Electronic Sets For The Eco-Savvy

Commentary: To further save energy on your green electronic sets, you should use the Green Irene Conserve Energy-Saving Surge Power Strip as a way to turn off all electronic sets (TV, DVD, VCR, Video Games, etc.) while keeping on the DVR and/or Cable Modem. You can get phantom power savings right away by using the Green Irene Surge Power Strip.

Amid mounting environmental concerns, TV manufacturers are racing to make energy-efficient sets, with some now launching “eco” branded TVs.

Vizio Inc., Funai Electric Co. and Sharp Corp., for instance, recently unveiled TVs that claim power savings that exceed the U.S. government’s latest “Energy Star” standards for TVs by as much as 29%. Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp., are also launching energy-efficient TVs.

Some of the TVs, such as one model from Vizio’s “EcoHD” models, use fewer or different lamps to illuminate the screen, thereby reducing power use. Funai Electric, which manufactures and distributes Philips-branded flat-panel TVs in the U.S., has two series of eco TVs that save power through a dimming technology that adjusts the brightness of the backlight on the LCD panel based on the ambient light in the room.

Most TVs still consume a power when they are turned off — something Sony targeted when it came up with an energy-savings switch on some models that cuts off the TV’s power consumption when the set is off without interfering with other devices, such as a DVR. The TV also comes with a motion sensor that turns off the device’s backlight if no motion is detected in the room after a certain period of time.

The rush for eco-friendly TVs comes as many consumers are looking for ways to save money on their utility bills. According to the California Energy Commission, TVs rank third in the amount of power used in a home, behind heating-and-cooling systems and refrigerators. When associated devices — cable boxes or game consoles — are included, TV set-ups consume roughly 10% of the electricity in a home, the commission says.

But consumers interested in buying the new low-power TVs may be trading power for performance. In particular, the green TVs often sacrifice screen brightness, some analysts say. TV makers counter that consumers won’t be able to tell the difference between the image quality of eco-friendly TVs and standard models if the devices sit side by side.

Many of the green TVs are also more expensive than standard machines. Vizio’s 32-inch Eco HDTV is priced at roughly $500, while a standard Vizio 32-inch TV can cost between $400 and $450. Sony hasn’t released the pricing for its eco TVs, which are scheduled to hit the market in June, but the company says it will charge a premium for the products over its standard line of TVs.

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal.

Rosamaria Caballero Stafford
Co-Founder and the Original Green Irene