How Green is My TV?

Posted by admin on November 19, 2008

Green Today wanted to know, “How Green is My TV?” What we found was surprising!

Television manufacturers today give you a vast assortment of sizes, displays and options to choose from. While the manufacturers will dazzle you with statistics about picture quality, size and features; what they don’t tell you up front is the TV Energy Consumption. Until recently, televisions did not have an Energy Star Rating System.

“Effective November 1, 2008, the ENERGY STAR label on televisions will designate the most efficient TVs in terms of overall energy use, rather than just ‘off ‘ or standby mode energy use. In 2009, if all televisions sold in the United States meet the new ENERGY STAR requirements, the savings in energy costs would be about $1 billion and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent of about 1 million cars.”

* note* ENERGY STAR defines TV efficiency using a watts-per-square inch metric that signifies how many watts of power are consumed by a TV to illuminate a square inch of its screen area.

Question: Which uses more energy? A 42 inch Plasma TV or a full-sized, side-by-side Refrigerator?

Answer: The High End 42 inch Plasma TV can consume 312 watts per hour. A 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-size refrigerator which uses on average 75 watts per hour.

So how well do Plasma, LCD and RPTV (Rear Projection) fair? We list the most energy efficient TV models along with how many solar panels it would take to power them. This way you know how to determine the right model for your Green Living Situation.

Our calculation is based on two factors:

1. The TV is on for 8 hours a day.
2. Using a 220 watt Solar Panel that receives 5 hours of sunlight per day minus system efficiencies i.e. (220w X .92 x 5 hrs = 847 watts)

We have listed here the top models in each size category:

32 inch LCD

The 32-inch Panasonic TC-32LX85 delivers surprisingly impressive picture quality for a small-screen LCD TV.

Power usage is 98 watts an hour. 784 watts per day.

You could get by with One 220 watt Solar Panel

TV Cost $490

42 inch LCD

The Philips’ 42PFL5603D flat-panel LCD will win the day for consumption-conscious shoppers.

Power usage is 92 watts an hour. 736 watts per day.

You could get by with One 220 watt Solar Panel

TV Cost $886

52 inch LCD

The Samsung LN52A650 LCD TV will reward you with a massive feature set and excellent picture quality.

Power usage is 220 watts an hour. 1760 watts per day.

You will need Two 220 watt Solar Panels

TV Cost $1450

Plasma

42 inch Plasma

The Vizio P42HDTV may not be the highest rated but it is a great bargain for casual TV watching with low energy consumption.

Power usage is 190 watts an hour. 1520 watts per day.

You will need Two 220 watt Solar Panels

TV Cost $1700

50 inch Plasma

Green Today’s Choice : The accuracy of its THX mode and great black-level performance makes the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U one of the best-performing HDTVs available.

Power usage is 192 watts an hour. 1536 watts per day.

You will need Two 220 watt Solar Panels

TV Cost $1800