Energy Efficient Amplifier: 5 Technologies That Reduce Power Consumption
Energy efficient amplifier technologies are an important consideration when designing an installed sound system. In fact, a more efficient system will ultimately result in higher cost savings and more reliable equipment. Not to mention, the positive benefits system efficiency has on our environment.
So, what can you do to ensure you’re running an efficient system? In short, here are five tips to get you started:
1.) Use Amplifiers with PFC Power Supplies
For one thing, PFC or Power Factor Correction technology achieves a “unity” power factor (power factor of 1). In other words, all of the power going into the system is real power and very little is wasted or dissipated into heat.
In essence, this reduces the need for extensive cooling systems and creates the most bang for your buck when it comes to power consumption.
2.) Use Products with Auto Standby Mode
In this case, Auto Standby Mode is a feature that activates when the output level drops below a predetermined threshold level for a user-definable amount of time. For example, you may enable Auto Standby Mode to take effect when the output level of the audio drops below -80 dB after 5 minutes.
With our CONNECTSERIES, this feature will work on a per-channel basis. With many other amplifiers, if one channel drops below the threshold, the entire amp goes into Auto Standby Mode. But with the CONNECTSERIES, if one channel drops below the threshold, only that channel goes into Auto Standby Mode while the other channels continue passing audio. Ultimately, this reduces the overall power consumption of the unit.
3.) Explore PoE (Power Over Ethernet)
PoE is a unique feature that allows users to control and monitor their units without the AC main being powered on. In short, this drastically cuts down the power consumption of the device.
4.) Take advantage of External I/O
When you are controlling your amplifiers from an external source, external I/O allows you to remotely power on and off the amplifier. As a result, the amplifier greatly reduces the AC power draw. Therefore, very little power is demanded when the unit is not in use.
5.) Monitor the Data
Truly, every installation is different. Therefore, the best thing you can do is monitor the system performance data and make adjustments to maintain efficient performance.
As a matter of fact, our Web App UI has an entire section called the Green Menu. In this case, it is dedicated to power performance data. For example, within this menu, users can monitor real-time power usage, enable and set parameters for auto standby mode, and even get power usage estimates for other operating modes.
In conclusion, we take power consumption very seriously when we design our products. For this reason, every factor listed above has been implemented into our CONNECTSERIES of energy-efficient amplifiers. As a matter of fact, we’ve dedicated an entire section of our Web App UI to tracking and reporting energy analytics. We call it, the Green Menu! Altogether, our energy-efficient tactics are part of our larger sustainability effort which we call “emPower Change.” Thus, we hope to ensure that LEA products create the foundation for energy-efficient systems.
If you have any questions about energy efficient amplifier technologies, how they work with our products, or how they can benefit pro audio systems, please leave a comment below or reach out to us on our social media channels.
