Tech tackles energy consumption at CES

By SmartPlanet on 10 January 2008, 3:31pm

Green is big at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year -- and we're not just talking about kiwi-coloured gadgets and lime-green LED gizmos. It seems manufacturers are finally acknowledging their responsibility to help save the planet.

For years, the tech industry pushed performance with little consideration for environmental and economic consequences. No more. The awakening on this issue -- as expressed in power-efficient device designs and the accompanying product messages -- is unavoidable at CES.

This decade, the industry accelerated its focus on decreasing the energy consumption, even of high-performance consumer devices and PCs. It's about time -- our very own Energy Saving Trust recently warned that gadgets are set to become the biggest consumer of electricity in our homes as soon as 2010 (read the report, PDF). Fortunately, there's a lot talk at the show about meeting new generations of EST Recommended-type standards.

Here are just a few of the advancements previewed at CES 2008:

• Energy-saving HD LED and OLED TVs from Samsung and Sony promise reduced energy use and heat emission.
• Panasonic gave demos of prototype plasma display panels (PDPs) that stand to cut energy consumption in half without sacrificing brightness.
• Total energy consumption is becoming a more important factor in consumer buying habits and we've seen more Energy Star stickers here on the CES show-floor.
• Many companies promoted solar energy solutions for powering handheld devices and eco-friendly packaging for gadgets and accessories. Read our Top 10 Solar Chargers' story
• GM made its debut at CES with the Cadillac Provoq concept car, projected to go 300 miles on a tank of hydrogen and a fuel cell. Not too shabby.
• Philips' showed off a power-cutting eco LCD TV
• Fujitsu previewed a laptop partly mad from corn

The industry is heading in the right direction, but there's still work to do if we are to reduce the energy burden of technology. Will energy efficiency become as dominant a discussion at a future CES, just as full high definition is this year? SmartPlanet certainly hopes so.

Photo: CES