# Presentation: 425544

## Australian Case Study:Minimum Energy Performance Standards & Testing: Set Top Boxes

***Presentation by***
**Paul Ryan**** **
**National Workshop – “Reducing US Cable and Satellite Set Top Box Energy Use”**
**June 2005**

## Overview

- Australia – Energy Standards (MEPS) Framework
- Australian Market
- Definitions for MEPS
- Proposed MEPS
- Test Method & Levels
- Definitions of modes of use
- Some recent data
- Issues to resolve
- Australian Industry representative perspectives

## Australia – Energy Standards (MEPS) Framework

- State & Federal system
- National Appliance and Equipment EE Program
- Fed Gov – Australian Greenhouse Office
- State Gov - Energy Ministries + Regulators
- State laws – same regulations
- MEPS & Labelling for a range of domestic and commercial appliances
- Regulations for efficiency are widely supported by Australian industry since they create uniform requirements for all competitors in the market

## MEPS Policy framework

- Product selection based on consideration of potential & opportunities
- Match the most stringent regulated levels in force in a major country or:
- More stringent only with Australian industry support
- Use of Australian Standards
- International harmonisation wherever feasible
- Government works closely/cooperatively with industry
- Efficiency levels typically reviewed on a 4-5 year cycle
- Reflect improvements in the efficiency of products
- Facilitate industry planning
- Standards include:
- MEPS levels
- ‘High Efficiency’ level, intended to signal the next MEPS level to manufacturers

## Overview STB Ownership & Trends

- Ownership data of STBs
- Free-To-Air Digital STBs first became available in Australia in 2001 to coincide with the launch of digital television
- Sales of Free-to-Air STBs rapidly increasing: 40,000 units sold in 2002, 230,000 sold in 2003, 600,000+ estimated for 2004
- HD and SD STBs on market
- Subscription TV:
- Foxtel 1.1M, digital cable roll-out underway
- Austar 500,000
- 7M HH with TV will require STBs by 2008-12
- Large energy consumption implications
- 2012 Energy use of FTA STBs is estimated to be over 700 GWh/yr

**Notes:**
100-200,000 Pay TV boxes being sold

## STB Definitions for MEPS

- STB – Free-to-Air (FTA)
- Commercially-available electronic product which converts terrestrial digital video broadcast signals for use by a video display device such as a TV or a recording device such as a VCR.  Other features such as an integrated hard drive, may be included
- STB – Subscription TV (STV)
- Electronic device used for the reception and descrambling of broadcast signals received from a cable, satellite, or broadband source for use by a video display device such as a TV or a recording device such as a VCR.  Other features such as an integrated hard drive, may be included.

## Proposed MEPS

- No Labelling (except voluntary Energy Star)
- Apply to both FTA and STV STBs
- Utilise Testing Standard AS/NZS 62087:2004
- Methods of measurement for the power consumption of audio, video and related equipment
- Clone of IEC 62087, used in Europe and China & California
- MEPS levels are based on the CEC Appliance Standards to be introduced from 2006 and applicable elements of the EC Code of Conduct
- Apply from October 2006

## Proposed MEPS (cont)

- STB – Free-to-Air (FTA)
- Either
- Passive Standby 1.0W & On mode 8W (up to 15W*)
- Passive Standby 2.0W & On mode 7W (up to 15W*)
-                                                                                                                            *Additional Power Allowance
- No STB models surveyed since 2003 would meet this MEPS level currently, but several are getting close now
- STB – Subscription TV (STV)
- Passive Standby 1.0W not applicable
- Active Standby 9W up to 15W* **(not including LNB for Satellite)**
- Service providers and suppliers of STV STBs working to meet this requirement with sufficient notice

## Basic Configuration of STB for Standard

- Single tuner/demodulator
- Single MPEG Decoder
- RF Modulator / Loop-through
- IR Remote Control
- Support for Off-air Software Upgrade
- Smart Card Interface
- Common Interface / Dataport
- RS232 Serial Port
- Support for remote IR Receiver / IR Blaster
- Modem

## *Additional Power Allowance

| Feature | Additional power consumption  |
| --- | --- |
| Internal hard disk drive | 2.2W |
| IEEE1394 interface | 0.8W |
| Ethernet interface 100 Mbit | 0.4W |
| Wireless interface | 0.7W |
| Serial USB interface | 0.3W |
| Home automation interface | 0.4W |
| ADSL modem | 2.0W |
| Extra cable modem | 0.7W |
| Additional tuner | 2.0W |
| Powered remote IR receiver | 0.25W |
| High Definition signal processing | 10W (possible review pending latest EU CoC) |

## Definition of Modes

| Mode | Definition  |
| --- | --- |
| Off | The equipment is connected to a power source, fulfils no function and cannot be
 switched into any other mode with the remote control unit, an external or
 internal signal. |
| Passive Standby | The appliance is connected to a power source, fulfils not the main function but
 can be switched into another mode with the remote control unit or an internal
 signal. |
| Active Standby | The appliance is connected to a power source, fulfils not the main function but 
can be switched into another mode with the remote control unit or an internal
 signal. It can additionally be switched into another mode with an external
 signal or it is receiving a minimal level of data from an external source. |
| On mode (in-use) | The appliance is connected to a power source and fulfils the main function of a
 STB, including the provision of signals to supported devices. |

## Timetable

| October 2004 | Government publication of MEPS Proposals for STB |
| --- | --- |
| October 2004 - December 2004 | Consultation on the MEPS with stakeholders |
| October 2004 - ongoing | Further Product Testing including international collaboration |
| January 2005 - October 2005 | Consultation on Draft Standard(s) Part 2 by Standards Australia |
| October 2005 | Publication of Draft Standard by Standards Australia |
| 2005 | Regulatory Impact Statement(s) undertaken |
| October 2006 | Introduce MEPS  |

## In-use/Active Standby Power Distribution – FTA STBs

## Passive Standby Power Distribution  – FTA STBs

## Impact of MEPS – GHG reduction

**Notes:**
Based on the MEPS being introduced in 2006, for simple STBs it is estimated to reduce annual energy consumption by 440 GWh/yr by 2012, and 760 GWh/yr by 2020. This is equivalent to reducing annual greenhouse emissions by 390 kt CO2-e and 650 kt CO2-e respectively.  The total cumulative savings in emissions by these dates are approximately 1.4 Mt CO2-e and 6 Mt CO2-e.

## Still to Resolve

- PVR/PDR – Personnel Video/Digital Recorder
- Hard disk consumption is high in Active Standby mode for some products
- Resolve with service providers and STB suppliers cooperation – still desire to include in MEPS
- Minor additional allowances
- SCART interface
- Auto power down to passive standby for FTA STBs

## Industry Representative Perspective

- Australian FTA - STB industry
- Keith Jones – Panasonic / Standards Committee
- Australian STV Industry – ASTRA
- Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association
- Terence Smith – AUSTAR