Ultra High-Definition Televisions Could Add $1 Billion To

NOVEMBER 2015 R-15-10-B THE BIG PICTURE: ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISIONS COULD ADD $1 BILLION TO VIEWERS’ ANNUAL ELECTRIC BILLS Project Manager: Report edited by: External reviews by: This work was funded Noah Horowitz Pat Remick Verena Radulovic, USEPA by a grant from the US Alex Chase - Energy Environmental Protection Consultant: NRDC reviews by: Solutions Agency (EPA). The results Ecos Research, Portland, OR Pierre Delforge Nick Leritz - Northwest and opinions contained Chris Calwell David Goldstein Energy Efficiency Alliance in this report are strictly Gregg Hardy George Peridas those of NRDC and Ecos David Cadier Kala Viswanathan Research and are not meant to represent the views or policies of EPA. About NRDC The Natural Resources Defense Council is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at nrdc.org. NRDC Chief Communications Officer:Lisa Benenson NRDC Deputy Directors of Communications: Michelle Egan and Lisa Goffredi NRDC Policy Publications Editor: Mary Annaïse Heglar Design and Production: www.suerossi.com © Natural Resources Defense Council 2015 Page 2 THE BIG PICTURE: ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISIONS COULD ADD $1 BILLION TO VIEWERS’ ANNUAL ELECTRIC BILLS NRDC Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 1: ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION: THE NEXT-GENERATION OF TELEVISIONS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 WHAT IS ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION? ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2: USING DATA TO UNDERSTAND 4K TV ENERGY USE ........................................................................................................................................................................................................13 SCREEN SIZE ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 4K TV ON-MODE POWER ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 COMPARISON OF HD TO 4K TV ENERGY CONSUMPTION ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 YEAR-TO-YEAR IMPROVEMENT IN AVERAGE ANNUAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION ................................................................................................................................... 16 NATIONAL ENERGY IMPACT OF SHIFT TO 4K TV .................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 3: USING STORE AND LAB TESTING TO SHOW 4K TV ENERGY USE ..................................................................................................................................................................................18 THE IMPACT OF AUTOMATIC BRIGHTNESS CONTROL .......................................................................................................................................................................... 20 HD AND 4K CONTENT FROM LOCAL AND STREAMED MEDIA .................................................................................................................................................................22 IMPACT OF HDR CONTENT ON ON-MODE POWER USE ..........................................................................................................................................................................24 STANDBY POWER LEVELS OF INTERNET-CONNECTED SMART TVS ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 VOICE CONTROL AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION .................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 4: KEY FINDINGS .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................30 CHAPTER 5: POLICY AND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................32 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34 APPENDIX A: TEST METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................34 APPENDIX B: TEST EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35 APPENDIX C: NATIONAL ENERGY IMPACT METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................................................... 35 APPENDIX D: DETAILED DATA TABLES .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Page 2 THE BIG PICTURE: ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISIONS COULD ADD $1 BILLION TO VIEWERS’ ANNUAL ELECTRIC BILLS NRDC Page 3 SEEING THE BIG PICTURE: ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISIONS COULD ADD $1 BILLION TO VIEWERS’ ANNUAL ELECTRIC BILLS NRDC EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With an estimated 300 million installed televisions in the United States—almost one per person—it is clear that Americans love their televisions, and many of them are constantly seeking bigger and better models. The newest variety quickly entering the market is known as ultra high-definition (UHD) due to its superior picture quality, with 8 million or more pixels; sometimes these are called 4K TVs because the images are about 4,000 pixels wide, with four times as many pixels as a high-definition (HD) television. Unfortunately, our analysis shows current UHD models use on average about 30 percent more energy than HD models of the same size. As the shift to UHD televisions is now in its early stages, there is still time for manufacturers to incorporate more efficient designs and components into all new models and prevent much of this potential additional electricity use and resultant pollution. THE U.S. IS million ONE-THIRD HOME TO 300TVs of new TVs are Ultra High-Definition (UHD)/4K TVs have 8 MILLION PIXELS OR 50"LARGER They use on average Replacing today’s HD TVs 36-inches and up with UHD TVs 30% will cost U.S. consumers more energy than High- This equals the annual household $1 billion Definition (HD) TVs electricity use of 3 San Franciscos MORE ANNUALLY IN UTILITY BILLS more energy than High They use They Definition (HD) TVs Page 4 THE BIG PICTURE: ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISIONS COULD30% ADD $1 BILLION TO VIEWERS’ ANNUAL ELECTRIC BILLS NRDC Going forward, consumers will likely be buying new efficiency of UHD and 4K televisions are in their infancy UHD/4K televisions instead of an HD version for all models as our modeling showed only a 4 percent reduction in the 36 inches and larger. As the higher resolution provided energy use of 2015 models from similar-sized 4K TV 2014 by 4K TV will not be readily noticeable by consumers on models. television screens smaller than 36 inches, they likely will In addition, our analysis indicates that the size of television stay with HD for these smaller screen sizes. Once this screens is growing quickly, as manufacturers promote transition is completed, we estimate U.S. consumers will them as the best vehicles for optimum viewing of 4K need to pay an extra $1 billion annually to operate their content.

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