An international coalition of governmental energy agencies recently launched a competition that seeks to crown the world’s most energy-efficient flat screen televisions. Earlier this week, the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment Initiative (SEAD) announced the first-ever Global Efficiency Medal competition in which television manufacturers from across the globe will compete against one another
in a competition based on the energy efficiency of their products. SEAD is an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), a high-level global forum launched by the Department of Energy and other leading governments in July 2010 to advance clean energy technology. “Helping consumers save money by saving energy has always been a priority for the Energy Department. The SEAD Global Efficiency Medal awards will help identify the most efficient products on the market, making it easier for consumers in the United States and around the world to reduce energy waste and energy bills,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The competition will include three television size categories (small, medium and large) in four regions (Australia, the European Union, India, and North America), with one international winner also selected in each size category. Product nominations will be accepted from February 1, 2012 through May 31, 2012. Prospective winners will be required to provide samples of each entry to verify energy efficiency claims, examinations of which will be conducted by sponsoring governments. Winners will be announced this fall, with an international awards ceremony in early 2013. According to SuperEfficient.org, the coalition’s official website, televisions are responsible for six to eight percent of global residential electricity consumption. Evidence suggests that technology advances, such as more efficient LED backlighting, can yield significant reductions in television electricity consumption over the coming years. More efficient TVs mean consumers save money on their electricity bills. Courtesy of: http://www.care2.com/