New Energy Efficiency Benchmark Emerges for Power Supply Units

CLEAResult, a consultancy specializing in power supply certification, has announced the introduction of the 80 PLUS Ruby efficiency standard. Marking the first addition to the 80 PLUS program in over a decade, Ruby immediately claims the top position in the existing certification hierarchy.

The 80 PLUS Ruby standard enforces rigorous criteria: power delivery systems must maintain a minimum efficiency of 90% across all load levels, from 20% to 100%. A key focus lies on low-load performance, where energy waste has historically been acute. For instance, at 50% load — regardless of voltage — power supply units (PSUs) must achieve 96.5% efficiency.

The first device meeting these requirements is a 5,500W power supply from China-based Delta Electronics, which boasts a reported efficiency of 97.5% — exceeding even Ruby’s demands. Designed for large-scale data centers, the unit demonstrates how marginal efficiency improvements can translate to significant resource savings in high-power environments.

For context, 80 PLUS certification requires PSUs to maintain at least 80% efficiency across varying loads and a power factor of 0.9 or higher. Prior to Ruby, Titanium and Platinum represented the pinnacle of efficiency standards. Ruby now raises the bar by prioritizing holistic energy optimization to meet escalating power demands in modern computing infrastructures.