The Wireless Power Consortium has come up with a standard

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has come up with a low-power standard for powering a variety of electronics and doing away with the tangles of power cords used by multiple devices.  This standard will allow you to recharge your phone, your mp3 player, camera, remote control or other small device that runs on batteries.

WPC has designed a standard that is “interoperable” meaning it will work on many different devices from different companies.  The process uses magnetic coils for magnetic induction.  The base station transmits a signal that the device receives.  The device provides feedback that controls the amount and length of charge.  One example of a wireless induction charger is the Palm Touchstone.

Just as most people leave their chargers plugged in, the consortium figured that most people would leave their wireless charger plugged in.  Therefore the standby power has been reduced to 0.0001 Watt (100 µW). 

Charging power will not be as efficient as a charger that you plug into your device but the wireless standard will achieve 70 percent efficiency of a plug in.  Overall the total efficiency of the wireless charger will depend on how many chargers are being replaced, the type of chargers being replaced and the users habits.

Studies conducted by Professor Ron Hu, Fellow IEEE Director, Center for Power Electronics City University of Hong Kong, show that there will be a reduction in energy use and energy waste both of which translate into a lower energy bill.

Products that support the new standard will carry the Qi logo.  Qi is pronounced “chee” which means “vital energy”.  The Wireless Power Consortium expects for Qi devices and chargers to be available in hotels, offices, airports, railway stations, and homes.  The consortium’s expectation is that now that the standard has been settled, manufacturers and developers will begin producing Qi items whose convenience will land them everywhere.

Expect Qi to be a factor in purchasing your next phone, mp3 player, camera, or remote control.  After all, energy is what keeps everything running smoothly.

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