Televisions Must Meet New Requirements to Earn Energy Star

Version 3.0 of the Energy Star specification for televisions has been finalized and is scheduled to go into effect November 1, 2008. The new specification requires all Energy Star televisions to be 30% more efficient than conventional models.While the one-watt maximum for the standby mode remains the same in the new version, the specification now requires energy savings while the television is on. Currently, about 25% of the televisions on the market qualify under version 3.0, a percentage that is expected to grow. About 60% of products satisfy Version 2.0 requirements today, compared with 25% when the requirements were released in 2002.EPA expects the new specification to save about $1 billion (over the life of the products) in energy costs. For more information, go to www.energystar.gov/pdtv.