US switches over to energy efficient displays

clipped from www.energyefficiencynews.com The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new energy efficiency requirements for computer monitors, digital picture frames and large displays. Electronic devices eligible for the new specification Energy Star label have to be 20% more efficient than conventional versions. If all displays in the US were to meet the new level of performance, the energy savings would top $1 billion a year and reduce emissions by an amount equivalent to taking 1.5 million vehicles off the road. The change in rules includes digital picture frames for the first time, the market for which has grown in recent years. The EPA estimates that 9.3 million digital picture frames were sold in 2008 and sales could more than doubles by 2015. The Energy Star label can now also be applied to large displays (up to 60” diagonal), which are widely used in restaurants, bars, hotels, clubs and museums, as well as for outdoor retail or transportation signage.