HDTV Energy Vs. CRT TV
High Definition televisions (HDTV) are replacing conventional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) sets throughout the country. HDTVs use more energy than CRTs, so they may have more negative impacts on the environment and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Types
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Types of HDTVs include plasma, liquid crystal display (LCD) and digital light processor (DLP). CRT TVs can be analog or digital. The energy use varies for different technologies, but most HDTVs use more energy than CRT TVs.
Measurement Difficulty
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Manufacturers have not figured out a standard way to measure and compare the energy use of different TVs. The International Electrotechnical Commission is working on a way to measure the energy use consistently.
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Screen Size
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Energy use increases with size, and HDTVs tend to be larger than CRT TVs.
Energy Star Program
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The U.S. Department of Energy provides lists of TVs that use about 30 percent less energy than standard TVs and qualify for the Energy Star program. They distinguish between HDTVs and CRT TVs, with the latter required to have a lower level of energy use to qualify.
Other Considerations
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Energy use varies depending on the type of use (television programs, DVDs or video games) and the brightness and contrast settings.
Study Results
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A study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) measured the in-store power use of TVs. For CRTs, energy use varied from 101 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year for a 13-inch TV to 378 kWh for a 57-inch TV. Of the HDTVs tested, the energy use ranged from 103 kWh for a 15-inch LCD set to 869 kWh per year for a 50-inch plasma set. The plasma HDTVs used the most energy.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Blake Patterson
