i3 - November/December 2017 - 57

By Elliot Grimm

Policy

G R E E N P O L I CY

Reducing Home Energy Use

Dieter Spannknebel/Stockbyte/Getty Images

illions of U.S. homes connect to the internet and
watch television every day, requiring innovations that
deliver lightning fast speed. One wouldn't be blamed
for thinking these activities consume a significant amount of
residential electricity. Thankfully, CTA and the National Cable
& Telecommunications Association (NCTA) are working closely
with the technology sector to save consumers money and cut
carbon emissions. Through two voluntary agreements (VA) that
reduce energy consumption of set-top boxes (STB) and small
network equipment (SNE), the industry is taking strong leadership in improving the energy efficiency of home technology.
According to the latest annual report, the
STB voluntary agreement saved consumNearly all reported
ers more than $941 million in energy
units purchased
costs in 2016. Over the past three years,
the VA has increased energy savings -
and sold in 2016 met the
doubling in 2014, nearly doubling again
agreement's rigorous
in 2015, and then increasing by another
efficiency standards,
47 percent in 2016.
helping
reduce energy
"Tech innovation and energy efficiency
consumption in millions
go hand-in-hand and the latest indepenof U.S. homes.
dent administrator's report is further
validation that voluntary agreements
truly are the most effective and immediSince being signed in 2012, the STB
ate means of helping governments meet
voluntary agreement has saved consumers
their energy efficiency goals related to
our sector," said Doug Johnson, vice presi- nearly $2.1 billion in energy costs and
avoided 11.8 million metric tons of carbon
dent of technology policy, CTA.
C TA . t e c h / i 3

dioxide emissions. The energy saved in
just four years is equivalent to the energy
used by all of the homes in Washington,
DC, and Chicago combined for an entire
year. Even as our STBs gain more features
and abilities, their overall national energy
consumption has reduced 23.4 percent
since the VA's inception.
The agreement's outstanding results
were recognized when it was named an
Environmental Leader Project of the Year
in 2016. The judges cited the initiative's
success in establishing a collaborative
effort that significantly reduced the industry's impact on the environment while
saving consumers hundreds of millions
of dollars. Once the industry saw how
a collaborative, voluntary approach could
effectively improve the energy efficiency
of STBs, stakeholders created a new
agreement involving SNE to reduce the
energy used by the devices connected to
consumers' home internet.
In 2015, most major internet service
providers, as well as retailers of internet
equipment such as modems and routers,
joined the SNE voluntary agreement. Just
two years later, the findings demonstrate
another industry success story: Nearly all
reported units purchased and sold in 2016
met the agreement's rigorous efficiency
standards, helping reduce energy consumption in millions of U.S. homes.
According to the latest annual report,
98 percent of units met VA's standards,
increasing from 89 percent a year ago,
even as consumers demanded increasingly
robust equipment to support higher-speed
services and increased Wi-Fi capacity
within their homes.
The successes of both of these voluntary, private sector-driven agreements
show the effectiveness in providing
meaningful energy and cost savings to
consumers and the country. Whether by
innovating devices that are faster and
smarter, or ones that help reduce energy
costs, the industry is working toward
improving the consumer experience.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

http://CTA.tech/i3

i3 - November/December 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - November/December 2017