Sleep mode or "stand-by" refer to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save electrical consumption, when a device is idle. Waking up resumes normal operations.

In computing, the standard for power management is ACPI. Compliant systems offer power saving modes such as sleep and hibernation.

Sleep mode (or Stand-by mode) is supposed to place electronic devices into a state of "waiting for a power-up" command. In July 2006 The British Government announced it would outlaw televisions and video players that exceed the maximum standby-mode power consumption standard (1 watt). It was found that standby modes on electronic devices account for 8% of all British domestic power consumption.

Fire risks

The subject of fire risk due to leaving a device in standby mode is a popular debate. There are reported cases where televisions have caught on fire in stand-by mode. The contributing factors for such fires include:

• Humid environments
• Lightning storms
• Age of the appliance

Modern televisions use only a small fraction of the power in standby mode (typically less than 10W). A modern HD LCD television will use only 1W or less when in standby mode (compared to 175W during standard operation). However, the risks of serious fire damage are increased since many people leave them in standby mode continuously when not in use, and when they are not at home. The risk of major fire damage originating from televisions left in standby mode is probably far below that for fires caused by other household appliances in regular use, such as ovens and refrigerators.

Energy saving

Lots of discussion is presented on the energy cost of the stand-by mode.

On the other hand, stand-by mode reduces the thermal cycles of key components, therefore improving the equipment reliability. This means equipment will last longer, so less electronic equipment will be scrapped. A real accurate analysis of the energy cost would also consider that the stand-by mode consumes the energy producing heat, a benefit during winter, a possible cost during summer.

See also

• Green computing
• Power management
• One Watt Initiative

Notes

1. ^ "TV standby buttons will be outlawed", Times UK Online, 2006-07-12. Retrieved on 2006-07-12. 
2. ^ (April 2001). "Causes of fires involving television sets in dwellings." (PDF). London: Department of Trade and Industry. Retrieved on 2006-8-9.
3. ^ (April 2006). "Energy cost of PCs on standby" (html). London: BBC. Retrieved on 2006-8-9.
4. ^ (2006). ""The mith of stand-by"" (html). Retrieved on 2007-8-9.
5. ^ (1999). "About thermal cycles :"Overclocking's Impact on CPU Life "" (html). Retrieved on 2007-8-9.