The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that models earning its Energy Star logo will soon be required to use 40% less energy than conventional models.The agency said the stricter television standards, which take effect this September, are the first in a series of revisions it plans this year for more than 20 products. It says current Energy Star-qualified TVs could represent 70% of the market in 2011 because of strong consumer demand and retailer support.
“With more than 19 million large screen (greater than 40 inches) televisions expected to ship this year, this means substantial overall energy bill savings and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions,” EPA said in the announcement. For example, it said a 60-inch TV will have to use less than 108 watts, compared to the average 282 watts used by a standard model that size.
EPA also announced stricter rules for cable and satellite boxes, requiring they enter a deep sleep mode when not in use and thus dropping their energy use from about 16 watts to 2 watts or less. To earn the Energy Star label, products must be tested in an EPA-recognized lab by an EPA-recognized third-party.
