1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,440 Whether it's a splash screen on your monitor when you boot up your PC or a sticker on something 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:09,680 for sale at a big box store, you've probably seen that familiar blue energy star logo. 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,360 It feels like home. Let's be honest, energy efficiency probably isn't 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,800 at the top of your list of concerns when choosing a gadget to buy, 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,280 but it must be appearing everywhere for a reason, right? 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,360 So Energy Star is a US government initiative introduced 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,240 by the Environmental Protection Agency all the way back in 1992. 8 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:33,200 And although it's an American creation, the program also exists in Canada, Switzerland, Japan 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,860 and Taiwan. The idea is to label energy efficient products 10 00:00:36,860 --> 00:00:40,400 from light bulbs to PCs to even whole buildings. 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,960 And even if you don't care about the environment because it's got too many bugs or whatever, 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:49,040 the certification is also designed to help you save money on your power bill. 13 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,300 So. And the program does this by setting specific standards 14 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:57,600 for different product categories. So let's go through what this means for you, 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:02,080 starting with PCs and their power supplies. This one will be pretty easy to remember 16 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:07,640 for any of you who have built or upgraded a computer before. An energy star certified PC has to perform 17 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:13,480 at least at an 80 plus bronze level. This means it has to run at 82% efficiency 18 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:19,240 at 20% or 100% load and 85% efficiency at 50% load. 19 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,280 If you're all squared away with your PC, but you're in the market for a TV instead, 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,640 Energy Star follows a more complicated formula to determine if it's compliant. 21 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,760 Given that power sucking CRT monitors are obsolete, 22 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:36,920 the requirements are fairly unforgiving. A 55 inch TV can't consume more than 57 watts 23 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,080 and a 65 inch TV can't use more than 69 watts. 24 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,920 Nice. And even though most TVs these days still connect to the internet even while they're turned off, 25 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,080 Energy Star TVs can't use more than three watts 26 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,680 in this state. But let's say you found your soulmate finally on OKCupid 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,680 and it's time to go out and buy a washer together. 28 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,660 Energy Star quantifies these with something called energy factors, 29 00:02:00,660 --> 00:02:06,240 numbers that are calculated mostly based on how much energy they consume per pound of clothes. 30 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:13,360 These energy factors aren't really useful for consumers, but certified washers are supposed to use 25% less energy 31 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,820 and one third less water than non-certified models. 32 00:02:16,820 --> 00:02:20,500 While certified dryers should save you about 20% on your power bill. 33 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:25,200 So you know how your parents were always yelling at you to turn off the lights to save money? 34 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:30,360 Light bulbs have been a focal point for change in recent years. We went from old school incandescent bulbs 35 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,120 to those spring looking CFLs to modern LEDs 36 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:39,400 in a relatively short amount of time. Pretty much all new LED bulbs are far more energy efficient 37 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:45,160 than older technologies, whether they're Energy Star or not. The difference is you're supposed to expect Energy Star bulbs 38 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,760 to actually last as long as they say they will in the box, at least 15,000 hours 39 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,120 and retain a certain percentage of their original brightness over time. 40 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:58,440 They also can't draw more than half a watt when they're turned off, what did daddy like? 41 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:04,720 But you'll need a place to put all this stuff, so maybe you'll end up looking into an Energy Star house? 42 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,300 Through better insulation, ceiling and Windows, as well as more efficient HVAC systems, 43 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:12,320 they should be between 20 and 30% more efficient 44 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,540 than non-certified homes. But how do you know that all this stuff actually meets 45 00:03:16,540 --> 00:03:22,120 the stated energy targets? I mean, it did used to be the case that products could be certified without testing, 46 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:27,160 which doesn't make any sense. But now, testing of all products has to be done 47 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,200 in an approved lab before they get the Energy Star badge. 48 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:35,640 And random off-the-shelf testing is also done to make sure companies aren't sending in cherry-picked products 49 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:41,000 or slacking after they get the certification. Okay, sounds good, but is paying extra 50 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,720 for Energy Star gadgets worth it in terms of how much power you'll save? 51 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,560 The answer is, it depends. 52 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,620 Energy Star products will certainly use much less power than devices from 20 or so years ago, 53 00:03:54,620 --> 00:03:59,880 but when comparing modern products to each other, the differences between compliant and non-compliant models 54 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:05,040 may or may not be all that compelling. Check and see what energy prices are like in your area 55 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,160 and exactly how much power each product consumes before shelling out more money 56 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:14,280 just to get something labeled Energy Star. I don't want any of you to buy a $2,000 fridge 57 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,640 just so you can save two bucks before it dies because the Wi-Fi crapped itself. 58 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,880 Fridges have Wi-Fi now. Hey, that's it for this one. Thanks for watching, guys. 59 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,320 Like a video if, like a video. Dislike it if you disliked it. 60 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,920 Check out our other videos and comment below with video suggestions, but most important of all, 61 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,920 at the end of the day, it's the summary. 62 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:38,120 In conclusion, don't forget to subscribe and follow. I could keep talking as long as you want me to.