DOE Eyeing Energy-Savings Potential of Videogame Consoles
The Department of Energy is probing the energy use and “energy saving potential” of a host of “miscellaneous” residential and commercial gear, including audio and video equipment, computer systems, imaging gear and uninterruptible power supplies.
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In a request for information published in the Federal Register (Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-NOA-0065), the DOE said the energy use of electrical equipment, particularly electronics, has been increasing in the last 20 years due to increased ownership, the rapid growth of Internet connections and the “increased computing power of many electronic devices."
A preliminary evaluation showed that the annual energy use of audio equipment was 17.8 terawatt hours/year and their household energy use 154 kilowatt hours/year. For video gear such as Blu-ray and DVD players, the annual energy use was 33.2 TWh/yr and household use 286 kWh/yr. Computers used 30.5 TWh/yr with household use at 303 kWh/yr. Videogame consoles’ annual energy use was put at 58.8 TWh/yr and household use at 544 kWh/yr. The number of households using network equipment was 88 million, the DOE said, consuming on an average 90 kWh a year.
Many of the types of electronic gear that the DOE is studying are covered by the voluntary Energy Star program jointly administered by the EPA and DOE, it said. The DOE is seeking comment on “efficient technologies and energy savings potential” of miscellaneous electrical and electronic equipment, the “availability and applicability” of U.S. and international test procedures to measure the energy use of these devices, and information regarding voluntary and mandatory energy labeling programs in the U.S. and elsewhere that have been “effective in enabling consumers to choose more efficient” equipment. Comments are due March 26.