded from the Internet or installed via a game disc.
Alongside improved performance and functionality, the unit
power consumption of consoles has increased between successive
product generations4 , and ownership has risen. For example, the
increase in active gaming power consumption between PlayStations consoles launched in 1994 and PlayStations3 consoles
launched in 2006 is 180 W (NRDC, 2008). As such, games consoles
have attracted the attention of energy efficiency initiatives as all of
these factors have contributed to an increase in the aggregate
energy use of games consoles over the last 40 years. In addition,
some studies predict a continued increase in their energy use of up
to 19% by 2020 (EnergyConsult, 2012a).
Games consoles are, or have been, addressed by various
regulatory and voluntary instruments, including the EU Ecodesign Directive (European Parliament and Council, 2009), the
US EnergyStars program (EnergyStars, 2009b), the Californian
Energy Commission's Appliance Efficiency Standards (Energy
Resources Conservation And Development Commission, 2012)
and the Australian Equipment Energy Efficiency Program
(Equipment Energy Efficiency Program, 2010). These initiatives
have proposed a range of measures including power caps for
specific operational modes and introduction of new Auto Power
Down5 (APD) requirements.
There is, however, a lack of agreement over the actual energy
use of games consoles when comparing data from the available
research. Several stakeholders involved in the process of developing policies and standards for consoles, including NGOs, researchers, government authorities and console manufacturers, have
calculated widely varying estimates of games console energy use
(collated and normalised in Table 1 for comparison) between
32 kWh/year (Market Transformation Programme, 2009b) and
500 kWh/year (NRDC and Energy Solutions, 2011). This substantial
variation between estimates does not appear to have been
addressed, or even acknowledged.
Regulating the energy use and power consumption of games
consoles is complex as they are not uniform products; as explained
above each different console offers a different combination of functions and performance, and consequently different usage and power
consumption. As a result, comparing the efficiency of games consoles
is very difficult (in contrast to products such as televisions that provide
similar functionality and easily measureable performance). For example, under the Eco-design Directive, the efficiency of televisions is
determined by the size of the screen and the resolution at which they
output images (European Commission, 2009). Hittinger et al. (2012)
highlight characteristics of the video game market that may require
unique regulatory approaches, such as console performance, which is
held constant over time so that each version of a console within a
product generation can perform the same tasks. At the same time,
changes to the hardware, software and operating system firmware
3
High definition are those that can deliver content at a resolution of 720 p or
higher.
4
An example of different generations of consoles would be the PlayStations,
PlayStations2 and PlayStations3 that are differentiated by the performance and
functionality they offer and the year they were launched.
5
Auto Power Down or APD is a software function, supported by the hardware
that shuts down a device after a set period of inactivity, commonly 1 hour.
1413
enable the power consumption of different versions of a console,
within a generation, to be reduced substantially. This can be shown by
the significant reduction in power consumption of both the XBOX360
and the PlayStations3 since launch, with a reduction in active6 power
consumption of around 93 W (54%) and 110 W (58%) respectively
(Intertek, 2012; NRDC, 2008). The energy use of consoles will also
change as a result of updates to the operating system firmware
downloaded or installed from game discs while in use. Such updates
do not change the power consumption of the console in each mode,
but can alter a console's functions and the way users interact with
them. Constantly changing energy use patterns, such as those
described above for consoles, are problematic for the development
of energy efficiency policies and standards; something stated by Lee
et al. (2009) as one of the primary challenges facing energy efficiency
programmes. This is a particularly prevalent problem for games
consoles as any policies and standards proposed to improve efficiency
can quickly become obsolete as models are updated and functions are
added over time.
Of the energy use estimates shown in Table 1, three particularly
stand out as being high: NRDC (2008), Hittinger et al. (2012) and
NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011) at between 300 kWh/year and
500 kWh/year. These estimates do not appear to account for the
substantial reduction in power consumption of HD consoles since
they were first launched in 2005. One thing that these studies do
have in common is that they all estimate inactive time to be very
high, based on the assumption that 30–50% of users always leave
their consoles switched on when not in use. The power consumption while consoles are left inactive is almost the same as when
consoles are in active use (see Section 3.1); therefore, these
assumptions have a large impact on the resulting energy use
estimates (estimates assuming between 30% and 50% of users
leave their consoles on while not in use are 160–360 kWh/year
higher than studies that assume all consoles are switched off
after use). Section 3.2 details a discussion of inactive time
estimates available for consoles.
Conversely, some studies report very low estimates for games
console energy use of between 32 and 42 kWh/year (AEA, 2009;
Market Transformation Programme, 2009b; Hittinger, 2011). These
estimates represent an average of high and standard definition
consoles that were on sale when this study was completed in
2012; until replaced by the Wii U in November 2012, the Nintendo
Wii console had very low power consumption, between 14 and
18 W (Hittinger et al., 2012), and sales approaching 100 million
since launch in 2006, which would skew these console energy use
estimates downward. Other studies do not include standard
definition consoles (NRDC and Energy Solutions, 2011) as all new
consoles are expected to be HD.
The remaining estimates fall between around 60 kWh/year and
140 kWh/year (AEA, 2010, EnergyConsult, 2012a). The variability
between these energy use estimates is likely to be due to
variable power consumption between different versions of each
console model and variations in console usage data used in each
calculation.
It is not clear, therefore, what a representative estimate of HD
console energy use should be. Greater certainty and more accurate
information are needed to determine the impact console energy
use may have on climate change, and to evaluate the likely
effectiveness of any energy efficiency improvements for consoles,
such as APD or more efficient processor chips.
This study evaluates data available for games consoles regarding their usage and power consumption and, by determining the
6
Active usage can be considered any state in which a function has been
selected and the user is engaged and/or the function is active, for example, active
gaming or watching a DVD.
1414
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
Table 1
Energy use estimates published for games consoles in chronological order.
Source/region
Purpose
NRDC (2008)/United States
16,000 GWh/year for US consoles
Publicising the energy use of games
consoles and promoting improved
efficiency
Developing energy efficiency measures for 41.23 kWh/year/console
games consoles in the EU
AEA (2009)/Europe
Energy use estimate
Normalised energy use
estimate (kWh/year/
console)
300a
41
Market Transformation
Programme (2009)/United
Kingdom
DCCEE (2010) Australia
Briefing note for public consultation and
to inform Government decisions
630 GWh/year for UK consoles in 2009
32b
Home entertainment product profile
report
140 kWh/year for Australian consoles
140
AEA (2010)/Europe
Development of energy efficiency
measures for games consoles in the EU
74.8 kWh/year/console
75
Hittinger (2011)/United States
Research studying the energy use of
games consoles
PlayStations3 40 kWh/year—XBOX360S 51 kWh/year—Wii
80/19 kWh/year (with/without WiiConnect 24 enabled)
40
51
80/19
NRDC and Energy Solutions
(2011)/United States
Promoting energy efficiency standards
in California
Up to 500 kWh/year/console in California
500c
101.1 kWh/year/console
101
61.8 kWh/year/console
62
Console Manufacturers—
Industry estimates for input to policy
Installed Base (2011)/Europe making process within the EU
Console Manufacturers—
Currently on Sale (2011)/
Europe
Industry estimates for input to policy
making process within the EU
Hittinger et al. (2012)/United
States
Research estimating electricity
330 kWh/year/console
consumption of games consoles in the US
330
EnergyConsult (2012b)/
Australia
Developing energy efficiency standards for 600 GWh/year in Australia in 2010
games consoles in Australia
113d
EnergyConsult (2012a)/
Australia/New Zealand
Developing energy efficiency standards for 395 GWh/year in Australia in 2010
games consoles in Australia
40 GWh/year in New Zealand in 2010
66e
50e
Intertek/DEFRA (2012)/England Survey of household energy consumption 42.3 kWh/year/console (average)
62.2 kWh/year/console (HD average)
42
62
a
Total sales of consoles for 2002–2007 taken from Table 2, p.8 (NRDC, 2008).
Based on stock of 20 million in 2010 taken from Table 1, p. 3 (Market Transformation Programme, 2009b).
Upper bound of energy use estimate for consoles in the installed base, p.2 (NRDC and Energy Solutions, 2011).
d
Based on stock estimate of 5.3 million, p.1 (EnergyConsult, 2012b).
e
Based on stock estimate of 6 million and 800,000, respectively, p.9 (EnergyConsult, 2012a).
b
c
most accurate data, calculates two new energy use estimates; one
for average consoles in use at the time of study (those sold
between 2005 and 2011 inclusive), and one for new consoles
available in early 2012. The aim of this study is to address the
shortcomings and uncertainty of existing assessments of games
console energy use and derive more representative estimates.
2. Method
Two approaches are available for calculating the energy use of
industry sectors or products, where top-down approaches calculate the energy use at a sector level and bottom-up approaches
calculate the energy use per consumer unit of equipment (Thomas
et al., 2010).
This study uses a bottom-up approach to consider the energy use
of HD consoles sold between 2005 and 2012. This includes the
XBOX360 and PlayStations3, which have similar power requirements
and functionality, but excludes the Wii U that was launched in
November 2012, after the study was completed. Exclusion of the Wii
U from the scope of the study will not impact the results much as only
2.25 million units were sold in 2012, versus almost 10 million
XBOX360 consoles and 11.25 million PlayStations3 consoles in the
same year (VGChartz, 2013). In addition, global lifetime sales of
PlayStations3 and XBOX360 consoles are around 75 million, with
total sales of Wii U around 3 million (ibid.,). Standard definition
consoles are not included in the scope of this study as they have
relatively low power consumption and sales of these platforms, such
as the Wii, are declining more rapidly than HD platforms. Furthermore, no new standard definition models are anticipated to be
launched in the future. This approach is the same as that used by
NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011).
Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) methodology is used in
this study to estimate the energy use of an appliance over a
defined time period (EnergyStars, 2009a). In relation to games
consoles, TEC methodology is already used in the EnergyStars
Computer Requirements (EnergyStars, 2009a) and the European
Union Ecodesign Sound and Imaging Equipment preparatory study
(AEA, 2010).
TEC uses a formula that multiplies the power consumed in a
specific mode by the time spent in that mode. A generic formula is
shown below for calculating TEC:
TEC ðWhÞ ¼ ðP 1 nT 1 Þ þ ðP 2 nT 2 Þ þ ⋯ þ ðP n nT n Þ
where P is the power in Watts, T the time in hours, 1, 2, …, n are the
different modes, and ∑T ¼8760 h/year.
The calculation of TEC should account for all time in the period
being considered, commonly one year, with the modes included
reflecting the usage of the appliance in question.
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
1415
It is also important to consider the time a console spends
switched on but not in use, or inactive, as this will affect estimates
of console energy use and potential energy savings. While inactive
use itself is not a function or mode it can be defined as “the state in
which the mode has been selected but the user is not engaged
and/or the function is not active” (Console Manufacturers, 2011).
Other sources usually define idle mode as “the state in which the
computer is not active” (EnergyStars, 2009b). This is relevant for
PCs as when inactive the device enters a state in which no
processing or active functions are undertaken. However, from a
device perspective, whether being used or not consoles are
dissimilar as they are constantly drawing on the processing
capabilities, accessing memory and generating images on screen
whether or not users are inactive themselves. Although a seemingly subtle difference, these definitions have very different
connotations in terms of power consumption. Computers, when
they are idle, do not perform any function and as such require less
power than when active. In contrast, due to the nature of their
functions, consoles are always processing information and generating images, thus requiring similar power whether or not they
are being actively used (AEA, 2010). Therefore, the term “inactive”
is used in this paper to define the time when consoles are
switched on, but not responding to user input, in each mode.
The TEC method is useful for evaluating the energy use of an
appliance; however, it is only as reliable as the data used for power
consumption and usage. It is also sensitive to changes in the input
data, something which this study aims to address by evaluating all
available data for power consumption and usage of HD consoles.
The modes included in this TEC calculation are defined as
follows:
Standby—This is a common mode on many electrical appliances, defined as “a condition where the equipment is connected to the mains power source, depends on energy input
from the mains power source to work as intended and provides
only the following functions, which may persist for an indefinite time: reactivation function, or reactivation function and
only an indication of enabled reactivation function and/or
information status display” (European Commission, 2008).
Networked standby—This mode is increasingly common on
appliances that use a network connection to send and receive
information. It is defined as “a condition in which the equipment
is able to resume a function through a remotely initiated trigger
via a network connection” (European Commission, 2013). Of the
games consoles considered in this study, this mode is only
available on the PlayStations3.
Gameplay—This includes the time a console spends switched
on, with a game disc loaded and one or more users interacting
with the console via the use of peripherals such as controllers.
It also includes the time spent gaming online.
Media—Various media are able to be played on consoles
including CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. Consoles connected to the
internet are also able to stream media. This mode covers all of
these media functions.
Other functions—This covers messenger services, photo viewing, Internet browsing and time spent downloading additional
content. These functions are grouped together as they are only
used by a relatively small proportion of consumers (under 10%
of consumers report using these functions with a frequency of
at least once a week; GameVision, 2011a), and the power
consumption reported for these functions is broadly similar,
varying by just 1–2 W (AEA, 2010).
3. Results and analysis
In order to calculate representative energy use estimates for
high definition consoles, available data for power consumption
Table 2
Measured power consumption data for HD games consoles (Watts).
Year
sold
Sourceb
Navigationa Gameplay
Media Usage
Internet
browsing
Other functions
Standby
(networked
Standby)
Activec Inactivec
Active Inactive Active Inactive Active Inactive Active Inactive
2005 NRDC (XBOX360) (2008)
2006 NRDC (PSs3) (2008)
2007 Danish Technological Institute
(2007)
2007 NRDC (2008) (PSs3/XBOX360)
2010
Electric Power Research Institute
(2010) (PSs3/XBOX360)
2010 AEA (2010)
2010/
2011
2011
2011
2010
2012
Console Manufacturers—installed
base (2012a)
Console Manufacturers—new
consoles (2012a)
NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011)
Intertek/DEFRA (2012) (PSs3/
XBOX360)
–
–
179.2
172
188.6
192.3
–
153/
127
–
84.8/
87.9
–
93.3
EnergyCon- 67.6/
sult (2012a) 76.9
(PSs3/
XBOX360)
162
181
–
–
–
176.8
–
–
–
–
–
178.6
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2.2
1.1
1.8
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
129/
85
–
–
–
–
–
–
1.1/3.1
–
–
–
–
–
–
150.1/
118.8
–
152.9/
117.5
–
92.8
76.6/
81.3
74.9
–
73.9
73.5/
58.9
74.1
–
74.1
–
74.6
–
74.6
–
0.9
–
–
0.05/
0.67
–
–
–
113
113
113
113
113
113
113
113
113
1.3
–
–
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
0.5
–
–
74.5
–
87.5
–
–
–
70
–
–
–
70
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
0.5 (11)
1.2/3
–
79.6/
79.1
78.8
–
a
Navigation is defined as “a mode in which no other mode is engaged and the game console is displaying a menu of functions from which the user may select” (Console
Manufacturers, 2012b).
b
Where power consumption data is available for both XBOX360 and PlayStations3 consoles it is included in the table and separated by a forward slash (/), as indicated
in the source column.
c
The power consumption values for active and inactive are separated from the data presented per mode as they are not attributable to a specific mode; instead they are
broad averages for consoles.
1416
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
and usage are collated and evaluated below. New energy use
estimates are calculated and a sensitivity analysis performed on
the resulting estimates to identify the key determinants of console
energy use.
3.1. Power consumption data
Data on the power consumption of HD games consoles varies
widely (Table 2). Data for gameplay power consumption varies
between 72 and 192.3 W, with media usage and inactive modes
showing similar ranges, between 70 and 176.8 W and 75 and
181.5 W respectively. Values reported for standby power consumption vary between 0.05 and 3.1 W. The large variation in
power measurements for HD consoles can be explained when
considering the date of the measurements; the studies in Table 2
consider consoles sold between 2005 and 2012. The change in HD
console power consumption is a result of changes to the hardware,
operating system and software that have led to efficiency improvements, as discussed above. Some studies report very limited data
that only considers active power consumption and not the power
consumption of individual modes (Intertek/DEFRA, 2012), whereas
other studies report detailed values for a number of modes
(Danish Technological Institute, 2007; AEA, 2010).
Although the studies in Table 2 report measured power consumption data for HD games consoles, the data have not been
collected using a common methodology. Differences between the
methods include the time span over which measurements were
taken and the games or movies used to test certain functions.
Despite these differences, all of the studies refer to existing test
standards for other electrical products and confirm the use of a
suitable power meter. The main issue with the use of different
methods for testing concerns the language used to describe the
modes tested; for instance, idle screen saver mode (Danish
Technological Institute, 2007) versus navigation (NRDC and
Energy Solutions, 2011). It is, however, possible to interpret the
various terms for the same mode and collate them accordingly, as
has been done in Table 2. Recently, to overcome the lack of a
common test methodology and mode definitions, the NRDC and
console manufacturers have agreed on a method (Console
Manufacturers, 2012b), a version of which is included in the
adopted EnergyStars requirements for consoles (USEPA, 2013).
The use of different testing methodologies is, therefore, likely to
have a minimal effect.
Four studies report power consumption data for multiple
modes and functions (NRDC, 2008; Danish Technological
Institute, 2007; AEA, 2010; Console Manufacturers, 2012b). AEA
(2010) and NRDC/Energy Solutions (2011) report measurements of
more recent HD console models while the Danish Technological
Institute (2007) reports power measurements of an early PlayStations3. None of these studies report representative power consumption data for all HD consoles sold between 2005 and 2012;
however, they do give an accurate picture of the variation in power
consumption between modes. Console Manufacturers (2012a)
report an average navigation mode power consumption for HD
consoles sold between 2005 and 2011 inclusive (113 W), and the
navigation mode power consumption of HD consoles on sale in
early 2012 (72 W). It is important to note that the average power
consumption value for consoles sold between 2005 and 2011
inclusive is are not weighted according to sales of each model;
consoles are unusual in that sales usually peak between 3 and
5 years after launch (VGChartz, 2012a), and as such sales of lower
power models are likely to be higher than the launch models.
Console manufacturers do not report data for other active modes
in this particular proposal. Such data is important; Table 2 shows
that other studies report a difference in power consumption of
between 17 and 42 W for active modes (NRDC, 2008; NRDC and
Energy Solutions, 2011; AEA, 2010; Danish Technological Institute,
2007). Unfortunately, none of the available power consumption
data are therefore complete. It is essential that any estimate of
console energy use considers the difference in power consumption
between modes, while also considering the power consumption of
HD consoles sold between 2005 and 2011 (i.e. those currently
in use).
To account for shortcomings in the available power data for HD
consoles, this study calculates the ratio between the power
consumption values in navigation and other active modes as
reported by AEA (2010) and NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011)
(Table 3). The data reported by the Danish Technological Institute
(2007) is not included as it only considers one model of PlayStations3 console, whereas the other studies report averages for HD
consoles on sale at that time. The following generic equation is
used to calculate the ratios for each mode using the AEA (2010)
and NRDC/Energy Solutions (2011) data:
n
Ratio ¼ Powerconsumptionmode ðWÞ=
powerconsumptioninnavigation ðWÞ
where n ¼gameplay, media or other functions.
For example, the equation to calculate the ratio for active
gaming using the NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011) data would
be as follows:
87:5=74:5 ¼ 1:17
The manufacturer power consumption data (Table 2) is then
multiplied by the median of the AEA and NRDC and Energy
Solutions ratios to calculate power consumption estimates per
mode. For example, to calculate the active gaming power consumption for consoles sold between 2005 and 2011 inclusive, the
console manufacturer average navigation power consumption is
multiplied by the median ratio: 1:21n113 ¼ 136:7 W
Standby power consumption values are taken directly from the
console manufacturer data (Console Manufacturers, 2012a) as
these data are averages for HD consoles sold between 2005 and
2011, whereas the other studies only consider HD consoles on sale
at that time. Networked standby power consumption is taken from
the NRDC and Energy Solutions report (2011), the only study to
report this.
Table 3
Ratios, and resulting power consumption values, for use in calculating the energy
use of HD consoles.
Mode
Gameplay
Gameplay inactive
Media
Media inactive
Internet browsing
active
Internet browsing
inactive
Other functions
active
Other functions
inactive
Navigation
Standby
Networked standby
AEA
ratios
NRDC
ratios
Median
ratio
Power
consumption (W)
In
use
New
consoles
87.4
87.4
70.0
70.0
69.6
1.25
1.25
1.01
1.01
0.99
1.17
1.17
0.94
0.94
0.94
1.21
1.21
0.97
0.97
0.97
137.1
137.1
109.9
109.9
109.3
0.99
0.94
0.97
109.3 69.6
1.00
0.94
0.97
109.7 69.9
1.00
0.94
0.97
109.7 69.9
1.00
–
–
1.00
–
–
1.00
–
–
113.0 72.0
1.3 0.5
11.0 11
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
3.2. Usage data
Data available on console usage, on a per console basis, is
summarised in Table 4. The total time consoles are reported to be
switched on ranges between 1.1 and 2.64 h/day, with the time
spent in standby mode ranging between 4.7 and 22 h/day.
The completeness of the power consumption data varies with
three studies considering only specific modes such as gameplay
and active (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, 2010;
Market Transformation Programme, 2009b; Intertek/DEFRA,
2012) and two simply reporting the total on-time (Nielsen, 2009,
2010).
Numerous studies collected usage data through the use of meters
that measure consumer usage of consoles rather than relying on
reported use from surveys (Nielsen, 2009, 2010; Intertek/DEFRA,
2012). This is the most accurate way to measure usage; however, it is
not possible to measure the time a console is left on but inactive as
current metering technology simply records the function selected.
The remaining two studies in Table 4 report usage based on surveys
of console users, one of which includes unspecified expert assumptions (Market Transformation Programme, 2009a). Such data are less
reliable as it is not clear what assumptions this data may be based
upon and they are dependent on consumers accurately reporting
their usage; failures of recall and social desirability effects are known
to affect the reliability of survey data (Crockett et al., 1987). There is,
however, no clear indication of whether surveying console users
leads to higher or lower estimates for usage time; as shown in
Table 4, even the use of the same collection method at different times
leads to different estimates of usage time (Nielsen, 2009, 2010). This
could be caused by a number of factors including when the data were
collected, which users were covered by the study, the region/s
covered by the study and whether a new game or platform has
recently been launched. Further research could establish the effect of
these factors on the time users spend gaming and using other
functions on their consoles. Considering the studies that give an
estimate of total usage time (both active and inactive), the median
and mean are calculated to be 1.9 h/day.
The studies in Table 4 do not, however, give a detailed
indication of the contribution each mode makes to the total ontime. Nielsen (2013) report the contribution of each mode for HD
consoles, which indicates that users spend 56% of total on-time
gaming (online and offline), 18.5% streaming media, 13.5% watching DVDs and Blu-rays, 5.5% watching downloaded content and 7%
1417
using other functions including audio player and Internet browsing. The Nielsen data is only for console users in the United States,
however, it is largely similar to European usage reported by
console manufacturers and used in the AEA (2010) report (this
data based on industry estimates, as opposed to surveyed or
metered usage, and as such are not included in Table 4). Although
the contribution of secondary functionalities varies between the
studies, these functions have very similar power consumption so
use of one study versus another is likely to have a minimal effect
on the resulting energy use estimates. It is also important to
consider that the Nielsen (2013) data is for gamers in the US,
versus the AEA data for EU consumers; this could affect the usage
patterns as different services may be available in different regions.
The Nielsen (2013) data is used in this analysis as it is based on a
survey of users, versus manufacturer estimates, and is therefore
more reliable. Further research could establish whether significant
regional variations in usage exist for console users, and the impact
this could have on the total energy use estimates.
Studying the data for console usage in Table 4 shows no clear
trend for change in usage over time, therefore, for the calculations
below it is assumed that usage of HD consoles is constant over
time. This is an area where further research is required to improve
understanding of console usage, in particular whether usage
increases as the number of functions increases, or if usage time
is split between more functions.
In order to give as accurate a representation of HD console
energy use as possible, this research will also consider the time a
console spends in networked standby; only previously considered by NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011). As shown in Table 2,
the power consumption in networked standby is much higher
than standby, 11 W compared to between 0.5 and 1.3 W, and so
could have a significant impact on console energy use. Only
PlayStations3 consoles currently offer this functionality,
accounting for 55% of the high definition consoles currently in
use in Europe (VGChartz, 2012b). Of the PlayStations consoles
sold, an average of 9.75% of European users report that they use
this function once a week, with the rest not using it at all
(GameVision Europe, 2009, 2010; GameVision, 2010, 2011b).
Hence, it is estimated that 5.4% of high definition consoles have
the networked standby function enabled. Any time spent in
networked standby replaces time spent in standby, as such, the
standby time (i.e. 24 1.9 = 22.1 h/day) is multiplied by the
proportion of users with the networked standby enabled. This
Table 4
Usage data for HD games consoles (hours per day/console).
Source/region
Data collection method
Game
play
Media
usage
Internet
browsing
Other
functions
Active Inactive Standby Networked
standbya
Total
on-time
Nielsen (2009)/United Statesb
Nielsen (2010)/United Statesc
Market Transformation Programme
(2009)/United Kingdom
Interactive Software Federation of
Europed (2010)/Europe
Intertek/DEFRA, (2012)/United
Kingdome
Metered usage
Metered usage
Metered usage/survey/
expert assumptions
Survey
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
0.4
–
–
1
–
–
10
–
–
–
2.64
1.1
1.4
1.72
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Metered usage
–
–
–
–
2.3
–
4.7
–
2.3
a
Data for the time a console spends in networked standby is not provided by any of the sources of usage data. It is, however, considered in the subsequent analysis based
on the activation rate reported in GameVision studies published between 2009 and 2011 and is included in this table for completeness.
b
This is an average estimate of usage for PlayStations3 and XBOX360 consoles calculated using the active user % data in Fig. 1, p. 3.
c
Average for PlayStations3 and XBOX360 consoles taken from average metered weekly hours per user. To reflect research that reports multiple users are active on each
console, the hours per user has been multiplied by 1.8, the average number of users active on each console as reported in the GameVision studies published between 2009
and 2011.
d
This value is calculated using the data in Figure 20 of the report. The average number of XBOX360 and PlayStations3 users in each category is calculated and multiplied
by the mid-point of that category. As described above, this is also multiplied by 1.8 to reflect usage per console.
e
This is an average for XBOX360 and PlayStations3 consoles.
1418
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
calculation results in an average networked standby time for all
HD console users of 1.2 h/day, which is subtracted from the
original standby time to give a total of 20.9 h in standby.
As previously stated, it is important to be able to estimate the
proportion of the total time a console is switched on and active
versus inactive. This allows the potential energy saving of
improvements, such as Auto Power Down (APD), to be assessed.
Estimating the time a console spends inactive is complex as a
console can be inactive in any of the available modes. Although
metering technology is the most accurate method available for
gathering data on consumer usage, current technology cannot be
used to discern between active and inactive console usage.
Owing to a lack of available data, various studies have assumed
that between 30 and 50% of users never switch their consoles off
(NRDC, 2008; NRDC & Energy Solutions 2011; Hittinger et al.,
2012), which would result in an inactive time of 22.2 h/day for
those users (see below for the median on-time estimate). Recent
survey research, however, suggests that the proportion of PlayStations3 consumers that leave their consoles on all the time may be
as low as 3% (Webb et al., 2011). Even if this figure is as low as 3%,
this would suggest annual energy use of around 960 kWh for
those users; something which is likely to skew average energy use
estimates significantly.
The metered usage estimates summarised in Table 4 include
both active and inactive time and account for an unknown
number of users that may have enabled APD on their console.
Without knowing the proportion of users that have activated
their APD function, it is not possible to accurately assess the
impact of introducing an APD function that is switched on by
default. In 2012 console manufacturers enabled the APD settings
by default, for some console models in some regions, via software updates for both consoles in use and new consoles (in
Europe this was done to comply with new regulations mandating APD from January 2013; European Commission, 2008). The
impact of these changes to the total on-time has not yet been
measured. Although some studies have tried to establish estimates of inactive time and the proportion of users that have
activated APD, the results have shown a great deal of unreliability. For example, some users report to have activated the APD
function on their console even where not available (Interactive
Software Federation of Europe, 2012) while many console users
appear to be largely unsure of their console's capability in terms
of APD. For example, 57% of users stated that they did not know
if their console powered off after a period of inactivity, while
71% of users that reported their consoles do have APD say that
they use the function (Consumer Electronics Association, 2010).
Other assumptions focus on the proportion of on-time that is
anticipated to be inactive, including the Market Transformation
Programme (2009a) study that estimates inactive time to account
for 70% of the on-time in 2008, anticipated to rise to 78% in 2020
as more downloadable content becomes available. The AEA (2010)
report assumes an inactive contribution to the total on-time of
30%, split equally across all modes.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the inactive time for games
consoles, this study will not consider inactive time in the analysis.
Further research to establish whether console users have enabled APD
on their console would allow estimates for inactive time to be
improved. From the data already collected in this regard, it is clear
that surveying users on this aspect of their usage returns unreliable
results; therefore, it is suggested that an intrusive survey, whereby
user's console settings are checked before metering usage, would be
the most appropriate and accurate way to gather this information.
The total on-time (1.9 h/day) is split as reported by Nielsen
(2013), which details the contribution of each mode. Table 5
summarises the usage estimates that will be used to calculate
the energy use of HD consoles.
Table 5
Usage estimates for HD consoles (h/day).
Mode
Time
Gameplay
Movie/video playback
Other functions
Standby/off
Networked standby
1.06
0.71
0.13
20.89
1.20
Total
24.00
Table 6
Detailed breakdown of the energy use estimates for new HD consoles and those
in use.
Mode
Energy use (kWh/year) Percentage contribution
In use
Gameplay
37.3
Gameplay inactive
16.0
Media
20.0
Media inactive
8.6
Other functions
3.7
Other functions inactive
1.6
Standby/off
9.9
Networked standby
4.8
Total
101.9
New
In use (%)
New (%)
23.8
10.2
12.7
5.5
2.4
1.0
3.4
4.8
63.8
37
16
20
8
4
2
10
5
100
37
16
20
9
4
2
5
8
100
3.3. Energy use estimates
The energy use estimates calculated from the power consumption and usage values derived in Sections 3.1 and 3.2 are presented
below. Energy use is estimated for HD consoles sold between 2005
and 2011 inclusive (in use at the time of study) and new HD
consoles available in early 2012 (Table 6).
The energy use estimate calculated for new consoles is 37%
lower than the estimate for those in use, 63.8 kWh/year versus
101.9 kWh/year. This is mainly due to advances in chip technology
resulting in improvements in console efficiency between different
versions of each console model. For example, the Cell processor in
the PlayStations3 now uses 45 nm technology for its transistors,
which is half the size of the original 90 nm technology in the 2006
launch model (ars technica, 2008). This enables more transistors to
fit on the same sized chip, lowering conductance losses and
reducing power consumption. Given that the performance of a
console generation is constant over time (Hittinger et al., 2012),
despite hardware and software revisions, the graphics processing
and central processing unit chips have decreased in size resulting
in lower power consumption.
Of particular interest is the contribution standby mode makes
to the overall energy use in the respective estimates. The energy
use of standby for consoles in use accounts for 10% of overall
power use, versus 5% for new consoles available at the time of
study. This is due to a reduction in standby power consumption
from 1.3 W to 0.5 W. In contrast, the contribution of networked
standby to the total TEC is estimated to be 3% higher for new
consoles compared to those in use. This is due to the power
consumption in networked standby being the same in both energy
use estimates, while all other power values have decreased. It is
likely, however, that networked standby power consumption has
also decreased over the product lifetime in a similar manner to
A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
1419
other modes; research to establish if networked standby power
consumption has changed over time would help to refine this
aspect of console energy use estimates. The calculations also show
that, in both cases, gameplay accounts for around 53% of the total
energy use with the contribution of media play around 28% and
other functions 6%.
between the sources of power consumption data for different
functions, but significant uncertainty around usage. Figs. 1 and 2
clearly demonstrate that uncertainty around usage time is a key
factor in determining console energy use, further supporting the
need for additional research in this area.
3.4. Sensitivity analysis
4. Discussion
To test the suitability of the assumptions used in this study, a
sensitivity analysis has been completed. Two main parameters are
considered:
This study details a critical review of available data for the
power consumption, usage and energy use of high definition
games consoles. The analysis has shown that there is a large
variation in estimates for all three factors caused by a combination
of lack of available data and divergent assumptions.
Although many existing energy use estimates are of a similar
magnitude to those calculated herein, the following issues have
been addressed:
1. Power consumption data—The ratios calculated from the AEA
(2010) and NRDC and Energy Solutions (2011) power consumption data are each used to calculate power consumption value
for HD consoles, using the average power consumption values
published by console manufacturers (see Table 2)
2. Usage data—The upper and lower bounds of total on-time
estimates, of 1.1 h/day (Nielsen, 2010) and 2.64 h/day (Nielsen,
2009) are considered.
Representative power consumption data derived for HD
Figs. 1 and 2 show the change in energy use of consoles, when
varying the usage time and using the different ratios for power
consumption, for consoles in use and new consoles respectively.
Energy use estimates for consoles sold between 2005 and 2011
inclusive range between 64 and 146 kWh/year, with estimates for
new consoles available in early 2012 ranging between 38 and
92 kWh/year. The variation caused by the use of different power
consumption ratios has a very small impact on the energy use
estimates, ranging between 4.6% and 6% of the total, while the
different usage estimates have a much larger impact with the energy
use changing by up to 740%. This indicates good agreement
Energy Use (kWh/year)
160
140
120
100
Total on-time
80
1.9 hours
60
1.1hours
40
2.64 hours
20
0
Median
AEA
Ratios
NRDC
Fig. 1. Results of the sensitivity analysis for consoles currently in use.
Energy use (kWh/year)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Total on-time
1.9 hours
1.1hours
2.64 hours
Median
AEA
Ratios
NRDC
Fig. 2. Results of the sensitivity analysis for new consoles.
consoles in use and on sale—All previous estimates of
games console energy use have used power consumption data
for HD consoles on sale at a certain time between 2005 and
2012. As explained, models within each generation of games
console are subject to revisions over time that result in
efficiency improvements and falling power consumption. Existing estimates of games console energy use either fail to take
account of these reductions, or ignore earlier, higher power
versions of games consoles already in use. Particularly when
considering energy efficiency improvements that can affect the
consoles already in use in consumers' homes, such as enabling
APD, it is important to account for all console models sold
previously. This study uses power consumption data that
accounts for the falling power consumption of HD consoles
over time and also the difference in power consumption
between modes.
Usage estimates derived from relevant studies—Existing
estimates of games console usage have tended to focus on
the results of one study. Usage of consoles can be affected by
many factors such as when the data were collected, how it is
collected and which users are covered. The estimate of HD
console usage derived in this research considers all studies that
report an estimate of the total on-time, gathered using
metering technology, and uses a median to calculate the
average energy use. Data from Nielsen (2013) regarding the
contribution of each mode to the total on-time are also used,
compared to previous studies that used assumptions to estimate this (NRDC, 2008) or do not consider it at all (Market
Transformation Programme, 2009a, EnergyConsult, 2012a).
Sensitivity analysis has shown that the range of estimates for
total on-time used in this study have a significant effect on the
energy use estimates, highlighting usage data as a key area of
uncertainty and meriting further study.
Inactive time is unknown—Previous estimates of games
console energy use have either assumed the contribution
of inactive time to total on-time (AEA, 2010; Market
Transformation Programme, 2009a) or assumed the proportion of
users that leave their consoles on all of the time (NRDC, 2008;
Hittinger et al., 2012). Available data regarding users' switch off
behaviour and the proportion of users that have enabled APD
appear highly uncertain and so it is not possible to estimate the
time consoles spend inactive. Survey results suggest that users are
unsure as to whether they have an APD function available on their
console or whether it is enabled (Consumer Electronics
Association, 2010; Interactive Software Federation of Europe,
2012). When considering the potential impact of efficiency measures, such as APD, it is essential to know how long consoles spend
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A. Webb et al. / Energy Policy 61 (2013) 1412–1421
inactive (see below). Further research is needed to establish the
proportion of users that have APD enabled and hence the time HD
consoles spend inactive.
The energy use estimates calculated in this study detail the
contribution of different modes to the total energy use. This
analysis has shown that gaming makes the largest contribution
to console energy use, around 53%, with media use accounting for
around 28%. This level of detail is essential in determining the
relative impact of console energy use compared to other products
and in determining the effectiveness of possible energy efficiency
improvements. Ultimately, these estimates can be used to develop
baselines and improvement scenarios for the evaluation of energy
efficiency policies and standards for games consoles.
The use of representative and reliable data to calculate the
energy use of games consoles is extremely important when
evaluating the potential impact of various efficiency improvements. For example, the NRDC (2008) estimate that the introduction of an APD feature that powers the console down after 1 h of
inactivity will save 1164 kWh per user per year for users that leave
their consoles on, or an average of 582 kWh per user per year.
Considering that survey data suggests as few as 3% of HD console
users leave their console on all of the time, these savings would be
reduced to 36 kWh/user/year, 94% lower than anticipated based on
the NRDC energy use estimate. If inactive time contributed 30% to
the total on-time and APD were to reduce this by 50% for each
console, using the energy use estimate for HD consoles in use
(102 kWh/year), a reduction of 13 kWh/year per console could be
expected. Considering that some studies estimate inactive usage to
account for 70% of the on-time, the energy saving from APD could
be as high as 30 kWh/year per console.
It has also been suggested that the introduction of power
scaling technology, i.e. where a product dynamically and proportionately varies its power consumption as its workload changes,
could reduce the power consumption across all modes (ECOS,
2011). Assuming a reduction in power consumption of 10% across
all modes, for example, would result in a reduction of approximately 10 kWh/year per console for those consoles in use, and
6 kWh/year per console for new HD consoles available.
These examples emphasise the importance of a representative
energy use estimate when evaluating possible options for manufacturers to improve the energy efficiency of consoles.
5. Conclusions
This research has calculated estimates of the energy use of HD
consoles in use (sold between 2005 and 2011 inclusive) and new
HD consoles on sale at the beginning of 2012 at 102 kWh/year and
64 kWh/year respectively. These figures narrow down the range of
existing estimates substantially (between 64 and 146 kWh/year for
consoles in use) providing more accurate and representative data.
The new estimates also provide a more detailed and transparent
estimate of HD games console energy use, with the contribution of
each mode to the total energy use reported. The analysis also
demonstrates that uncertainty around console usage has a large
impact on resulting energy use estimates.
These estimates could be used to evaluate the effectiveness
of different approaches and technologies to reduce the energy
use of consoles, and ultimately help to set baselines and improvement scenarios for use in energy efficiency and standards
development.
Further research could significantly improve the analysis, including
measured power consumption data for all models of HD
console sold since launch in 2005;
sales data for each model of HD console to allow the average
power consumption for consoles in use to be weighted
accordingly; and
collection of further data to establish if usage is changing,
whether users in different regions use their consoles differently, whether usage time is increasing as more functions and
services become available on consoles and the proportion of
users that have APD enabled. Usage is also shown to have the
greatest effect on console energy use in the sensitivity analysis.
Furthermore, as data become available on the usage and power
consumption of the Wii U, the results of this study can be updated
so that all HD consoles currently on sale are considered in the
analysis.
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the UK Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council through funding the Industrial Doctorate Centre in Sustainability for Engineering and Energy Systems at
the University of Surrey. We would also like to thank the sponsor
organisation, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited, for
their funding and support.
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Energy Savings of the Console Manufacturer
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Estimated Savings in the European Union
Within the European Union, it is estimated that this proposal will result in an overall energy saving of
2.6TWh/year for consoles. Table 1 shows the contribution of the different aspects of the industry
proposal to the total energy saving. This analysis is based on our best technical understanding, at
this time, of the future capabilities of our products. The energy savings exclude network standby
savings, which are calculated separately because they are subject to separate industry regulation,
and also it is possible they may not be relevant for all consoles in future.
The detailed calculations are shown in Annex 1.
Table 1: Estimated energy savings of this industry proposal
Percentage Contribution to Total
Energy Savings
Year
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
1
Power caps
18.8%
18.8%
18.8%
18.8%
21.3%
23.0%
24.9%
26.8%
2
APD
59.5%
59.5%
59.5%
59.5%
57.6%
56.4%
55.0%
53.7%
2
Standby
21.7%
21.7%
21.7%
21.7%
21.0%
20.6%
20.1%
19.6%
Total Savings
(TWh/year)
0.39
0.78
1.17
1.56
2.02
2.47
2.54
2.60
1 Lot 3
2 Commission Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008
1
Annex 1: Detailed energy savings calculations for the European Union
Table 1 Base Case for High Definition Consoles
Function
Game Play
Movie/Video
playback
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Total ON
Standby/Off
All
Hours
/day
Time in
Each
function
(%)
Estimated Share of
Time During On
Modes
Active
Active
Mode
Time
(Hours/
day)
Inactive
Mode
Inactive
Standby/Off
Power
TEC Based on
Manufacturer
Use Hours
kWh/year
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Time
(Hours/
day)
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Power
Consumption
(W)
35.8
0.53
0.15
113.0
113.0
21.9
6.3
-
57.7
16.5
0.04
113.0
1.6
-
4.1
0.11
113.0
4.7
-
12.4
-
-
34.5
-
1.3
10.3
1.40
0.40
6%
2%
62%
62%
38%
38%
0.87
0.25
113.0
113.0
0.10
0%
62%
38%
0.06
113.0
0.30
1%
62%
38%
0.19
113.0
2.20
21.80
24.00
91%
100%
-
-
-
-
10.2
2.6
7.7
56.3
-
101.1
This new base case for PlayStation®3 has been created using the hours of usage contained in the Lot 3 report calculations for TEC (AEA, 2010, Table 76). This is based
on actual console usage data provided by manufacturers. The power use values are averages of all PlayStation®3 models since launch in 2007 (not weighted by sales of
each model) as the values used in the Lot 3 base case are not applicable to high definition consoles. Navigation mode covers all functions found on the navigation
menu screen (Cross Media Bar), not including media functions. The figure of 38% for the contribution of inactive to the total on-time has been estimated using
information collected through the ISFE Gamer survey (2010) and industry data regarding number of sessions, estimated to be around 5 per week.
The following tables quantify the expected energy savings of alternative proposals made by industry, in contrast to the consultant's proposed measures.
2
Table 2 Tier 1 Industry Proposal
Function
Game Play
Movie/Video
playback
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Total ON
Standby/Off
All
Hours
/day
Time in
Each
function
(%)
Estimated Share of
Time During On
Modes
Active
Inactive
Active
Mode
Inactive
Mode
Time
(Hours/
day)
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
35.8
1.13
0.32
5%
1%
77%
77%
23%
23%
0.87
0.25
113.0
90.0
0.08
0%
77%
23%
0.06
90.0
0.24
1%
77%
23%
0.19
90.0
1.78
22.22
24.00
93%
100%
-
-
-
-
Time
(Hours/
day)
Standby/Off
Power
TEC Based on
Manufacturer
Use Hours
kWh/year
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Power
Consumption
(W)
0.27
0.08
113.0
90.0
11.0
2.5
-
46.8
10.6
0.02
90.0
0.6
-
2.7
0.06
90.0
1.9
-
8.0
-
-
16.0
-
0.5
4.1
8.1
2.0
6.1
52.1
-
72.1
Table 2 calculates the expected TEC after implementation of a 90W power cap for media and navigation functions and an APD after 1 hour. It is assumed that APD
will reduce inactive time by half.
3
Table 3 Tier 2 Industry Proposal
Function
Game Play
Movie/Video
playback
Internet
Browsing
Other
Functions
Total ON
Standby/Off
All
Hours
/day
Time in
Each
function
(%)
Estimated Share of
Time During On
Modes
Active
Active
Mode
Time
(Hours/
day)
Inactive
Mode
Inactive
Standby/Off
Power
TEC Based on
Manufacturer
Use Hours
kWh/year
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Time
(Hours/
day)
Power
Consumption
(W)
Energy use
per year
(kWh)
Power
Consumption
(W)
35.8
0.27
0.08
113.0
70.0
11.0
1.9
-
46.8
8.3
0.02
70.0
0.5
-
2.1
0.06
70.0
1.5
-
6.2
-
-
14.9
-
0.5
4.1
1.13
0.32
5%
1%
77%
77%
23%
23%
0.87
0.25
113.0
70.0
0.08
0%
77%
23%
0.06
70.0
6.3
1.6
0.24
1.78
22.22
24.00
1%
7%
93%
100%
77%
-
23%
-
0.19
-
70.0
4.8
48.5
-
-
67.4
Table 3 calculates the expected TEC after implementation of a 70W power cap for media and navigation functions and an APD after 1 hour. It is assumed that APD
will reduce inactive time by half.
4
Table 4 Projected Savings for high definition consoles
Tier 1 savings
Per console (kWh/year)
Year
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Cumulative
sales
13500000
27000000
40500000
54000000
54000000
54000000
40500000
27000000
Active
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
Inactive
18.5
18.5
18.5
18.5
18.5
18.5
18.5
18.5
Standby
6.3
6.3
6.3
6.3
6.3
6.3
6.3
6.3
Total
29.0
29.0
29.0
29.0
29.0
29.0
29.0
29.0
Tier 1 & 2 savings
Per console (kWh/year)
Total
Current
Genaration
(TWh/year)
0.39
0.78
1.17
1.56
1.56
1.56
1.17
0.78
Next
Generation
sales
0
0
0
0
13500000
27000000
40500000
54000000
Active
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.8
Inactive
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
19.6
19.6
19.6
19.6
Standby
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
6.3
6.3
6.3
6.3
Total
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
33.7
33.7
33.7
33.7
Total Next
Generation
(TWh/year)
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.45
0.91
1.36
1.82
Total
(TWh/year)
0.39
0.78
1.17
1.56
2.02
2.47
2.54
2.60
Console sales have been calculated using sales of all consoles between January 2nd 2005 and 1st January 2011 (indicating a 6 year product lifetime). This
gives an annual sales value of 13.5 million per year.
The projected energy savings are highly conservative estimates. In the above calculations game play power use is assumed to stay constant, although the
reduction in media and navigation compared to the average base case will also help to reduce game play power use. Also, next generation consoles may
have higher performance, and therefore use more power than current high definition consoles, resulting in a higher TEC base case and estimated energy
savings. It is also anticipated that the power reduction trends seen to date with PlayStation®3 could potentially apply to any future product, according to
Moore's Law. However, at present these reductions cannot be accurately quantified.
5
Excerpt from “Energy Efficiency of Games Consoles: Self-Regulatory
Initiative to further improve the energy efficiency of Games
Consoles”
Annex F – Estimated electricity savings
Within the European Union it is estimated that the SRI for Games Consoles will result in electricity
savings of 1.1 TWh in 2020 for Ultra High Definition capable Xbox One and PlayStation®4 Games
Consoles. This is equal to the electricity savings expected through compliance with Regulation
801/2013 for standby and networked standby modes.
Further electricity savings are expected from additional efficiency improvements made by Games
Console manufacturers. These additional improvements are not included in the SRI as they cannot
be harmonised across all Games Consoles due to the variability in hardware specifications and
performance, and the functions and features available on each device. The additional efficiency
improvements include Suspend to RAM and early compliance with the networked standby
requirements set out in Regulation 801/2013.
The estimated electricity savings expected for Ultra HD capable consoles are summarised in the
table below.
Year
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
TOTAL
Estimated EU electricity saving for Ultra High Definition
Games Consoles (TWh)
Regulation 801/2013
SRI
Additional
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.8
0.6
0.8
0.9
0.6
1.0
1.0
0.5
1.1
1.2
0.3
1.1
1.1
0.2
5.0
6.0
3.4