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Geneva, Switzerland — STMicroelectronics has shipped more than 250 million units of energy-saving products in 2006. The company says these chips have saved more than 1,200 GWh of electricity at the point of use, which is equivalent to saving more than 2 million barrels of oil needed to generate this energy.
STMicro has calculated the savings by multiplying the nominal energy saving by product in the end application (typically a few watts) by the number of hours the equipment is in operation. These "duty cycle" values are based on publicly available statistics. STMicro also included in the calculation the total number of energy-saving devices it shipped in 2006. In addition, since the products are generally used for more than one year, the real energy savings is not limited to the one-year usage in the calculation.
ST's focus on power-conscious design incorporates both reduction of energy consumption in the chip itself and contribution to energy savings in the end application, said the company.
For example, in the lighting arena, ST's microcontroller-based solution for compact fluorescent lamps significantly reduces the energy consumption of the lamp by using high-performing switching components that minimize power losses, said the company. The microcontroller also makes the lamp's light intensity almost constant throughout the life cycle and extends the lamp's life, which also reduces waste. In addition, intelligent dimming solutions from ST reduce power consumption in traditional bulb lamps while its phase-control dimmers also extend bulb life.
ST also offers a host of other energy-efficient products including motor-control and thermo-regulation technologies, and power-supply units that contribute to energy efficiency and power savings. Click here to learn more about ST's corporate responsibility.
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