by Jbs050710 i3 — May 12, 2010—Stricter requirements for televisions to earn an Energy Star rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) went into effect May 1, 2010. TVs that carry the government’s Energy Star label are now, on average, 40 percent more efficient than conventional models, with the same features and performance quality.
Qualifying TVs now must use less energy when turned on, but still ensure a satisfactory level of brightness, and they must curb power associated with downloading program guide data.
With more than 19 million televisions with screens larger than 40 inches expected to ship in 2010, the new specifications also offer important savings in larger size TVs. For example, the new requirements for 46 and 50 inch TV models will deliver almost 50 percent savings over conventional models of the same size.
According to EPA, if all televisions sold in the United States met the new 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 cars.
