Energy Star Updates Television Requirements [On-Mode Power Consumption Guidelines, 40-65% Energy Use Reduction, HDTV Focus]

Well, they’ve finally gone and done it. Energy Star has just announced the latest updates to their program and the focus is on high-definition televisions. Their latest announcement, which covers expected changes for HDTVs through 2012, shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone, but it may have manufacturers scrambling to find ways to cut the energy consumption of some of their most popular (and profitable) products.

For those of you that have been living under a rock since 1992, Energy Star is a program that was first developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a method to identify and promote energy efficient products. Now a true international standard, Energy Star has been leading the way when it comes to the promotion and development of more eco-friendly electronics and appliances. On average, products sporting the Energy Star logo have been designed to consume about 20% less energy than their non-rated counterparts.

The recently announced new 4.0 and 5.0 specifications for TVs that will take effect from May 2010 and 2012 onwards, respectively, should help users save anywhere from 40% to 65% on their electricity consumption. This is a significant leap in lowering the energy consumption of some of the world’s most purchased electronics and should make quite a dent in those greenhouse gas numbers.

Electronic House provides this quick-view breakdown:

20-in Screen

Version 3.0 (current): 66 watts (HDTVs)

Version 4.0 (May 2010): 37 watts

Version 5.0 (May 2012): 27 watts

32-in Screen

Version 3.0 (current): 120 watts (HDTVs)

Version 4.0 (May 2010): 78 watts

Version 5.0 (May 2012): 55 watts

42-in Screen

Version 3.0 (current): 208 watts (HDTVs)

Version 4.0 (May 2010): 115 watts

Version 5.0 (May 2012): 81 watts

50-in Screen

Version 3.0 (current): 318 watts (HDTVs)

Version 4.0 (May 2010): 153 watts

Version 5.0 (May 2012): 108 watts

60-in Screen

Version 3.0 (current): 391 watts (HDTVs)

Version 4.0 (May 2010): 210 watts

Version 5.0 (May 2012): 108 watts

You can get more details by paying the Energy Star folks a visit at www.energystar.gov.