Energy efficient TV may sound like an oxymoron and with ever increasing TV sizes and the current 3D TV trend,it’s enough to make energy efficiency watchers cringe. But no need to pull the plug just yet, because the other major trend for 2011 is increased energy efficiency in TVs. With new efficiency standards going into effect this year, you’ll also begin to see the energy guide labels on TVs.

While this is a good place to start in finding an energy efficient TV, there are some HDTVs that are going beyond the energy guide standards. There are also things you can do yourself, such as have a professional calibration which reduces the light output and increases performance, or you can optimize your picture settings yourself. You can also check your TV for a power saving mode and turn off the quick start option which uses power by keeping the TV in standby. Read on to learn about the most energy efficient TVs available today as well as what’s on the horizon.

OLED TVs

LG's OLED TV

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) TVs have some advantages over LCD displays. Though the technology has been slow going in the television market, OLED has made its’ way to laptops, smartphones, and tablets. OLED TVs don’t need a backlight like the LCDs do, which makes for better contrast, a higher refresh rate, and a thinner design. Most importantly they draw on 60-80% of the power as that of an LCD TV.

LG recently displayed their 31-inch 3D OLED TV at the CES 2011. With a depth of 3.2 mm, full HD 1080p, 200 HZ Trumotion, and a contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1, the LG EL9500 shined at CES. The LG OLED TV uses less power than standard LCD TVs and does not contain lead or mercury, making for a more environmentally-friendly product. A 15-inch model is currently for sale in Europe with plans to release in the U.S. later this year. Samsung  has plans of releasing an OLED TV in 2012.

LED LCD TVs

The most basic rule of energy efficiency and TVs is the bigger the screen, the bigger the energy drain, and while this is still the case, owning a larger screen TV while still keeping energy consumption down is quickly becoming a reality. The next general rule is that LED TVs are the most energy efficient TVs currently available. The following LED TVs feature a large screen while keeping energy costs down.

Samsung UN55D8000 3D LED HDTV

Samsung UN55D8000 3D LED HDTV

Samsung has released their new line of energy efficient LED TVs for 2011 featuring the uber-sleek, ultra-thin bezel of 0.2 inches to produce a virtually edgeless TV. This model series is edge-lit with LEDs, using what Samsung calls the most innovative LED picture contrast technology. For the 55 inch TV, depending upon setting, wattage power ranges from 105.41 watts down to an impressive 86 watts using the calibrated movie mode for an annual average energy cost of $17-$23, depending upon personal energy rates and usage. The Samsung UND8000 series features 3D capability and built-in Wi-Fi with Samsung’s Smart TV technology and apps access. However, expect to pay for the full array of features and beautiful design. The Samsung UN55D800 retails for $3,600. A 46 inch model is available. And a 60 inch and 65 inch version is yet to be released.

The Samsung UN55D8000 is currently on sale at Amazon for $2,400.

LG Infinia 55LV5500 LED HDTV

LG Infinia 55LV5500 LED HDTV

The LG Infinia LV5500 series features smart energy saving in addition to the energy star seal, which means that the user has greater brightness control through local dimming of the LEDs. When you can reduce the light output on your TV, the power consumption reduces by as much as 50%. The series is recommended by Consumer Reports with an average energy cost of $31 per year for the 47-inch model based on 8 hours a day of use in the default setting.

The LG Infinia 55LV5500 sells for around $1,399 on Amazon.

Sharp LC-46LE835U LED HDTV

Sharp LC-46LE835U LED HDTV

Sharp has shown a commitment to manufacturing TVs that are both eco-friendly and consume less power than competitors by receiving the 2011 Energy Star award for excellence in energy efficient product design and continually making some of the most efficient TV models available. The latest LED model series is available with or without 3D and features edge-lit LEDs. The estimated energy cost based on 5 hours of use per day in default setting is $15 per year.

The current sale price for the 46-inch, 3D version is 1,370 on Amazon. The no-3D model is available for $1,080 on Amazon.

Copenhagen Waste-to-Energy Plant Multi-Functions As Ski Slope

Copenhagen residents will soon be able hit the slopes, not on a ski mountain, but on top of a waste-to-energy plant. Looking to replace their current 40 year old industrial plant, Amagerforbraending held an international competition and unanimously chose this ski slope design by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in an effort to turn what is normally an eyesore into a useful and beautiful recreational facility for the city of Copenhagen. BIG, an innovator in revolutionary design and architecture, promotes the idea of Hedonistic Sustainability, which they define as “the idea that sustainability is not a burden, but that a sustainable city in fact can improve our quality of life”.

Award-Winning Design For Copenhagen Ski/Power Plant

With a 1,500 meter descent, the artificial ski slope, made of a recycled synthetic granular material, will offer terrain for all skiing ability levels: from the bunny slope to moguls. To get to the top, skiers will take a glass elevator that ascends alongside the converted smokestack so visitors can view the interior activities of the waste-to-energy plant. Yet another function of the design is to remind the public of the effects of over-consumption. With every ton of fossil CO2 that goes up the smokestack, a 30 meter smoke ring will be released into the atmosphere. These smoke rings will be illuminated at night. So you can literally count the amount of CO2 being emitted on a daily basis.

Copenhagen Terrain Park Surrounding Waste-To-Energy Plant

Surrounding the “mountain”, will be a terrain park featuring rock climbing, sailing, and kart racing. To help resemble a mountain from afar, the 95,00 square meter exterior will be covered with a green facade made of a combination of windows and planter modules stacked like bricks. Though many environmentalists argue that governments should focus more on recycling than using incinerators, Denmark sends only 4 percent of its’ garbage to landfills, while 42 percent is recycled and 54 percent is burned, according to Eurostat data.

Green Facade Of Waste-To-Energy Plant

Scheduled for completion in 2016, time will tell if people can embrace hanging out at the local power plant, but residents of ultra-flat Copenhagen may very well enjoy the view of their new mountain while finally being able to do some year-round downhill skiing without having to travel to their Scandinavian neighbors to the north.

Via: CleanTechnica and Inhabitat

The quest for low-impact, efficient living is often at odds with the human flaws of sheer laziness and absentmindedness. This couldn’t be more poignantly-illustrated than in an average American home. Much electricity is wasted each and every day by very simple, avoidable behavior. One of the most common examples is the vast amounts of electricity that are essentially thrown away due to unnecessary lights and appliances being left on. There’s nothing purposeful or malicious in this basic behavior, it’s just simple human forgetfulness. The SmartSwitch is a unique, new light switch design that aims at eliminating the forgetfulness from the equation.

Designed by Brandon Wypich and Peter Russo of Stanford University the SmartSwitch was a semi-finalist in the recent Greener Gadget Design Competition.  It is a slider switch that uses an internal brake mechanism to make it more difficult to switch on when energy consumption is high. The switch uses a network connection and electrical lines to transmit data on the energy consumption level. It can be set to reflect either communal consumption or the consumption of your home. When energy consumption is low, the light switch flips like you’d expect any light switch to.
While the SmartSwitch will never impede you from actually turning the circuit on, it will be a very tangible reminder to cut down on your home energy, prompting the quick question of whether you actually need the light on. The switch will also remind you to shut off any unnecessary lights or appliances that happen to be on at the time. It’s a very simple nudge to do your part and cut down on wasted electricity. ]
Though quite simple, the concept behind the SmartSwitch is solid and intuitive: people don’t leave energy-consuming products idly running on purpose, but merely don’t give it a second thought. The SmartSwitch makes sure there’s a tangible change.

The Roberts Tower, will be the first certified-green high-rise building in the Midwest. It has been designed to achieve a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) Certification by the US Green Building Council. The condos will have bamboo floors, high-efficiency insulated windows and efficient appliances. They will also use geothermal energy for heating and cooling, and a wind turbine could be built on the roof. Overall, the energy consumption will be reduced by 75% and the utility bills for residents will be as low as $30 to $40 a month. The tower’s expected completion date is late 2008 or early 2009.

This is a lamp that “blooms” when the energy consumption in your house has been low for some time, thus giving you tangible feedback.

More details: WorldChanging

Like the Canon i560, we list this inexpensive ($100) printer because it is one of the most efficient in terms of energy consumption, ink consumption and ink price. The cover is composed of recycled plastic and is free of toxic BFR (brominated fire retardants).

Canon has also committed to eliminating lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and mercury from its printers by December 2004. Canon is working to upgrade U.S. printer recycling systems.

Inkjet printers use much less energy than laser printers.

It’s available from Amazon for around $100.

Home Page: Canon I860

Sunfrost refrigerators are the most efficient ones out there.

Here are the specs on a typical model:

Energy Consumption : 585-845 Whr / day (42-58 Amp Hours)
DC, 20 kWh / month, 249 kWh / year
Annual Energy Cost: $21
Capacity: 16 cu. ft.
Dimensions: 62.5″ H, 34.5″ W, 27.75″ D
Weight: 300 lb. (44 cu ft. volume)
Available from: Alternative Energy Store

Energy Consumption: 18 or 24W DC
Dimensions: 12" H x 12" L x 9"
Weight: 2 lbs.
Best Price: $202 (Alternative Energy Store) or $259 (Southwest
Solar)

Notes from Manufacturer:
World’s lowest energy using cooler. Evaporative cooling for RVs, boats, cars,
tents and small rooms at a fraction of typical air conditioning energy costs.
Cools hot dry air as much as 35 degrees F. Connect to DC battery, cigarette
lighter receptacle, or solar module. Lightweight and portable-use for camping
and backpacking. Doubles as a good humidifier. 200 CFM. Uses 1 to 1-1/2
quarts of water per hour. Warranty: 5 years on highest efficiency CelDek(tm)
pad, 1 year on everything else.