Part 1 of this blog series set up the burgeoning problem of the effect of set-top boxes (STB’s) on home energy use as highlighted by a recent NRDC study. In part 2, the actors responsible for implementing solutions to this growing problem are examined to determine what has been done so far to address the need for more efficient STB’s.

While most U.S. providers are aware of the STB issue, few have taken the steps to implement effective solutions. U.S. operators Verizon Communications and AT&T Inc. are the few cited as having mandated EPA’s Energy Star compliance for its STB’s going forward, taking the first step in ensuring that at least the boxes deployed meet Energy Star requirements. European pay-tv providers, on the other hand, have been pressured by the European Union to recognize the impact STB’s have on the consumer and the environment. For “simple STB’s” (i.e. no “Conditional Access” (CA), no “Digital Video Recorder” (DVR)), the EU has mandated power consumption levels and set timeframes with which operators must meet those levels with the devices they deploy. For complex STB’s (i.e. boxes with CA, DVR, DOCSIS modems, etc.), a voluntary agreement to set power consumption targets and timeframes was developed and brokered by the European ICT industry. Currently, many of the largest cable providers in the EU (Liberty Global/UPC, Kabel Duetschland, Kabel Baden Wurttemberg, Virgin Media, Telenet, and ONO) are participants in this voluntary agreement, along with other “Direct to Home” (DTH) and IP operators, as well as many of the suppliers of STB’s. 

The voluntary agreement calls for STB’s to meet efficiency standards similar to that of the U.S. Energy Star program from an overall power usage standpoint. Additionally, and probably more importantly, the voluntary agreement sets targets for “Total Energy Consumption” (TEC) in a year - targets that can only be met only if operators implement the deep sleep modes for their STB's. Defining and committing to TEC in a year as opposed to just power levels is a hugely positive step in the right direction. Suffice it to say, the agreement is still voluntary, and although estimates by the Digital Interoperability Forum indicate the agreement now covers 80% of the complex STB market in Europe, there is still a portion of the market not participating. Mechanisms such as enforcement and potential sanctions against a participating company that cannot meet the requirements of the agreement have yet to be tested. The voluntary agreement is certainly a great step in the right direction, but is still short of being a complete solution. Interestingly, this effort in Europe, at least anecdotally, is disproving common held beliefs about STB's and their energy efficiency in the home. First, the changes needed to improve STB efficiency have not cost the operators anything significant in the way of higher STB costs. Second, it appears at least for now that they have not caused any significant customer upheaval due to the changes in the way the STB works when sleep modes are implemented.

The STB efficiency issue is gaining traction in the U.S., signaled by the NRDC study and published feedback to the study in the New York Times, other web sites and blogs. The U.S. Department of Energy has communicated plans to put in place mandatory efficiency standards for STB’s similar to its requirements for many other appliances. As consumers become savvy about the total cost of ownership of STBs, they too may begin to actively join the discussion and push back on their providers to address the issue head-on. While the direction regulators, operators, and consumers may take on the issue of STB power usage and efficiency in the U.S. may not be certain, what is certain is that the issue itself is not going away.

Co-Authored by: Chuck Carroll and Lew Rakowsky