Can outdoor power supply be used beyond the standard

At a global level, mandates for power efficiency exist for most consumer electronics and home appliances. External power supplies have had regulations dating back to 2004, when the California Energy Commission created one of the first mandates for efficiency of external power supplies used to power appliances or consumer electronic devices.

Japan has a mandatory energy efficiency standard and a voluntary program called Top Runner, but neither includes an external power supply specific standard. After California released its initial state regulation on external power supplies in 2004, Energy Star developed and released its first national standard for external power supplies.

So far, in the few months that have passed in 2014, the US and the EU have imposed new regulations for external power supplies. As of January, tier 1 of the EU Code of Conduct (v5) standard for external power supplies became effective.

Not all external power supplies are treated the same and exemptions exist in both the United States and the European Union. In the US, Congress has written provisions into section 301 of EISA 2007 that exclude some types of external power supplies. These are devices that:

It started with relatively simple ENERGY STAR standards for external power supplies in the 1990s. Today, there are standards tailored for the specific operating conditions of various applications, ranging from data center power supplies to white goods, LED light bulbs, electric vehicle battery chargers, photovoltaic inverters, and others.

Power supplies used for this purpose can be manufactured after July 1, 2008. The European Union has instituted similar exemptions to the United States. External power supplies for medical devices, battery chargers, and service products are exempt.