Energy Star Setting Consumption Guidelines For Game Consoles

It’s no secret that your game console is not going to do much to save you money on your next power bill. However, Energy Star is finally prepared to set guidelines on energy consumption for these devices. In order earn an Energy Star seal of approval, manufacturers will have to use less than one watt during ‘off’ mode, and less than 5 watts in standby. The devices must also automatically power down after sitting idle for an hour. Furthermore, any set-top box and DVD/Blu Ray/Movie playback functions have to come within 10% of current Energy Star requirements.

As you know from all the other appliances in your home, being Energy Star certified is a choice, not a requirement. So it will be up to the manufactures to decide whether or not to comply—and somehow I doubt that many will so so right off the bat. I, for one, frequently leave my console on pause for hours while I go and do something else. That is one way I can see powering down after an hour being a real bitch. [GoodCleanTech via Treehugger via Kotaku]