ENERGY SAVING TIP #5 (TV & Entertainment)

In an average home; entertainment accounts for around 8% of energy consumption; which is actually a significant figure [1]. Locally; the figure goes higher for solar installations as most of us install back-up solar power mostly to cover for that much-needed entertainment in the home for the family. So how can you save energy on your entertainment: TV; Decoder; sound system?

1. TV: Give away/ditch the Old TV

Modern TVs incorporate a lot energy efficiency and thus consume less power (typically around 50-60% less power). What are you still dong with an old Cathode Ray TV CRT (dzegotsi) in the year 2021!!! To illustrate the differences in power consumption between old appliances and new see table below [2]:

2. TV: Buy the Right Technology.

As illustrated in the Table in 1 above; the issue is not in just having a “flat screen” but the technology is very important. Flat-screen plasmas consume almost double the amount of power consumed by LCD and LED TVs; so ensure you buy the right technology. When you have secured the right choice of technology; look at a balance between buying that big flat; sometimes curved screen; and power consumption as this will significantly affect how deep you go into your wallet/purse for energy costs.

3. Saving on Sound System/Home Theatre

As above with the TV; avoid old technology speakers that consume lots of energy. Use speakers that have auto-standby mode… most speakers consume a lot of energy when turned on; and the average user will leave the speakers on during the day consuming a lot of power without anything playing. It will definitely help if the speakers (and even TV above) automatically go to standby mode; thus consuming less power

4. Check Energy Consumption and Energy Star-Ratings

This one is very important for both sound and TV. Different models and brands have differing power consumptions. Request for this information before procuring appliances; as this could be the difference between spending hundreds or thousands more on your solar system or energy bill. Energy ratings also help give you an indication of levels of energy efficiency of your appliances.

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For FREE tips on Energy Optimisation of your system please do get in touch with our Engineers https://www.rentechsyst.com/blog or call/whatsapp us on +263713229721

Sources:

1.https://www.uswitch.com/energy-saving/guides/tvs-computers-laptops/

2. http://energyusecalculator.com/electricity_lcdleddisplay.htm

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About Author:

Lovewell Chitiyo is a Mechanical Engineer with 15 years experience in the building services Engineering consultancy, renewable energy systems and sustainable design fields. He is currently studying Masters in Renewable Energy at Stellenbosch University in South Africa

Lovewell is an Accredited Professional with the Green Building Council of South Africa for Existing Buildings Performance and New Buildings; Interiors, holding several qualifications and certification in Renewable Energy and Sustainability.

Lovewell also has vast experience in design, supervision, installation and commissioning of several projects locally and regionally in the last 15 years.