Battleground Earth

Get a Greener Television

Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA

No Image

By Jasmin Malik Chua
Jersey City, NJ, USA | Sun Mar 23 17:21:00 EDT 2008

Plasma, LCD, or good old-fashioned CRT? With so many choices available, shopping for a television can be a brain teaser, especially if you're watching your carbon footprint at the same time.

All things being equal, LCDs use the least energy out of the three leading screen types. Plasma televisions use about 30 percent more electricity than an equivalent LCD, while a CRT guzzles three times more energy than the same-size LCD version, according to the Sierra Club.
If you think that an LCD television always trumps a CRT clunker in terms of energy efficiency, however, you're missing the big picture. Screen size is an important factor that can quickly overwhelm even an LCD's built-in energy savings. The surface of a 42-inch wide-screen television is four times that of a 20-inch model with the old 4-to-3 screen ratio, for instance. Although the LCD is more efficient square inch for inch, trading in your 20-inch CRT for a 42-inch LCD will result in a 20 percent increase in energy use.

The good news is that each generation of LCD and plasma screens are getting more efficient, with organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) currently in the lead. But giant screens are often welcomed into homes with surround-speaker systems, DVD/digital video recorder machines, cable/high-definition set tops, and game consoles such as the Xbox or Wii. Homes with multiple televisions and their related peripherals can use twice as much power as a refrigerator, the reigning electrical hog in your home. ::Sierra Club

Difficulty level: Moderate

 
  • email
  • digg
  • share
  • print
helpful article? vote for it
{ }
close window

CLOSE X

 

comments on this article

view all post a comment

 
 
Search is temporarily unavailable
 

today on planet green

view all

Votes

recent
discussed

Gregory Schaefer Says: Kombu!
POSTED  4 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Supper Club: Chef and Guest bios
POSTED  11 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Supper Club: Episode 5
POSTED  12 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Supper Club: Chef and Guest bios
POSTED  17 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Why to Go Green
POSTED  22 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Oil Crisis Update: Why Drill Now?
POSTED  19 Jul 2008. 10 COMMENTS.

{2}

About the Show: Emeril Green
POSTED  25 Jun 2008. 13 COMMENTS.

{15}

Stephen Says: Welcome!
POSTED  7 Jul 2008. 8 COMMENTS.

{28}

Renovation Nation: Episode 7
POSTED  23 Jun 2008. 12 COMMENTS.

{12}

Emeril Green show launches Monday
POSTED  11 Jul 2008. 7 COMMENTS.

{6}

 
 

Green Guides image

How to Go Green: Barbeques

Green tips for grilling and other barbeque-related fun.

How to Go Green: Laundry

Tips for greening your dirty laundry.

How to Go Green: Summer

Eco-friendly tips for the beach, your barbeque, and even bikinis.

 

Buying Guides banner image

Buy Green: Desktop Computers

Find energy-efficient machines to serve your needs.

Buy Green: Women's Jeans

The hippest fashions in organic cotton denim.

Buy Green: Small-Wheel Folding Bikes

The best compact bikes for getting around town.