42.2: Invited Paper: Ambient Light Levels During Television Viewing

Abstract

AbstractThe Energy Star Program Requirements for Televisions Version 5 test procedures for Automatic Brightness Control (ABC) enabled televisions' required power measurements at 0 Lux and 300 Lux of ambient light incident on the television screen.In 2010 the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) funded a study to assess how accurately Energy Star Version 5 quantifies actual residential television energy use. The results of that study indicated that the specified Energy Star illuminance levels for power measurements of televisions with the ABC feature enabled may not accurately represent actual light levels during television viewing.In 2011 CLASP funded the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) to measure actual ambient light levels during television viewing in 60 homes over seven days.The results of the CLTC study show the television light sensor measured illuminance levels from less than 1 lux to more than 300 lux (lx). The vast majority of viewing (79.5%) occurred at illuminance levels below 50 lx, while very little viewing (3.6%) occurred at illuminance levels greater than 300 lx. The results of this study indicate that 0 lx illuminance is unnecessary and that other illuminance levels (10, 50, and 100 lx) should be considered for power measurements, to better reflect actual illuminance levels during TV viewing in residential applications.