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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Television Sets

Recent Updates/Announcements: The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) for the test procedure for television sets and will hold a public meeting on March 22, 2012 to discuss the NOPR. At the public meeting, DOE will present and invite discussion on the test procedure rulemaking process as it applies to television sets and solicit comments, data, and information from participants. DOE encourages stakeholders to participate in the public meeting and submit comments on issues that are addressed in the document.

Public Meeting on March, 2012

Consumer Quick Links

Television sets are rapidly becoming one of the largest household electricity end-users, currently consuming approximately 50 billion kWh of energy each year (4 percent of household electricity use) (ENERGY STAR®, 2010).

Televisions sets are a covered product under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended by the 1987 National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NAECA). EPCA provides the Secretary of Energy with discretion to establish an energy conservation standard for televisions by rule, but does not require such a rulemaking in accordance with a prescribed schedule. 42 U.S.C. 6295(l)(3).

Currently, there are no mandatory energy efficiency standards for television sets. There are, however, voluntary standards (ENERGY STAR) and some states also have mandatory standards for television sets. DOE is now taking the steps required to ensure that a test procedure is modernized and is analyzing the measures available to reduce the energy consumption of television sets.

Current Test Procedure Rulemaking Activity

NOPR Public Meeting Information and Meeting Material


Public Meeting, March 22, 2012

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)


Test Procedure for Television Sets NOPR, Federal Register, 77 FR 2830, January 19, 2012.

Supporting Information for Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)


DOE conducted various tests to support its efforts in developing a Federal test procedure. Information on this testing is provided in the links below:

Television Test Procedure Comparison Chart: Compares key aspects of various TV standards.

Video Signal of Test Patterns Comparison Table: Compares the advantages and disadvantages of specific video signals including the 3-bar, 9-point, DOE 5-point, and dynamic video signals.

Room Illuminance Measurements During TV Viewing -Pilot Study: Summarizes a pilot study that DOE conducted to continuously measure room illuminance in nine homes over a period of a week or more, as well as take discrete one-off measurements at different locations in the room.

Room Illuminance Measurements During TV Viewing -Pilot Study: The Room Illuminance Measurements During TV Viewing: Pilot Study Data includes the source data which was analyzed to develop the conclusions in the pilot study.

Round Robin Test Program Final Report for Televisions: Summarizes a round robin test study to assess the repeatability and reproducibility of TV energy test results. Test facilities produced similar results.

Television Energy and Luminance Test Data Set


Television Luminance Data: Includes luminance data while TVs are displaying different video signals.

Television Luminance Stabilization Period Data: Includes graphs indicating how TV screen luminance changes over time and with respect to different stabilization periods.

Television Power Data: Includes test results for power consumption testing while TVs are in various different modes and includes the effects of volume, ABC, and internet connectivity.

Television Internet Standby Data: Energy consumption data showing when TVs are in standby mode and connected to various external sources including HDMI, cable, Ethernet, and wireless internet.

Television 9-point Video Signal Comparison Data: Includes data depicting the difference between perpendicular and off-axis measurements.

Television On Mode Automatic Brightness Control Data Slides: Demonstrate the range of implementation of ABC among TVs tested by DOE.

Television On Mode Automatic Brightness Control Data: Includes power consumption data for TVs with ABC at different room illuminance values.

Television Download Acquisition Mode Data: Includes energy consumption data associated with DAM.

Television 3D Mode Data: Contains TV energy consumption data while in various 3D modes.

In addition to the test results presented above, DOE believes that interested parties may find the following documents helpful in assessing the test procedure:

Assessment of Options for Improving Energy Efficiency Test Procedures for Display: Ecos, Calwell, Chris; Mercier, Catherine; & Foster-Porter, Suzanne; March 2010.

Analysis of Television Luminance and Power Consumption: Jones, Keith, CLASP, August 2011.

Analysis of Background Illuminance Levels During Television Viewing:Wold, Christopher, CLASP, December 2011.

Request for Information (RFI)


Request for Information, Federal Register, 75 FR 54048, September 3, 2010.

Repeal of Test Procedure Final Rule


Repeal Final Rule, Federal Register, 74 FR 53640, October 20, 2009.

Petition to Repeal Test Procedure Final Rule


Petition to Repeal, California Energy Commission, May 23, 2008.

Original Test Procedure Final Rule


Test Method Final Rule, Federal Register, 49 FR 12157, March 28, 1984.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will hold a public meeting on March 22, 2012 to discuss the test procedure outlined in the NOPR. At the publicmeeting, DOE will present and invite discussion on the rulemaking process as it applies to television sets and solicit comments, data, and information from participants.

Television Set NOPR Public Meeting

DATE: March 22, 2012
TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT
LOCATION:
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave. SW
Forrestal Building
Room 8E-089
Washington, D.C. 20585

Meeting Materials

All materials related tothe public meeting, including the agenda, presentations, and any supplemental documents, will be posted here. DOE will notify interested parties as these documents become available.

Request to Speak at the Public Meeting

Interested parties are welcome to give a prepared statement at the public meeting. The Department must receive a request to speak before 4:00 p.m. EDT on March 8, 2012. Please submit a signed original and an electronic copy of the statement to be given at the public meeting no later than 4:00 p.m. EDT March 15, 2012.

Comments

DOE welcomes comments from interested parties during the designated comment periods for this rulemaking. The comment period is open for 75 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Interested parties may submit comments through the Federal rulemaking portal, electronically, by mail, or by courier. Whenever possible, comments in the electronic format should carry the electronic signature of the author. Absent an electronic signature, comments submitted electronically must be authenticated by submitting the signed original paper document.

All comments submitted must clearly identify the TV rulemaking, the docket number, and the regulatory information number (RIN).

  • Television Set Rulemaking: Docket Number EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 and Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 1904-AC29.

Comments may be submitted using any of the following methods:

  • Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov/
    Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

  • E-mail: Include docket number EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 and/or RIN 1904-AC29 in the subject line of your message and send to: Televisions-2010-TP-0026@ee.doe.gov.

  • Postal Mail: Brenda Edwards
    U.S. Department of Energy
    Building Technologies Program
    1000 Independence Avenue, SW
    Mailstop EE-2J
    Washington, DC, 20585

Please include one signed original.

  • Hand Delivery or Courier: Brenda Edwards
    U.S. Department of Energy
    Building Technologies Program
    950 L'Enfant Plaza, 6th Floor
    Washington, DC 20224
    Telephone: (202) 586-2945

    Please include one signed original.

Current Energy Conservation Standards and Regulatory Activities

There are currently no Federal energy conservation standards for television sets.

Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement

Additional details regarding DOE's certification, compliance, and enforcement regulations for consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment can be found on the Certification and Enforcement Web page. Submit certification reports using DOE's Compliance and Certification Management System.

Statutory Authority

Part B of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), Pub. L. 94-163, created the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products other than automobiles. The 1978 National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA), Pub. L. 95-619, which amended EPCA, required the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish mandatory energy efficiency standards for each of 13 covered products, including television sets. In 1987, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA), Pub. L. 100-12, amended EPCA by refining the list of covered products and establishing Federal energy conservation standards for 11 of the 12 products on the revised list.

Televisions have a unique status under EPCA: although they are listed as covered products, they are the only covered product for which the statute does not require a standard. Moreover, televisions have a unique status with regard to rulemakings. EPCA requires the Department to undertake rulemakings with regard to the other covered products according to a prescribed schedule. With regard to televisions, EPCA provides the Secretary of Energy with discretion to establish an energy conservation standard by rule, but does not require such a rulemaking. 42 U.S.C. 6295(l)(3)

DOE is now taking the steps required to ensure that a test procedure is modernized and is analyzing the measures available to reduce the energy consumption of television sets.

Regulatory History

DOE adopted a test procedure for televisions on June 29, 1979. (44 FR 37938) The test procedure, previously 10 CFR subpart B, Appendix H, was appropriate for measuring the energy efficiency of only analog television sets. In the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, as amended by the DTV Delay Act of 2009, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission to terminate all licenses for full-power television stations in the analog television service, and to require the cessation of broadcasting by full power stations in the analog television service, by June 13, 2009. Accordingly, DOE repealed the test procedure on October 20, 2009. (74 FR 53640) On September 3, 2010, DOE published an RFI to initiate the rulemaking and data collection process for a new test procedure for television sets. (75 FR 54048) After receiving stakeholder feedback from the RFI and testing and analyzing TVs, DOE published a NOPR on January 19, 2012. (77 FR 2830)

For Standards Related Questions


Jeremy Dommu
Project Manager
202-586-9870

For Test Procedures Related Questions


Visit the Test Procedure Guidance for Appliances and Commercial Equipment. You can search for existing guidance and submit new questions pertaining to the test procedures.