California approves efficiency mandate for TVs
The California Energy Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved the first energy efficiency standards for televisions in the state over opposition from the Consumer Electronics Association.
The rules mandate that televisions sold in California starting in 2011 consume 33 percent less electricity than current models and 49 percent less by 2013. The regulations affect TVs that are 58 inches wide and less.
Video: In this episode of The Green Show, CNET's David
Katzmaier explains the factors that affect TV power use. (He's
introduced at about 1:38 minutes in.)
Although it's a state-level regulation, it is potentially significant outside California as other states are considering adopting similar rules. Unlike voluntary programs, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's EnergyStar program, the rules mandate certain levels of efficiency. For example, a 42-inch TV that consumes 183 watts or less by 2011 needs to consume 115 watts or less by 2013, the Commission explained in its statement.
The effort to regulate television efficiency, which was backed by California utilities and environmental groups, will save money for consumers on electricity and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, say backers. After 10 years, the energy savings will be $8.1 billion, or enough to power 864,000 single-family homes, according to the California Energy Commission.
The Consumer Electronics Association has fiercely opposed the mandate, which has been under development since early 2007. The industry group submitted a statement arguing that efficiency gains should be done through voluntary efforts by manufacturers and more consumer education. (Click for PDF of submission to the CEC.)
At the same time, some television manufacturers and the LCD TV Association supported the measure.
As consumers upgrade to flat-screen TVs, there's a concern that there will be a significant increase in aggregate power usage, in part because people are buying TVs with bigger screens. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that implementing the efficiency rules will cut the state's electricity use by almost 1 percent and mean that a 500-megawatt power plant will not need to be built to meet rising demand for power. (Click for Q&A from NRDC).
The California Energy Commission has energy efficiency mandates for a number of household appliances, such as refrigerators. The state's energy efficiency policies have kept the per capita energy consumption steady since the 1970s, according to the Commission.
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer for CNET's Green Tech blog. He started at CNET News in 2002, covering IT and Web development. Before that, he was executive editor at IT publication InfoWorld. E-mail Martin. 
Bring your old one along and give to me. If it is like other energy saving appliances in California they will have a cash-for-clunkers type of program your old energy hog. If I remember correctly I got over $60 for my old fridge.
Seriously, are there any Energy Star flat panel TVs on the market?
Anyone considering driving TO California to "save money" is not thinking clearly.
But like you and others, if the cost of the TV is higher and/or the picture quality lower, there will be many people buying them elsewhere and having them shipped. So CA will then have to try to ban imports of TVs from other states, which is unconstitutional. But that hasn't stopped CA before.
The repeated claim is that TV costs will skyrocket-- all unsubstantiated claims. Read the report-- there is a minimal extra manufacturing cost. But now there is an actual incentive to make it efficient.
TV's have improved their energy consumption better than just about any other electronics pretty much without regulation and with the industry moving to LED, it will just get better. They know the industry is moving this direction, so they create a hollow law (58" or less!) that will simply ride on the planned roadmap for these products and they will take credit for driving it. Meanwhile, the industry will have to build in the cost of complying with this hollow law and that cost will be passed along to all consumers, not just Californians.
Gee...Thanks.
California has done a great job of "lighting fires" to move the goalposts of energy efficiency, whether in electricity consumption or in automotive fuel efficiencies.
If you believe "the market" would get to this point itself, what is their incentive? The Detroit Three automakers fought CAFE standards for years, instead building what "the market" wanted... until fuel prices spiked, and then they were stuck with a lot of unsold SUV inventory. If they aren't forced to change, they will go for the money: whether it's GM, Sony, or AIG.
I'm not sure you really understand about the CAFE standards. US car consumers are NOT flocking nor do they want these mandated fuel efficient cars. Just look at what the top selling cars are. Besides, those CAFE standards are retarded. Until market forces cause them to change, the government's interference hurts consumers, hurts the car business, and hurts the economy as a whole. It's economics 101, but our wonderful government education system doesn't even teach that anymore.
As for the article, if I was a manufacture, I'd just not sell in California for a while. I doubt the cost of compliance with the state's rules would be less than the cost to reduce the power levels while keeping the same picture quality. It'd be better in the long term to just not sell your TVs in California and let them wonder, "Why aren't we getting any flat screen TVs like the rest of the US?" It's not like the "leaders" in California understand how the economy works.
Economics 101 doesn't work in the real world.
As for the TV makers who are sucking their thumbs saying "we can't do it!" I say, stop whining and figure out how to do it - and make it a selling point for the rest of the country. Wouldn't you like to have a large TV set that will cut your power bill? I know I would - if I were in the market for one.
Umm...what do you mean it doesn't work? Supply and demand are the only truths when it comes to economic activity. By trying to tinker with that, the government has increased costs of items. This action will do the same.
Speaking of which have you all noticed how hard it is to find vacuum tubes? It used to be that every corner convenience and pharmacy store had a tube tester machine and a supply of common replacement tubes. I suppose I will just have to break down and buy one of these new fangled flat panel TVs.
I mentioned the tubes. I am old enough to remember how long it took for a TV to warm up and get a picture when we had tube sets. It was joke.
Also expect a 58.1" "California Special" model to be developed.
All politicians are morons, but California politicians are more moronic than others.
This is why having the government mandate anything like this is counterproductive. It doesn't help the environment, doesn't help the economy, and hurts consumers. But hey, it's California and they don't care much about freedom and liberty anyway.
I don't know where you get your info but plasma's use two to three times the power as the same size LCD tv:
http://reviews.cnet.com/green-tech/tv-power-efficiency/
Of course I know. I am a CAD guy. Changing the outward appearance is not the same as spending the research money on finding out how to make something more efficient. They usually spend the money on making the parts cheaper to manufacture to lower their cost. By diverting that money to something different, it increases the cost to build the device.
It costs my company over a million dollars a year just to comply with CA's various labeling regulations that don't exist in the rest of the US and guess who gets to absorb those costs?
Yes, I have and I am NOT worried.
Because only the riff-raff are leaving, the good companies are staying.
You've got to be kidding. California is actually losing population. That means less representation in Congress, less electoral votes for President, and forced increases in taxes. And no, good companies are not staying.
http://jan.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/17/high-tech-manufacturing-leaving-california/20043/
California is broke (of course, so is our federal government run by a Californian). The state had to give IOUs to its employees because they don't understand basic economics. How pathetic is that?
Then the knee-jerkers that come up with incredulous crap like this type of thing will "increase costs for everyone else".. good god man, that makes no sense at all. Let's see here:
1) More energy efficient televisions costs EVERYONE WHO OWNS ONE LESS MONEY.
2) More energy efficient televisions REDUCES THE COST OF ELECTRICAL GENERATION/DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE that YOU and everyone else ultimately pay for.
3) Less electricity generated means CLEANER AIR, LESS RADIOACTIVE WASTE FROM NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, LESS COAL MINED...
Oh yeah, damn greedy Californians.. "always thinking of themselves". LOOK IN THE MIRROR, KNEEJERKERS.
I pay for my electricity and if I want a power hog then I should be able to buy it, this is America.
Also this law will basically be the death knell for plasma tv's, they can't meet Energy Star 3.0 standards.
Legislators aren't interested in putting through (always unpopular) energy conservation laws anymore than people are interested in being subject to them.
They have no choice. They are attempting to avert utter catastrophe.
We have already had numerous samplings of the effects when demand exceeds supply...and all it will take is a blazing hot summer to bring back cascading black-outs or even more ruinous damage to the aging national grid.
And god forbid anything should impinge upon the sacred opiate of television...
do i want to watch t.v. or do i want to cook dinner?
- by berroll November 20, 2009 1:41 PM PST
- The regulations only passed a committee. They. are. not. law. (yet.) It goes through a 45-day review process from here. Gov't lawyers are looking at it now and it should survive them. The State Legislature gets the 2nd, last shot. If the battle heating up there doesn't kill it, it goes official January 4th.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(57 Comments)For the most part, it just affects high-end plasmas under 60". Most sets can meet the 2011 standards simply by removing the showroom default setting from the onscreen menu. 2013 will take some work, but they were heading towards meeting it anyway. I liked the "58.1" post above. :-)