International. A new study from the Consumer Technology Association, CTA, called Energy Consumption of Consumer Electronics in U.S. Homes in 2017, found that technology devices in U.S. homes now account for 25% less residential energy consumption than in 2010, even as the number of these devices in U.S. homes has increased 21% since that time.
This milestone in energy efficiency is due to the consumer technology industry's investments in lightweight materials and energy-efficient technologies, as well as the convergence of multifunctional devices and continuous innovation.
"This study shows the growing momentum to create consumer products that promote smarter lifestyles and lower energy consumption, while minimizing our impact on climate change," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CTA.
The technology industry's trend of building devices with better functionality and lower power requirements has been key to increasing energy efficiency. According to the study, there are now about 3.4 billion consumer tech devices nationwide, consuming an estimated 143 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity a year, compared to 2010, when 2.9 billion devices (21% less than today) in U.S. households used 193 TWh of electricity (35 percent more than today).
TVs are among the top energy efficiency success stories of consumer technology. Since at least 2006, TVs have accounted for the largest share of the total energy use of consumer technology in U.S. homes. However, innovations in designs and displays have drastically reduced the annual home energy consumption of TVs, declining by 30 percent from 2013 to 2017.
The average cost of a TV in the U.S. is now less than five cents per day. During the same period, the power use of the set-top box has fallen by almost 20%. According to a recent CTA study, from 2008 to 2015, approximately 80% of the TVs shipped met or exceeded the Energy Star requirements in effect at the time.
Through the Voluntary Agreement for Continuous Improvements in Energy Efficiency of set-top boxes, the pay-TV and consumer technology industries committed to meeting more energy-efficient standards for newly acquired set-top boxes. The deal is estimated to have saved consumers more than $2.1 billion since it was signed by major pay-TV service providers in 2013, with nearly 99 percent of new set-top boxes meeting their energy efficiency standards.
A similar industry agreement for home Internet equipment has increased the energy efficiency of more than 98 percent of consumer broadband equipment purchased and sold in the U.S. in 2016.
"The CTA study confirms that voluntary market-driven initiatives are the most effective means of promoting and achieving significant improvements in energy efficiency," said Doug Johnson, CTA's vice president of technology policy.
He added that "The breakneck pace of change in our sector means we need to look for flexible, innovation-friendly approaches to energy efficiency, rather than traditional static regulation based on government mandates."
The energy consumption of consumer electronics in American households in 2017 was produced by the Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE to quantify the electricity consumption of CE products in American households so far in 2017.
Devices covered in depth in the studio include TVs, video game consoles, set-top boxes (cable, satellite, telco, and standalone), computers and peripherals, computer speakers, monitors, home audio, smartphones, tablets, and networking equipment.
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