The long-running battle to minimize power sucked in by equipment in standby mode (vampire power) has driven worldwide adoption of proposals such as the IEA initiatives to reduce standby power used by appliances to less than 1W in 2010 and 0.5W in 2013. Today, the most advanced power-supply technologies are capable of driving down standby power consumption below 5mW, which is rounded to zero according to the IEC standard for household and office appliances.

Although regulations are driving down standby power per appliance, the number of appliances in use globally is increasing. ST's new VIPer0P IC helps reduce wasted power and CO2 emissions by enabling effective zero-power standby in appliances such as clothes dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, coffee makers, and microwaves.

The chip can also be used in lighting controls, industrial appliances, and air conditioners. By introducing a unique, patented smart-management capability not offered by any other converter in the market, VIPer0P allows the appliance to be woken from standby via a touchscreen or remote control thereby enhancing convenience for users.

VIPer0P has been designed into forthcoming new appliances by lead customers, and is now in volume production in the SO16N surface-mount package, priced from $0.54 for orders of 1000 pieces.