# Presentation: 253313

## “Measuring and Reducing Set Top Box Power Use”

- International Stakeholder Workshop
- June 29, 2005
**By Noah Horowitz**
**Senior Scientist**
**NRDC**
- _[nhorowitz@nrdc.org](mailto:nhorowitz@nrdc.org)_

## Today’s Meeting

- Go over energy and environmental impacts of set top box power use.
- Explore feasibility of reducing overall box energy use, especially during extended periods of set top box inactivity.
- Share information on research and policy developments from around the world.
- Discuss test methods, operating modes, and performance metrics.
- Create process for ongoing communication and collaboration.

## Slide 3

## Who is NRDC?

- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
- Environmental advocacy group with more than 600,000 members.
- Air/Energy program interested in reducing global warming pollution and protecting public health.
- Long track record of collaboration with industry and policy makers on energy efficiency (monitors, soda machines, computers, lighting).

## Energy Efficiency

**“****Deliver same level of performance **
**while using less energy”**
- Efficiency gains through improved designs, more efficient components, etc.
- Reduce user’s operating costs. Extremely cost effective.
- NO CONSUMER SACRIFICE
- Policies should be performance based, not prescriptive.  Encourage innovation.

## Today’s Scope

- Cable and satellite set top boxes
- Analog and high definition (HD)
- Multifunction including built-in digital video recorders (DVRs)
- Focus on new boxes to be deployed, not retrofitting existing ones
- For today, *exclude*:
- DTAs – digital TV adapters (digital to analog)
- Game Box Consoles (X-Box, etc.)
- CableCARDs integrated in TVs

## Why Set Tops?

- More than 80% of U.S. homes have cable or satellite TV.
- Many of these customers have 1 or more set top boxes.
- Per box power use increasing because new boxes have added functionality (dual tuners, recording/storage capability, HD, etc.)
- Number of new full featured boxes expected to grow dramatically.
- Set tops consume ~ 1% of national residential electricity use and projected to increase by up to 75% by 2008.

## Highlights of NRDC/Ecos Research

- Set top boxes draw between 10 and 30+ Watts all day long.
- Pressing “off” button has no significant impact on power use.
- Most boxes do not have sleep mode. (always “fully on”)
- Annual power consumption of new full featured HD boxes with DVRs approximately 200-300 kWh/yr.
- Household set top box annual energy use (for homes with multiple boxes) approaching that of a new refrigerator.

## Slide 9

## Set Top Environmental Overview

- Power plants largest source of CO2, mercury emissions
- If no efficiency gains made in new set top box designs:

|  | 2005 | 2008 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National Energy Use
(billion kWh per year) | 13.3 | 23.6 |
| User Electricity Bills
(billion USD per year) | 1.1 | 2.0 |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions
(million tons per year) | 8.9 | 15.8 |
| Number of 500 MW Power Plants | 3 | > 5 |

## Set Top Box (STB) Primer

- To date, service provider (eg Time Warner, Direct TV, etc.) buys the box and gives or leases the box to their customer.
- Customer, not box purchaser, pays the electric bill (“split incentive”).

## Unique Challenges

- Service providers need to maintain continuous connectivity to the boxes in their system
- Send updates – program guide, encryption codes (prevent theft)
- Ability for two way communication (eg. pay per view

## Low Power Mode Challenge

- Box not being used by the consumer for most of the day.  Typical use 4 to 6 hours/day.
- Can box enter low power mode due to  user action or after extended period of inactivity, but still “wake” in response to head end or user signal?
- Good analogies – cell phones (uses a lot less power during standby, but always connected and ready to take a call; computer sleep mode).

## More Low Power Mode Thoughts

- Box should enter this mode when:
- User pushes the STB power button to off or hits STB remote (unlikely)
- After extended period of inactivity
- After completing service provider induced update
- After recording pre-scheduled show
- TiVo type issues – hard drive spinning, and speculative recording

## Efficiency Gains May Require

- STB modifications
- “Head-end” modifications
- -  Wake and sleep protocols developed and used
- Will likely need changes in both software and hardware.  Proactive coordination between various stakeholders will be needed.

## The Potential

- If US adopted a similar approach to Australia, we could:
- Avoid the need for 3 large (500 MW) power plants
- Prevent 10 million tons/yr of CO2 emissions, a major global warming pollutant.  This is equal to taking all the cars off the road from a city the size of Philadelphia for a year.

## Lots of Worldwide Activity

- EU working to create Code of Conduct.
- Australians have established mandatory performance standards (MEPS)
- China very interested in this topic.  Current focus DTAs, more complex set tops next.
- EPA ENERGY STAR – voluntary labeling program.  Current spec suspended, planning to reissue in future.
- Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Working Group created

## Worldwide Harmonization

- Recognize national markets around the world vary considerably as do local broadcasting requirements.  One size fits all spec probably unrealistic.
- To the extent possible worldwide harmonization desirable for modes, test methods, capabilities, etc.
- Goal is to reduce burden on STB manufacturers and to achieve energy savings at lowest cost

## Today’s Ground Rules

- Today is not a negotiation or an attempt to set power levels.
- Dialogue to focus on test methods, modes, and what is possible.
- Aim for constructive discussion/strive for collaboration
- Please participate. Lots of meeting dedicated to open discussion.
- Avoid talking about specific pricing, trades secrets, etc.

## Link to NRDC/Ecos Paper

- _[http://](http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/energyeff/ienergyeff.asp)__[www.nrdc.org/air/energy/energyeff/ienergyeff.asp](http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/energyeff/ienergyeff.asp)_.
- Includes raw data on set top box field measurements