3M Launches Consumer Awareness Campaign on TV Energy Consumption

[Shane]

3M’S Optical Systems Division today announced that it has launched a consumer awareness campaign in an effort to raise awareness of household TV energy consumption and what to consider when purchasing an energy efficient TV. Specifically, the company is hoping to provide valuable information to consumers through the media to educate the public about energy efficient TVs and the issues surrounding TV power consumption in the home.

As TV sizes get larger and consumers watch more television, energy consumption in these household fixtures has increased dramatically. In fact...

[url=http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/news/2009/11/3m_launches_consumer_awareness_campaign_on_tv_energy_consumption.php]Read Bulletin[/url]

[Roger Halstead]

Today's 40 - 50 inch LCD's use far less energy than my old 21 inch CRT monitor did. They use less energy than any of my computers and a fraction of what our old tube TVs used. They also use considerably less than plasma sets of the same size.

[eliwhitney]

A THOUGHT ...

re: National Power Consumption . . .

" IF " there might be genuine concerns regarding consumption in future Only from / by big screen TVs - - - how might the existing state of that very same Electrical Grid & power generation system ever going to be able to withstand the onslaught of "Plug-in Autos" now being actively planned as the means to wean the U.S. from foreign crude ?....

eli

[FHSPSU67]

Excellent thought, and back when we all had 21-inch CRT TV's, the electric companies (who I spent my career with) were begging for people to build their new homes with "electric" heating. They later retracted their "lifetime reduced rates" for these homeowners. Any other company would have been sued out of business for misleading advertising, etc.

[Roger Halstead]

Yup...I built a 2100 sq fit, all electric, ranch style with full (mostly finished) finished basement. The basement rooms were heated with 4400 watt forced air, in wall heaters. The rest of the house was IR ceiling cable. Our total utility bill was $90 a month. Then they went back on their word...actually I think they were sued because this gave the bulk users preferential rates. My next bill was for $290 and this was back in 1967 when $290 in today's dollar would make a sizable house payment. The next month the bill was back to $90 so the power company came out and installed a new meter. It too said our usage had dropped dramatically. They never bothered to ask if we'd changed anything. The day after that $290 bill arrived we were already installing an oil fired hot water system with 4 zones.
BTW when we were ready to turn on the power Consumers wouldn't change the pole transformer. We had just finished plastering and had the basement heaters upstairs to help dry the plaster. Three 4400 watt heaters = 13,200 watts. That was 13,200 watts without the ceiling cable as we couldn't turn that on with the wet plaster. It fried the transformer and being in the winter, ruined the plaster which had the color in it and of course they were not responsible.

But, back to grid capacity and electric cars. It won't take long at all or the addition of many electric cars when charging up 20 to 40KW battery systems before grid capacity is exceeded even in "slack time". Doing a bit of math it appears to me that each electric car will be the equivalent of adding another home to the grid. That will be when electricity gets expensive.

[dadden]

But, back to grid capacity and electric cars. It won't take long at all or the addition of many electric cars when charging up 20 to 40KW battery systems before grid capacity is exceeded even in "slack time". Doing a bit of math it appears to me that each electric car will be the equivalent of adding another home to the grid. That will be when electricity gets expensive.

That's why a lot of people say that the real answer will be hydrogen power fuel cells.

I saw an episode of Top Gear where they discussed this technology. If they can get the distribution sorted out for the hydrogen then we will be able to power our houses off of the fuel cells when they aren't powering our cars.

Brian.

[Roger Halstead]

This is wandering a bit from the original subject but it is still energy saving related.
Hydrogen, unless produced from crude is very expensive and takes a lot of energy to produce of which you only get part back when it's used. Also per unit volume it carries much less energy than gas and fuel oil.

[dadden]

True. But it could be a direct drop in for the fuel that we use now. It could be made by solar powered plants. Because you are correct in that it is expensive to make. Sunlight is the one way that we could make it without wasting resources. Also hydrogen would be a good temporary storage medium for the output of the solar network. After all if you are making electricity then if the grid doesn't need what you produce where does it go?

I also like the Honda Fuel Cell Powerpack that is removable from the car and generates enough power to actually run a normal house.

Seriously look at the Honda Fuel Cell episode of Top Gear. James May presented it. I think the car is called the Clarity.

Brian.