MEPS – Minimum Energy Performance Standards
MEPS – Minimum Energy Performance Standards
MEPS is a regulatory standard for power usage of a product while in Standby mode. As a commitment to environmental responsibility all Strong Australia Product are MEPS Compliant.
From 1st December 2008 in Australia and from the 9th of June 2011, Set Top Boxes manufactured or imported for sale in Australia are required to meet minimum energy performance requirements (MEPS). It is likely that from April 2011 these will also be regulated in New Zealand.
Registration is now available (see making an application for MEPS for details).
The STB must be measured in accordance with the test standard AS/NZS 62087.1:2010. Measurements of the passive standby, active standby and on mode power use are required, depending on the type of STB. To comply with MEPS, a STB must not exceed the power limits specified in the standard AS/NZS 62087.2.1:2008 as set out below.
MEPS is defined in terms of a Maximum Platform Allowance (MPA) power level for active standby and on mode that is dependent on the type of STB and what MEPS option is chosen. The MPA is essentially the maximum power requirements for a basic STB, described in the standard. If a STB has features in addition to those shown in the standard, an additional features allowance (AFA) is added to the MPA, up to a maximum power limit (MPL) that must not be exceeded. The measured power consumption of the STB must not exceed the MPA + AFA (for applicable features); and it must not exceed the MPL regardless of how many features are available in the STB. The formula to determine the applicable MEPS level for a particular STB is MPA + AFA < MPL.
The standard also specifies a maximum passive standby power level, if relevant, for that type of STB.
A summary of these power limits is shown in Table 1 for Free To Air DTV STB and in Table 2 for Subscription TV DTV STB.
Table 1: Maximum Power Levels for FTA DTV STB (from AC supply)
| Product Type | Passive Standby – Max Power (W) | Active Standby – Max Power (W) | On Mode – Max Power (W) | |||
| MPA | MPL | MPA | MPL | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Definition | Option 1 | 1.0 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 15 |
| Option 2 | 2.0 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 15 | |
| High Definition | Option 1 | 1.0 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 22 |
| Option 2 | 2.0 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 22 | |
Table 2: Maximum Power Levels for STV DTV STB (from AC supply)
| Product Type | Passive Standby – Max Power (W) | Active Standby – Max Power (W) | On Mode – Max Power (W) | ||
| MPA | MPL | MPA | MPL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STV DTV STB | Not used | 9 | 15 | Not Specified | |
High Efficiency Level Requirements
A DTV STB may be designated as ‘high efficiency’ and marked as such in product literature if it meets the following requirements:
- Complies with the applicable MEPS levels
- Has a maximum passive standby power of 1 W
- Also meets the requirements either of the Automatic Standby OR High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) standby specified in AS/NZS 62087.2.1:2008.
These features ensure that the STB is able to automatically switch itself into passive standby mode after a period of inactivity or in conjunction with the users switching other audio visual devices connected to the STB into passive standby.
“The Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) has resolved that Australia will expand its commitment to reducing excessive standby by formulating coordinated product-specific plans to address excessive standby over ten years, 2002 – 2012, within the umbrella of the IEA “One Watt” initiative. Within this timeframe, specific product types may be identified as “at risk” of using excessive standby and will therefore be targeted for specific action. Each product will then be dealt with in potentially a two-stage action plan designed to reduce standby to levels acceptable for that product as quickly as economically viable. The first stage is development of product profiles for each major product group. Details of the strategy are outlined in the Ministerial Council on Energy strategy on standby titled “Money isn’t all you’re saving”.”
For more information on MEPS please visit their website