Does your TV use less energy than a 60-watt light bulb?
The Austrian company AMS is introduction new technology that will make it possible for a 42 inch flat screen TV to consume less energy than a 60-watt light bulb. This will exceed the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star 6.0 proposed standards, which, when implemented this spring, call for 42-inch TVs to consume just 62.9 watts of power. For any size, the maximum power consumption is 85 watts.
Picture courtesy of Alliance To Save Energy
“One of the biggest power users in consumer electronics today is the flat panel TV. Higher efficiencies are being mandated by countries throughout the world to reduce energy consumption,” AMS spokesman Herbert Truppe said in a statement. “By intelligently connecting AMS sensor-driven lighting technologies to current TV designs, high-quality viewing experiences can be delivered with no increase to the cost of the television, while significantly reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.”
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Watt vs Lumens: How bright is that light?
With the introduction of CFLs and LEDs, the way light bulbs are rated has evolved along with the bulbs.
Relying on the traditional Watt, which is a measurement of energy, can make it difficult to compare incandescent bulbs to the more energy efficient bulbs, such 
as CFLs and LEDs, which can use up to 80% less energy, or watts. But now there is now a standardized measurement for the total emission of light or brightness, and it is called Lumens.
According to the U.S Department of Energy, upgrading 15 inefficient incandescent light bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs could save about $50 per year. Ninety percent of the energy used by a traditional incandescent bulb is given off as heat. That is a lot of wasted energy!
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and lighting manufacturers are placing more information on light bulb packaging to make purchasing easier. The new light bulb labels include brightness measured in lumens, the estimated yearly energy cost in dollars, the life expectancy of the bulb, the light appearance from warm to cool and the energy used measured in watts. This information can help consumers make a more-informed decision when it comes to purchasing light bulbs.
These new labels will help consumers make purchasing decisions as they transition to more energy-efficient types of bulbs.
Sources:
Alliance to Save Energy, Energy-Efficient Lighting: Lumens vs. Watts
National Geographic, Green Living, Lumens vs. Watts for LED Bulbs