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Loading...California Bans Inefficient Plasma TVs
In the past few decades, the number of electronic gadgets sucking up energy in American households has increased at a staggering pace. Although experts have offered up many different ways for cutting back on phantom loads and increasing conservation efforts, there’s often nothing more effective than making it the law.
This week, the California Energy Commission mandated that plasma televisions will need to be modified to consume 33 percent less electric energy by the year 2011, and by 2013 they will need to consume 49 percent less electricity. Televisions not meeting these standards within the stipulated time period will not be sold in the state of California. The measure passed with a 5 -0 vote.
Ecopolitology.org reports, “The average plasma TV uses three-times as much energy as a traditional set. The commission estimates that switching to more efficient TVs will save an average of $30 per set per year and $8.1 billion in electricity bills statewide over the first decade. The regulations go into place for televisions sold after Jan. 1, 2011, and will reflect similar regulations the state has put on refrigerators, air conditioners and dozens of other household appliances since the 1970s.”
It seems that this bold move in California is only the beginning of the end for energy guzzling audio/visual appliances all over the country, as Energy Star recently finalized it’s 2.0 specifications for these products.
The official website reports: “The new specification establishes On mode and low-power Sleep mode power consumption limits and Auto Power Down requirements that AV products must meet in order to earn the ENERGY STAR label. Consumer AV products covered under Version 1.0 Audio/DVD program, including Home-Theatre-in-a-Box, audio amplifiers, AV receivers, Shelf systems, DVD Players, and Blu-ray Disc players, will be subject to these new requirements on July 30, 2010 . Products previously excluded from earning the ENERGY STAR, such as commercial audio amplifiers and docking stations, are eligible to qualify under the new requirements effective immediately.”
This is good news for many consumers who are familiar with the Energy Star rating system, but who up until now have been unable to find CD, DVD, and Blue Ray players that bore the seal of approval.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the best way to reduce your energy consumption and carbon footprint is simply to step out from behind the screen (no matter what size it is) and go for a walk or read a book.
Visit the Energy Star website for more information on how to find certified home audio products.
Read more: california, energy efficiency, energy star, global warming, television
Image Credit: Flickr Creative Commons johannesfreund
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Colin Powell is one of the very few Republicans left with class!
This is really sad.
very sad, no person should go hungry..
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Good one Arnold
yay! now let the gays marry!
Good Job California
California caters to wealthy.....or people could just save up & buy something big to opt out of their new law!
“TVs larger than 58 inches would not be covered under the rule, a concession to independent retailers that sell high-end home-theater TVs. Those sets account for no more than 3 percent of the market.”
So, if you are wealthy enough to have a HUGE TV you are exempt.... Those of you who can’t afford one that big will just have to dream. To bad poor people!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_bi_ge/us_california_tv_energy;_ylt=AgPbF2RsS1bUXh5exV_0ZTR0fNdF
"the horse is out of the barn" As always this affects the manufacturing more than the homeowner. You will no longer be able to get a plasma TV. It's not like that means you won't have a TV. So if you like the higher electric bills, get out there and get that plasma while they're blowing them out.
Also not being able to see the edges means that your TV is older than the new TV's that actually can be less expensive in the long run. It's like having an 8 track player when there's ipods. Not a criticism, just a suggestion regarding energy use reduction built into new appliances that actually make a difference on your electric bill as well as reducing the overall energy consumption.
Fantastic!!
One of our pet peeves at home at them moment is how we can’t see all of the picture on TV anymore. Our TV is about 15years old, long before widescreen came in, and now there are lots of programs where we can’t see the side of the program. Really annoying for watching sport where you can’t see the score.
Oh, and Robert, quite happy to keep the Government out or your rec room, if you keep your coal emissions out of my lungs. Do we have a deal?
THIS IS GREAT NEWS, THANK YOU CALIFORNIA
Wow. I had no idea that "the average plasma TV uses three-times as much energy as a traditional set."
Way to go, California.
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