California Asked to Exempt Loosely-Coupled Chargers From Rules
Industry groups, including CEA and CTIA, urged the California Energy Commission (CEC) to exempt loosely-coupled wireless charging systems from proposed battery charger regulations so as not to impede research and development and innovation in the nascent technology. Loosely-coupled systems are “under active development and expected to be made available for sale for the first time in 2012,” CTIA said in comments. “The Commission should explicitly exempt this new class of products from proposed regulations to enable continued research and development in this vibrant area and the realization of many public interest benefits."
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Because they support the “simultaneous and independent charging” of multiple battery-powered devices placed anywhere on a charging pad or vehicle console, loosely-coupled wireless charging systems will “offer consumers more convenient charging options, eliminate the need to have a separate power adapter for each device, and reduce materials use,” CEA said. “Mandating appliance efficiency standards for developing technology, such as loosely-coupled inductive charging systems, could hamper innovation, limit consumer options, and be counterproductive to broader environmental sustainability goals."
Because the new inductive charging systems will allow consumers to charge many wireless devices without the need for multiple power adaptors, they could “greatly reduce the amount of discarded power adaptors in the future, reducing disposal concerns,” said Energizer. “At this stage of market development, interoperable inductive charging systems should be afforded an exemption” from regulations to avoid hampering their development, it said, urging the Commission to confine its regulations to tightly-coupled charging devices.
California also must exempt communications equipment from proposed regulations, CTIA said. The FCC and the California Public Utilities Commission list communications gear as “critical infrastructure for emergency response and communications purposes,” the group said. The Commission proposal’s to mandate labeling on battery chargers and packaging will “force costly unaesthetic changes” to products and packaging that are distributed nationally and not just in California, it said. The Commission should give the wireless industry more flexibility in demonstrating compliance, CTIA said, including “through a statement in product user guides or through electronic labeling."
Panasonic urged the CEC to exclude telephone base units from the proposed standards. The Commission’s test procedure for small battery charging systems (BCS) requires the reporting to “include power use of base units be added to the consumption” of such systems used in cordless phones, the company said. “However, the primary functionality of a base unit is completely unrelated with the BCS.” Toshiba suggested that the labeling requirement be limited to dedicated battery chargers.
The Commission scheduled a public hearing for next Wednesday in Sacramento at which it would consider and possibly adopt regulatory language that precedes a 45-day comment period.