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The new challenge for the semiconductor industryis not to find the next "killer application," but to develop new energy-efficient chip and process technologies for a broad range of systems, said Mark Thompson, president and CEO of Fairchild Semiconductor.

Solving the worldwide standby powerproblem is one of the key issues, Thompson said. "Power capacity is not keeping pace with consumption," he added. "Resulting greenhouse gas emissions have heightened environmental concerns."

Total worldwide energy consumption is expected to increase by 57 percent from 2004 to 2030, according to Fairchild Semiconductor. Worldwide energy consumption is projected to climb from 447 quadrillion BTU in 2004 to 702 quadrillion BTU in 2030.

The trends seem bleak. The power consumptionfor data centers is soaring out of control. The power requirements for high-end routers have increased by 10 times over the last decade, according to the chipmaker.

New and innovative worldwide energy standards are required to help solve the problem, but the United States is behind the curve, Thompson said. "The U.S. is way, way behind in terms of how standards can drive industries," he said.

There are some viable standards¡ªand solutions¡ªto the problem. In 1999, the International Energy Agency (IEA) proposed that all countries harmonize energy policies to reduce standby power, setting the target of 1W per deviceby 2010.

Change in thinking
Thompson also outlined some chip design and product solutions, which will require a change in thinking in the worldwide market. For example, converting from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent or LED lighting could represent a 75 percent improvement in terms of energy efficiency, according to the chipmaker.

Moving from single-phase AC motors to variable speed motors could represent a 40 percent improvement in efficiency, according to the company. Changing induction motors to permanent magnet motors represents a 5 percent improvement in efficiency, while reducing standby powerin the household could represent a 5-10 percent saving, the company said.