El Segundo, Calif. #151; The LCD-TV supply chain will need to make some changes in its products and components due to the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines that call for the energy consumption of some televisions to be cut by as much as two-thirds by 2013, according to iSuppli Corp.
While previous global standards, including earlier versions of the Energy Star regulations, focused on reducing power consumption only during the off and standby modes, the EPA’s Version 3.0 Energy Star Program Requirements for TVs, which went into effect in November 2008, are guidelines that impact on-mode power consumption limits for televisions. The EPA said the regulation can reduce energy demand by millions of kilowatt hours per year.
iSuppli’s latest report, Digital TV Going Green, indicates that the Energy Star Program Requirements for TVs: Version 3.0 is the first standard focused on on-mode power consumption to go into effect, but similar guidelines in other countries will follow.
The EPA guidelines for TV on-mode power limits will grow more stringent over time with Tier-1 limits now in effect, moving to more restrictive levels during the Tier-2 and Tier-3 phases in 2010 and 2012, respectively, said iSuppli.
“While not mandatory, these guidelines are likely to spur major changes in television design as brands move to maintain the coveted Energy Star label on their sets,” said Randy Lawson, senior analyst for digital TV and display electronics at iSuppli, in a statement. “The larger the television size, the more power consumption should be cut to comply with the guidelines.”
For 26-inch sets, Lawson said maximum power consumption when the television is turned on should be reduced to 42.3 watts by 2013, down 52.8 percent from 89.7 watts in 2008. For 50-inch sets, on-mode power consumption should be reduced to 106.9 watts in 2013, down 66.3 percent from 317.5 watts in 2008.
Lawson also noted that more restrictive government guidelines will have a significant impact on the development of LCD-TV technology and the television supply chain, impacting panel materials, LCD backlight unit designs and audio/video electronics.
He says many design changes will occur in television electronics and OEM-enabled features, including technologies like ambient light sensing to help facilitate intelligent backlight drive options, but the largest gains will have to come from redesigns of the panel materials and backlight source electronics.