News Archive:
University Vice Chancellors visit CalPlug
Over 60 members from the Association of American Universities toured CalPlug's facilities and saw project demonstrations from CalPlug's student researchers...
Thales, an international company based on developing electronics, visited CalPlug for a tour of the facilities and demonstrations on CalPlug's research. Thales develops electronic based solutions for aerospace, space, defense, security and transportation markets.
CalPlug's Wall of Power at ICCE 2013
Taking place immediately after CES, the IEEE's International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE) is host to several different companies and researchers at the industry's forefront, which attend ICCE to share the latest designs and technological breakthroughs in consumer electronics.
Starting off the new year with a bang, the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the largest of its kind. Traveling in from all over the world, people attend CES to experience the latest and greatest technological offerings from consumer electronics and technology based companies.
They may be small but they have big appetites, devouring energy 24/7, even when they’re not in use. They’re set-top boxes, those little devices that receive TV satellite and cable signals. And they’re priority number one for the California Plug Load Research Center (CalPlug) housed at Calit2.
Less than three months on the job and the newest California Energy Commissioner is already familiarizing himself with who’s doing what in the area of energy efficiency. In May, Andrew McAllister was appointed to one of five state energy commission seats; in July, he paid a visit to UC Irvine to learn more about the efforts underway at the California Plug Load Research Center (CalPlug).
Wasting No Energy Getting Up to Speed
Visitors to the fourth floor CalPlug Center in the Calit2 Building are greeted by the “Wall of Power” – a living room simulation equipped with everyday entertainment and household devices that plug into outlets and consume energy. The Wall has become a popular educational tool for consumers to power on and off devices in order to understand real-time usage and costs.
CalPlug STB Research Roadmap Announced
In July 2012, CalPlug’s STB work authorization from the Energy Commission signaled the commencement of the 18 month period for CalPlug to develop and demonstrate a prototype of next-generation energy-efficient set-top boxes. A “CalPlug STB Research Roadmap” has since been proposed to coordinate the efforts in both technology advancement and industry coordination.
CalPlug STB Funding Authorized
July 25, 2012: The California Plug Load Research Center’s first project is now official. The work authorization for set-top box research was stamped yesterday at the California Energy Commission’s Department of General Services.The official stamp is the project’s green light to develop and demonstrate, over the next 18 months, a prototype of next-generation energy-efficient set-top boxes (STB).
CalPlug Introduction
The California Plug Load Research Center (CalPlug) was established to improve energy efficiency in the use and design of appliances and consumer electronic devices. The Center has already earned research funding support from the California Energy Commission, for $1 million. CalPlug focuses on energy efficiency solutions, efficiency evaluations of consumer electronics, standards development, education and public outreach, and user behavior studies. CalPlug will address challenges in plug load efficiency for both residential and commercial buildings by collaborating closely with utilities, manufacturers, advocacy groups, research institutions, and energy policy makers.