(Forbes.com)(Forbes.com) The high-definition television is one of modern life's most highly desired amenities, but for environmentally conscious consumers, HDTVs can present a serious dilemma. With both the ecological and economic costs of energy consumption a major concern, it's not always easy to tell what kind of an impact your new HDTV is going to have on the environment — or on your electric bill.

Furthermore, with gigantic factories in China, Japan and South Korea cranking these flat panels out at a breakneck pace and shipping them overseas, the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process isn't something you can easily check by looking at a product's specifications in your local store. Fortunately, there are ways to evaluate a high-definition television's green quotient, and big-name manufacturers are trying to make their products more environmentally friendly and their assembly lines greener.


Energy efficiency is the most obvious way to reduce an HDTV's impact on the environment. Though liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions draw much less power than similarly sized cathode ray tube (CRT) sets, few people replace their old tube televisions with a similarly sized flat panel. Upgrades are the norm, often doubling or tripling the screen size and, in turn, canceling out any potential energy savings.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, a typical 42-inch LCD television will draw nearly four times as much power as a CRT television under 30 inches — which is the kind of TV most consumers are looking to replace. Plasma televisions are major energy hogs. Their large screens and affordable price tags can be quite alluring but ultimately won't save you money or save the earth. For the biggest benefit, consumers need to consider rear-projection digital light processing (DLP) televisions, which have big screens but small energy needs.

Available only in big-screen sizes, DLP TVs provide enormous, high-definition pictures while drawing much less energy than plasma or LCD TVs. A 60-inch DLP television requires, on average, only 250 watts, while a typical LCD would use 400 watts and the plasma would eat up close to 500 watts.

Pollution hazard

Even with this significant improvement in energy consumption, many DLP TVs are not entirely environmentally friendly. Many use mercury-filled light bulbs to illuminate the screens, which must be replaced periodically. This presents a potential pollution hazard when it comes time to dispose of the bulbs.

Samsung has taken steps toward eliminating this possible pollutant by replacing the mercury bulbs with a light source that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which not only enhance the power savings of the DLP but should last for the lifespan of the set. The Samsung HL61A750 ($1,999 US), for instance, is a well received 61-inch DLP powered by LEDs. Consumers have praised its ability to render sharp images and vivid colors. The maximum energy draw of the HL61A750 is 170 watts.

Flat-panel LCD televisions are also benefiting from LED technology. The Philips 42-inch 42PFL5603D replaces the traditional fluorescent backlight with LED illumination and the energy savings are stunning. When in use, the 42PFL5603D draws only 75 watts — not much more than a conventional light bulb and roughly half of what a typical 42-inch LCD would require. There is one drawback, however: the 42PFL5603D is a lot more expensive. When it debuts in September, it'll be stuck with a huge price tag of $4,400.

Some brands are introducing green concepts into their manufacturing process. The Sony KDL-32JE1 ($1,400) is a 32-inch LCD television that, in addition to being extraordinarily energy efficient, is made of recycled plastics from other Sony products. But this isn't some Frankenstein monster of a TV; the KDL-32JE1 is brand new. Sony just uses as feedstock reprocessed materials that would otherwise have found their way to a landfill. In use, the KDL-32JE1 only needs 89 watts of power to operate. Though it's currently only available in Japan, this design is sure to go worldwide very soon.

Sharp has gone so far as to make their HDTV manufacturing plant green. The Kameyama plant in Japan has been designed specifically with the environment in mind, and Sharp has gone to great lengths to ensure that the facility lives up to its reputation as the "Super Green Factory."

The Kameyama plant is powered by a combination of liquid natural gas and photovoltaic solar cells, which Sharp claims reduces the carbon dioxide output of the factory by 40 per cent. Nearly 9,000 tons of daily wastewater produced by the factory is captured and treated so it may be used again. According to Sharp, none of the nearly 125,000 tons of waste produced by the Kameyama plant in 2007 was sent to a landfill. Instead, leftover phosphorous, glass and other byproducts were recycled and repurposed.

Green ratings

Although it's tough for the consumer to know such details about HDTVs and the manufacturers, particularly when shopping in a big store, the U.S. government is gradually trying to put such details front and center.

The government originally devised its Energy Star ratings for TVs to measure a set's standby power consumption, not the amount of power a set consumes when in use. Televisions draw a small amount of power in standby mode (what normal people would call "off"). The government originally reasoned that most televisions are "off" more than they are "on."

That's an unusual rationale at best — and one the Environmental Protection Agency has finally rethought. Starting in November, Energy Star ratings will measure an HDTV's in-use power. That means televisions with Energy Star stickers are expected to be at least 30 per cent more efficient when operating than those without stickers. The new methods of measuring energy efficiency are more stringent, more logical and should be more help for curious consumers this winter.

Enjoying a high-definition television and maintaining a "green" lifestyle are not mutually exclusive propositions. With the right knowledge and preparation, it's possible to minimize the ecological impact of an HDTV and still get a high-quality entertainment experience. While an HDTV might make our homes a lot more livable, consumers owe it to the world, and themselves, to shop smart, avoid potential wastefulness and ensure that the planet stays livable, too.

Michael Patrick Brady is editor of DigitalAdvisor.com, a site dedicated to making shopping online for consumer electronics as easy as possible. It operates product commentaries and answers questions on a range of consumer electronics, including digital cameras, camcorders and high-definition televisions.