TVs come in different shades of green

According to the California Energy Commission TVs and accessories like DVD and Blu-ray players can account for 10% of a homeowner’s electricity bill.

The Commission wants to set new regulations so only the most energy efficient televisions are available to shoppers. More energy efficient standards on new televisions would begin in 2011. The stricter standards would apply to new TVs only, not those already in use.

The standards may change the types of TV available for purchase. Depending on the type of TV, energy consumption when turned on varies between LED, LCD, and plasma sets. Energy star ratings that appear on all TVs reflect power usage when the unit is off.

Summarized below are the energy demands for three different types of Sony television.

LED
Model: Sony XEI-1
Size: 40”
In use: 34 Watts
Stand by mode: 0.7 Watts
Source: Sony website
 

LCD
Model: Sony Bravia Z Series, KDL-40Z510
Size: 40”
In use: 205 Watts
Stand by mode: 0.1 Watts
Source: Sony website
 

Plasma
Model: Sony PFM-42B2S
Size: 42”
In use: 360 Watts
Stand by mode: unavailable
Source: Google Products

It may be a challenge to track down the power consumption of potential TV purchases. For example, consumption about similar Samsung models was not available through their website or technical support on Wednesday.

The LED TV uses significantly less energy than both the LCD and plasma. It requires 1/6 the energy of an LCD TV and 1/10 the energy of a similar size plasma. The plasma used in this example was slightly larger than the LED.

A set with high Wattage will need more energy to operate. Simply stated, homeowners will accrue larger utility bills if they watch a plasma TV rather than a LED television.

Although a consumer can save a few dollars on his or her electricity bill, the initial purchase of a LED TV will cost more.

George Rodriguez, manager at Manny’s in West Springfield, explained to 22News on Wednesday, “Well, that’s the downside. The plasmas are the least expensive flat screen type television you can buy. The LEDs on the other side are the most expensive.”

Price tag aside, Rodriguez also said shoppers are seeking out the more efficient products, “Everyone’s coming in and they’re looking for that LCD technology or the LED technology. And a lot of them are very much aware that it uses less electricity.”