Energy Efficient TVs Reduce Power Bills and Lower Carbon Emissions
TV power consumption is expected to outpace the energy used to power the average refrigerator by 2010, with this figure doubling by 20301. This trend is driven by the move to larger, higher performance TVs, more TVs per household, as well as many new applications, such as gaming, DVDs, Netflix®, and Tivo® and other digital video recorders (DVRs).
Switching to an energy efficient TV can help to reduce power bills. In fact, Energy Star® estimates that if all televisions sold in the United States met the current Energy Star® requirements, Americans would save $2.5 billion annually in energy costs, while reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of about 3 million cars2.
“Many consumers may not know that two TVs of the same size can vary dramatically in energy consumption,” noted Jim Bauman vice president of 3M’s Optical Systems Division. “The market is shifting toward low power TVs, and as an example, there are some 42” TVs that consume as little as 112 watts and others at over 200 watts. Both qualify for Energy Star®, but the set that needs more watts consumes more energy and results in higher energy bills. By adding energy efficiency to their list of TV features, consumers save money on electricity and help reduce the carbon emissions that are a by-product of producing electricity.”
If buying a new flat panel TV is on your holiday wish list, here are some tips to consider before making a TV purchase:
Do Your Research in Advance
Energy Star is a valuable resource that lists which TV models qualify for the Energy Star label, as well as the annual power consumption (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TV). There have been many technology improvements over the past year, so it is worth investigating the power consumption of the sets you are considering. First, decide what size TV you are interested in and then look at the average power consumption. In addition, other resources such as CNET list the actual wattage of various models.
Some retail sites list whether or not a model is Energy Star qualified in their list of each model’s features. Some websites even note which models exceed Energy Star’s requirements.
Additional Energy Savings Tips
Consumers can save even more energy by setting their new TV on the home mode. The home or standard mode is the mode that is optimized for TV viewing in your home and is typically the most energy efficient mode. It offers a brightness setting that still produces a bright image in a sunlit room. For people who watch TV in a darker room, directly lowering the brightness setting will further improve the set’s energy efficiency. Home mode versus retail mode is a menu option that you select when you set up your TV at home. However, when you are looking at a set in a store environment – the TV is typically showing in the “retail” or “vivid” mode.
To see how the set will look in your home, change the setting to the home mode. Or, ask the sales associate about the picture quality in the “home” mode. Technology exists to make sure that the home mode looks just as great, even though it is energy efficient.
Determine Which TV Technology Best Fits Your Needs
In general LCD TVs, especially LED LCD TVs are most energy efficient.
3M Components Help Make LCD TVs More Efficient
3M’s Optical Systems Division makes Vikuiti Dual Brightness Enhancement Films (DBEF), which recycle light within LCD TVs to make them more energy efficient, while improving picture quality.
For more information on TV power consumption and energy saving tips, contact Stacey Voorhees-Harmon for 3M’s fact sheet and additional references at stacey@savvypublicrelations.net or 925-336-9592.
About 3M
A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M's core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms - often in combination - to a wide array of customer needs. With $25 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60 countries.
12007 Annual Energy Outlook, Energy Information Administration
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Media Contacts:Agency:Stacey Voorhees-Harmon, 925-336-9592PR Consultantstacey@savvypublicrelations.net
