Plano, Texas – Texas Advanced
Optoelectronic Solutions (TAOS), a developer of ambient light sensing
technologies, said Monday it has joined the LCD TV Association and will
encourage TV manufacturers to participate in the association’s Green TV logo program.
The company pointed out that the Green TV logo program promotes
“green technology” and global energy conservation, currently through the
implementation of ambient light sensors in LCD TVs to automatically adjust TV
set brightness in response to ambient room brightness.
The process enables reducing system power consumption by at least
30 percent, the company said.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 237 million
analog TVs operating in the U.S.
in 2006 consumed 53 terrawatt-hours (TWh) of electrical energy.
This amounted to about 3.6 percent of all residential consumer
electrical consumption in 2006.
The primary analog TV in each household that year had an average
screen size of 30 inches and consumed 115 watts of power. However, TV energy consumption is rising
sharply because the average screen size is rising sharply.
“One dynamic of the flat-screen TV revolution is to make larger
screen sizes practical. The 30-inch
analog TV set in 2006 is likely to be replaced with an LCD TV measuring 40 or
42 inches and consuming 200 to 250 watts,” according to a statement from the
LCD TV Association. “Energy Star, a joint program of the EPA and the U.S.
Department of Energy, says 10 percent of residential consumer electrical energy
consumption is now used by TV sets. “
At about 10 cents per Kilowatt-hour, that would be more than $5
billion in retail power costs, according to the LCD TV Association.
“Ambient light sensing technology provides automated display
brightness control for mobile and AC-powered consumer electronics equipment,”
said Jerry Koontz, TAOS
marketing director. “LCD TVs, despite their rapidly increasing size, are no
exception. TAOS welcomes the opportunity to join with
the LCD TV Association to increase the awareness and promote the significant
benefits of ambient light sensing technology to the LCD TV industry and the
consumer.”
