NCTA — The Internet & Television Association

Energy Efficiency

Energy Saving Innovation

Cable operators, video programmers, equipment manufacturers, research labs and others are now providing a more energy efficient experience that is saving consumers millions of dollars in energy bills and preventing millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Overview

As Americans increasingly rely on more electronic devices, managing energy consumption has become both an environmental and economic priority.

To address these challenges, cable companies have implemented several initiatives to help decrease energy footprints in consumer homes. More energy efficient set-top boxes, low-power adapters, cloud-based delivery service, and other technologies are helping consumers save energy and costs. And for home internet equipment, a program between internet service providers (ISPs) and equipment manufacturers improves energy efficiency for modems, routers and other internet equipment used by U.S. residential broadband subscribers.

Cable operators, cable TV programmers, equipment manufacturers, research labs and others all have a role in delivering a more energy efficient experience that is saving consumers millions of dollars in energy bills and preventing millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy Efficient Set Top Boxes

Groundbreaking program saves customers money & reduces emissions.

Set-Top Boxes

Pay TV customers have saved over $9 billion and avoided 50 million meTric tons of CO2 emissions

Set-Top Boxes

In 2020 consumers saved $2.2 billion in energy costs, thanks to new more rigorous standards

Modems & Routers

99% of home internet devices met efficiency standards in 2020, a 10.2% increase since 2015
a modem sitting on a table

More than 99% of internet modems, routers and other consumer broadband equipment purchased and sold in 2020 for use by U.S. residential broadband subscribers met energy-efficiency standards.

Top Cable Energy-Saving Initiatives

Voluntary agreements across the industry promotes energy efficiency, creates continuous innovation of products and services, and saves consumers money.

Energy Star 3.0 Set-Top Boxes

97 percent of all new set-top boxes meet the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 3.0 energy efficiency levels, saving consumers millions of dollars in energy savings annually.

More Efficient Internet Equipment

The average idle-mode energy use of internet equipment relative to average broadband download speed has decreased by approximately 75% since the voluntary agreement was established in 2015.

Decreased Reliance on Set-Top Boxes

The development of digital-only tuners, home networking, whole-home DVRs and cloud-based delivery services allow for shared processing and storage power of a network across many consumers. Services can be delivered directly to tablets and gaming stations without the need to power a set-top box.

Low-Power TV Adapters

In cable markets that have converted to all digital systems, operators are providing customers with small low-power digital TV adapters that use less than four watts each, a significant energy savings.

Light Sleep DVRs

“Light sleep” capabilities allows essential activities within a set-top box to continue while energy consumption associated with other tasks is discontinued. Devices shifting into “light sleep” are expected to deliver savings of 20 percent or more.

Cablelabs - Energy Lab

CableLabs, the industry’s non-profit, research and development consortium, has established a testing and development facility to build industry consensus on energy conservation efforts, create energy efficient specifications and test new hardware and software.

a modem sitting on table

$9.3 billion saved by consumers on energy bills with new energy efficient set-top boxes through 2020.

Inside Bend Broadband:
America’s Greenest Data Center Technology Green tech

Cable takes energy savings seriously. The industry introduces technologies that offer providers, manufacturers, and subscribers a way to lower costs and deliver services in new and innovative ways. Reducing cable’s energy footprint is essential to our industry remaining a trusted provider and operating as a successful, environmentally conscious business. Watch the video to learn more about how BendBroadband is committed to sustainability and energy savings.