New Energy Star Labels Help to Avoid Energy-Wasting Set-Top Boxes
Many U.S. consumers may have left set-top cable boxes behind years ago when they shifted to cable-ready TVs and home entertainment systems, but the more recent shift to digital television, high-definition television, and digital video recorders has brought the set-top box back-even if it's no longer possible to literally stack the box on top of the television.
If you're among the many who have found the box is back in your home, the Energy Star program is working to make sure that the box operates in an energy-efficient manner. As of January 1, new cable, satellite, and telecommunications set-top boxes can carry the Energy Star label if they are at least 30% more energy efficient than conventional models.
That's a difference that can really add up: if all set-top boxes sold in the U.S. met the new Energy Star specification, the savings in energy costs would grow to about $2 billion per year, while the avoided greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to removing 2.5 million vehicles from the road. Energy Star is a joint program of DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Cisco, Motorola, Pace plc, and DIRECTV are the first manufacturers to offer Energy Star-qualified set-top boxes. Of course, the EPA realizes that most U.S. consumers don't actually buy a set-top box; they typically rent the box as part of their service contract. For that reason, the agency is working directly with the cable, satellite, and telecommunications service providers to establish partnerships aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the providers' boxes.
AT&T and DIRECTV are the first to sign up and have improved the energy efficiency of a significant number of their set-top boxes. New customers should request Energy Star-qualified set-top boxes when signing up for service, and existing customers should inquire about upgrades. See the EPA press release and the set-top box page on the Energy Star Web site.
EIA: Wind Power Provided the Majority of Added Capacity in 2007
For the first time, renewable energy sources other than conventional hydropower provided the majority of new U.S. electric generating capacity in 2007, according to DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Wind power was the star in 2007, providing 5,186 MW of new generating capacity, compared to an overall net gain in summer capacity of 8,673 MW. Natural gas-fired generation came in second place, accounting for 4,582 MW of new generating capacity, but coal-fired capacity actually decreased.
Two new coal plants added 1,354 MW of new capacity, but retirements and capacity reductions at existing plants caused coal-fired generating capacity to drop by 217 MW. Meanwhile, biomass power sources added more than 700 MW of generating capacity, and solar electric technologies added an estimated 91 MW of capacity.
In terms of actual power generated, coal still dominates the scene, producing 48.5% of the electricity used in the U.S. But coal-fired generation is gradually losing market share, having decreased by 4.3 percentage points over the past decade, including a half-point drop in 2007. Hydropower produced about 6% of the nation's electricity in 2007, while other renewable energy sources provided about 2.5%. Net hydropower production decreased by 14.4% from 2006 to 2007 because of drought conditions. Most of the remaining power was generated from natural gas and nuclear power. See the EIA's "Electric Power Annual 2007".
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Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
