Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tackling the energy consumption of another piece of electronics equipment in a quest to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. This time the EPA has announced new requirements for audio/video (A/V) products to earn the Energy Star label. The EPA says the new and more stringent specification will help reduce energy costs because they will be up to 60 percent more efficient than conventional models.
The new requirements cover a wider range of products including home-theater-in-a-box, audio amplifiers, A/V receivers, shelf systems, DVD players, Blu Ray players, and docking stations that offer audio amplification or optical disc drive functions. Commercial A/V products are also covered.
The new requirements for audio/video products previously eligible for the Energy Star will be effective July 30, 2010. For products previously excluded from Energy Star, such as commercial AV products and docking stations, the new requirements are effective immediately, according to the EPA.
The EPA estimates that if all A/V products sold in the U.S. met the new Energy Star requirements it would save more than $1 billion in energy costs annually and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to more than 1 million vehicles every year.
EPA said it revised the earlier Energy Star requirements for A/V to address the rapid turnover of products and technologies, as well as changes in usage patterns within the category. The more inclusive and flexible specification will promote greater energy efficiency in today’s diverse market for audio/video products.
To earn the Energy Star label, AV products must consume less power when they are on and must power down automatically after a period of inactivity, using only small amounts of power to maintain settings and other features.