Energy-efficient Electronics

The average American household spends $1,400 each year on
energy bills [source: Forbes]. Home heating and cooling
systems are responsible use about 45 percent of the energy.
Lighting takes up another significant chunk, especially if
you're slow to switch to efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
But some of the most energy-hungry machines making your
electric bill creep higher every month are your electronic
devices.

Take a look at your TV, for example. Maybe you recently
splurged on one of those 40-inch (102-centimeter) plasma TVs,
which requires 350 watts of energy to run. Connected to the
TV is an Xbox 360 (187 watts), a PlayStation 3 (197 watts)
and a digital video recorder (DVR) (33 watts). Wonder where
your money's going each month? Straight into that black hole
of energy consumption in your living room. Luckily,
electronics manufacturers are designing equipment, appliances
and gadgets that are more energy efficient.

Energy conserving electronics are not only better for our
wallets, but better for the environment. More than half the
electricity in the United States comes from coal-burning power
plants. Even a brand-new coal-burning power plant sends out
6 million tons (5.4 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide
each year, 1,200 tons (1,089 metric tons) of sulfur dioxide
and 1,600 tons (1,452 metric tons) of nitrogen oxide. These
chemicals not only deplete the ozone layer but contribute to
acid rain and respiratory illness in children and the elderly.

So what can you do to cut your electric bill and clean up the
air? Are there government and industry resources that can
tell you which products are more efficient? And what types of
TVs, computers and handheld electronics give the most bang
for the energy buck? Read on to find out.

Energy Star and Other Energy-conserving Initiatives

In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
introduced a new program called Energy Star to show consumers
how much energy the products they buy actually use. Since its
inception, 12,000 electronics and appliance manufacturers
have voluntarily complied with increasingly strict Energy
Star standards. As a result, more than 40,000 individual
products boast the highly recognizable Energy Star label.

Energy Star first began with computers and computer monitors.
Over the years, the product categories and published
standards have expanded to include residential heating and
cooling systems, home appliances, lighting systems, and every
type of office and home electronics equipment.

In 2007 alone, Americans using Energy Star products helped
prevent 40 million metric tons (44.1 tons) of greenhouse gas
from entering the atmosphere. That's the equivalent of taking
27 million cars off the road for an entire year. The EPA also
estimates that in 2007, Americans using Energy Star products
saved $16 billion on their electric bills.

Energy Star is the most recognizable energy-conservation
initiative for consumer electronics, but it's not the only
one. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
(EPEAT) is a newer rating system that grades the overall
environmental impact of various consumer electronics products.
Among the criteria are how much of the gadget's materials can
be recycled, whether any of the components are toxic and
whether the product meets existing or pending Energy Star
standards.

Products that meet all of EPEAT's required criteria earn
a bronze label. Those that meet all required criteria plus 50
percent of optional standards get a silver label, and those
that meet all required criteria plus 75 percent or more of
the optional standards get a gold rating.

All computers require a power supply, a small box that
converts AC power coming from the wall to the DC power that
runs the device. Historically, a lot of energy was lost in
this conversion process. In 2004, a new incentive program
called 80 Plus was funded by American utility companies to
encourage manufacturers to build more efficient power
supplies for desktop and notebook computers and servers. To
qualify for an 80 Plus rating, a power supply must be 80
percent efficient or greater.

Over the years, American utility companies have funded more
than $5 million worth of incentives for computer makers and
power supply manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their
products. As a result, more than 600 power supplies that have
achieved the 80 Plus rating [source: 80 Plus]. And even
better, the recently published Energy Star standards for new
computers requires that internal power supplies carry the 80
Plus seal of approval.