/ 25 February 2008

When size really counts

South African consumers who want to help prevent the next round of load-shedding by buying an energy-efficient television will find themselves in the dark. Apart from researching technical specifications on the internet, it is unlikely they will ever learn that one TV might use up to four times more electricity than another TV of the same size.

The total amount of power gobbled by our addiction to the tube is not trivial. A study by the Australian government showed that televisions are using twice the electricity of dishwashers and washing machines combined. And their total consumption is projected to double in a decade if the trend towards large, power-hungry, flat-panel TVs continues. Already the biggest screens — at up to 800W — will use more kilowatt-hours than a typical fridge in a day.

Professor Ernst Uken, head of the Energy Institute at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, says that though South Africa is probably a step behind Australia in television upgrades, "it's a warning sign; we could go that route if everybody buys a plasma screen. The time has come that we have to think about not just 'what is the purchase price?', but also, 'how much energy is being used?'"

Uken says households play a larger role in the South African power crisis than their overall consumption would suggest. The morning and evening spikes in power usage are caused by the domestic sector, he says, "and spikes are the reason for the power outages. The tail is wagging the dog."

Plasma-screen TVs must take much of the blame for television's rising role in electricity consumption worldwide. Energy-efficiency campaigners have labelled them the "SUV in the living room". But a careful look at the consumption figures for televisions sold in South Africa suggests that size, rather than technology, is the key culprit.

Liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions use somewhat less electricity than their plasma cousins on average. But the greediest LCDs sometimes use more watts than the most efficient plasma TVs. In the 40-inch to 42-inch range — manufacturers measure their screens diagonally and in inches — a plasma TV by Philips is rated at 250W, while the Sony X series Bravia LCD consumes 260W.

Whether LCD or plasma, every step up in size brings a huge difference in consumption, however. On average, wattage doubles for each additional 10 inches. So a Sony 20-inch LCD sips a mere 60W, while 32-inch Sony LCDs use 140W and up. (LCDs are particularly efficient in small sizes, which is why they are considered the greener option for computer screens.)

The pattern continues at the largest sizes. Most 50-inch screens need 300W to 500W. LG's 60-inch plasma behemoth slurps up to a massive 800W at the plug.

By contrast, most traditional box televisions using cathode ray tubes (CRTs) consume between 75W and 150W. Size increases in CRT screens lead to rather modest increases in wattage and no one ever tried to stuff a 60-inch CRT into their home.

One technology does allow for a very large picture at a modest cost to the grid. Rear-projection LCD televisions stick close to 200W even as they reach 60 inches. Andrew Fraser, senior brand manager for Sony consumer goods in South Africa, says they also provide a better picture at a much lower price. Still, their future is bleak. Sony has already announced its exit from rear-projection TVs in the United States. "People want something they can hang on a wall," says Fraser, "they want something they feel is more modern."

None of this consumption data is offered to shoppers. A salesperson at Checkers House and Home in Sandton City suggested that hertz, not watts, were more relevant to consumption. Across the road in Sandton Square, at the up­market Cats Digital Expert shop, branch manager Jonathan Katz admitted he had no information on the wattage of his many LCD, plasma and rear-­projection TVs on display.

Katz was, however, willing to search. He first dashed to his basement storeroom to look at boxes. None gave data on electrical consumption, though many carried an "Energy Star" logo. "That means it saves," he said, "but we don't know how much, or what it does."

In fact most new TVs bear the American Energy Star designation because their power consumption in stand-by falls below a certain threshold. Later this year, when the US Environmental Protection Agency expands the Energy Star standards to measure consumption while the TV is on, most large flat-panel screens will fail to qualify.

Next Katz paged through a Sony manual for information. The specifications page suggested that he look at the back of the screens themselves. As Katz dashed through the store scrutinising the fine print on the labels behind the TVs, he called out figures ranging from 50W to 720W. Katz said he had never gone through that exercise before because customers "never, ever" ask, but he suggested to a colleague that in light of load-shedding they might include wattages in their next catalogue.

Only the LG flat-panels failed to provide consumption data on the rear label. There might be a reason. LG plasma and LCD TVs are frequently at or near the top of the range of wattages for a particular screen size.

Internationally, governments are rapidly moving towards labelling systems that will clearly identify which televisions are the most and least efficient. The South African Department of Minerals and Energy has finally approved standards for energy-efficiency labels on refrigerators in recent months. Until the minister has succeeded in pushing the Energy Bill through the approval process, the department lacks the authority to make labels mandatory, however. Then it will proceed with energy labelling requirements for other kitchen and laundry appliances before tackling televisions.

The Energy Bill will give the government the power to prohibit the sale of televisions and other appliances that fail to meet efficiency standards and discussions about using this power have already begun within the department. Until then, South Africans worried about their role in the electricity crisis will just have to crane their necks to look at the labels behind the TVs.

Don Burroughs runs the website www.greenerhouse.co.za