The way we buy TVs is set to change on Nov.1. That’s the day the new Energy Star specs for energy-efficient TVs go into effect. Any TV sold in the United States on Nov. 1 and after and bearing the Energy Star logo must have been tested to be energy efficient in its “on” state, rather than just using less than 1 watt in its standby or “off” state. 

Many of today’s LCD TVs will meet the new spec, which is adjusted largely by screen size. So what does this mean for power-hungry plasma-based TVs, some of which have been known to use more electricity than refrigerators? Can plasmas actually be energy-efficient?

Panasonic thinks so. Mark Sharp, Panasonic’s Corporate Environmental Department group manager, says all its present plasma TV models under 58 inches in screen size, including those with 1080p resolution, should qualify for Energy Star. He says that changes made to the company’s plasma line, including new circuitry and reductions the size of the cell structure, have resulted in power consumption reductions of 25 percent to 35 percent. 

“In some models we’ve lopped off more than 150 watts in energy consumption,” says Sharp.

Sharp says making the cell structure smaller gains efficiency, though that was hard to do in smaller plasma displays like the 42-inch model. “The smaller the cell size, the more difficult it is to make it smaller.”

Panasonic says it also plans on publishing the active power consumption rates of its TVs. Current specs show only the maximum power usage, which can be misleading. “Our displays typically operated at 37 percent less than that,” Sharp says.

All TVs sold after Nov. 1 still must still undergo independent testing to qualify as Energy Star. The Energy Star websitewill show power consumption data of all qualifying TVs.

Steven Castle - Contributing Writer

Steven Castle is Electronic House's managing editor. he has been writing about consumer electronics, homes and energy efficiency topics for two decades. He is also the co-founder of GreenTech Advocates.