As of January 1st, 2001, Power Factor management has become a regulatory issue. All SMPS above 75W and lighting devices above 26W have to meet specified Power Factor requirements. Regulation EN 61000-3-2 covers the details of the requirements. Power Factor correction not only helps utilities to improve power transmission efficiency, but also helps the SMPS to meet energy saving standards, i.e., 80 Plus Energy Star Efficiency Standard. There are 4 levels of efficiency certifications, as shown in this slide, each specifies different efficiency requirements under 20%, 50%, 80%, and 100% loading conditions with true PF of 0.9 or greater. The SMPS manufacturers can place corresponding 80 PLUS Energy Star Certification labels on their products if their designs meet the specified energy efficiency levels.