Clean Energy Ministerial

SEAD Announces Global Competition to Recognize the Most Energy-Efficient Televisions

9 January 2012

The Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative announced the first SEAD Global Efficiency Medal competition, which will recognize "best in class" energy-efficient flat-panel televisions worldwide. Administered by the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program, the program will begin seeking nominations from manufacturers and resellers beginning on 1 February 2012.

The program will name the most energy-efficient televisions in three size categories (small, medium, and large) and four regions (Australia, the European Union, India, and North America). One international winner will also be selected in each size category.

Manufacturers and resellers of commercially available flat-panel television products are eligible to participate. They can also submit products not yet commercially available to be judged as emerging technologies. Prospective winners must provide samples of each entry so that sponsoring governments can verify energy efficiency claims based on the televisions’ power consumption per screen area. The nomination period closes on May 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in fall 2012 and recognized at an international awards ceremony held in early 2013.

Winning flat-panel televisions will be able to display the Global Efficiency Medal emblem on product packaging, helping consumers easily identify and purchase the most efficient televisions available.

Improving the energy efficiency of appliances such as televisions is an important strategy for reducing electricity use worldwide. Televisions are responsible for six to eight percent of global residential electricity consumption. Technology advances, such as more efficient LED backlighting, may yield significant reductions in television electricity consumption over the coming years.

More efficient TVs also enable consumers to save money on their electricity bills. This kind of consumer savings is a powerful driver, as U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu explains:

"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."

While flat-panel televisions are the focus of the first Global Efficiency Medal competition, future competitions will recognize energy-efficient products in other appliance categories. SEAD intends for the awards program to encourage the production and sale of more energy efficient electronics and appliances.

The program will also complement programs such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program to label products meeting power-saving guidelines and help drive additional improvements. As Rick Duke, deputy assistant secretary for climate policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, explains: "In an area like television ... it can be hard to keep up with standards and even label programs because the evolution of the technology is so fast." The competition will "help to drive even faster performance gains."

SEAD members will be raising awareness about the Global Efficiency Medal competition during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, holding an open information session about the competition on 11 January at 4 pm. For more information, visit www.superefficient.org or email awards@superefficient.org.