Energy saving potential and environmental impacts of televisions using energy-efficient power supplies Edson Adriano Vendrusculo 1 , José Antenor Pomilio 2 , Gilberto De Martino Jannuzzi 3 1,2 School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, State University of Campinas, 3 School of Mechanical Engineering, State University of Campinas, and International Energy Initiative Latin American Office –IEI-LA Abstract This paper analyzes the standby power consumption of household televisions (TVs) and considers the new technologies available for switching-mode power supplies (SMPS). Semiconductor companies have introduced new, energy-efficient semiconductors, which have matured to the point of being currently available for SMPS applications. Further, these companies claim that 25% of total energy consumption is now consumed in the low power/sleep/standby modes. This analysis estimates the annual reduction in energy consumption and the CO 2 conservation accruing from the reductions in natural gas power plant emissions that will result from the use of more energy-efficient TVs. It takes into account information about production, energy consumption, lifetime, and market share of TVs (assuming annual Brazilian sales of 20-inch TVs of 2,251,080 units in 2004 as estimated in a recent Brazilian government essay). Results indicate that at least one television is found in 87.7% of Brazilian homes. Throughout the country, household TVs consume 7.2 to 10.9 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year, or about 10–15% of Brazil’s residential electricity consumption. The overall consumption in 2002 was 72.7 TWh. This paper uses the Energy Star and Ecolabel standby criteria for reference, since regulations for establishment of standby power standards have not yet been passed by the Brazilian Congress. I. Introduction In 2001, the Brazilian law 10.295/2001 set the principles for the “National Energy Conservation Policy and Rational Use of Energy”[1]. As long as this law is in place, all electric equipment commercialized in the country will be required to comply with Brazil’s energy efficiency regulations. Energy standards are promoted around the world through well-known ecolabeling and energy efficiency programs, such as Energy Star in the USA, the Ecolabel in Europe, and the Top Runner in Japan. In Brazil, the Procel labeling program has been continuously updated and revised following the worldwide trends. However, only recently, the Brazilian Congress decided to use the labeling program to establish standby power standards [2]. Since the Brazilian standards had not yet been established at the time of this research, this paper uses the North American and European standards for reference purposes. The main intent of this work is to assess the television (TV) sets available in the Brazilian market, based on the Energy Star and Ecolabel standards, which are the standby power criteria in the USA and Europe, shown in Table 1. Additionally, semiconductor companies have introduced technological improvements with impacts on energy efficiency. Some new semiconductor devices have matured to the point of being currently available for switching-mode power supply (SMPS) applications, which can increase the energy efficiency of TV sets. Finally, this paper summarizes the economic and environmental impacts of cost- effective improvements in TVs, based on the reductions in energy consumption and CO 2 . It takes into account information about production, energy consumption, lifetime, and market share. In July 2005, Energy Star program celebrated the achievement of its first goal, i.e., the establishment of a 1-watt (1W) standby limit for TVs. As seen in Table 1, beginning in March 2005, advances in standby regulations in the European Community may yield even more strict limits on standby losses. Electronic improvements, however, may necessitate changes in the standby consumption regulations. In fact, the current standby definition may become inconsistent (see table note “a”) as a result of the establishment of new operating modes, such as “sleep” and “deep sleep.” A worldwide agreement for household appliances operating on standby mode has been discussed on numerous occasions; a low