The Environmental Protection Agency published the final ENERGY STAR television specification on February 5. The effective date is November 1, 2008.

The new specification will, for the first time, include criteria for on mode power consumption, previously the spec only applied to television standby power use. EPA states that TVs carrying the new ENERGY STAR label will be up to 30 percent more efficient than conventional models. If all TVs sold in the United States meet the new ENERGY STAR requirements, EPA estimates $1 billion in annual energy cost savings and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that is the equivalent of approximately one million cars.

The CEE Consumer Electronics Committee worked diligently on the specification over the course of the past year and can claim at least partial credit for the specification’s large energy savings. At a crucial point in the specification development process, EPA proposed an on mode specification level that would have resulted in an overall qualification rate of 30 percent based on the data set being used. Additionally, the proposal set forth a higher qualification rate at larger screen sizes than at smaller screen sizes, which typically use less energy. CEE’s expression of concern to EPA regarding the proposal was instrumental in producing the changes reflected in the final specification, which results in higher energy savings than earlier proposed and an overall qualification rate of 27.4 percent.

The next step is to facilitate a smooth transition from the existing specification to the new one, with a particular eye to the digital transition in February 2009.

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