Set Top Boxes and Small Network Equipment

Overview

The Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of Set-Top Boxes (VA STBs) and the Voluntary Agreement for  Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of Small Network Equipment (VA SNE) are two historic initiatives designed to make set-top boxes and residential broadband equipment more energy efficient. Through united industry action, U.S. manufacturers commit to reducing the environmental impact of STBs and SNE while increasing benefits to consumers.

The Canadian Energy Efficiency Voluntary Agreement for Set-Top Boxes (VA CEEVA) followed suit after the successes realized from the US initiatives.

The Solution

Manufacturers of STBs and SNE wanted to voluntarily improve the energy-efficiency of equipment across the industry. In order to achieve their goal, they needed a firm that could learn the market and technology and demonstrated capabilities in analyzing and reporting highly confidential data.

As the independent administrator and data aggregator of the voluntary agreements, D+R International, created a systematic approach to collect and analyze the signatories’ data, conduct diligent audits, and summarize the findings in yearly reports that track progress and highlight growth and achievements of the voluntary agreements.

The Impact

The voluntary agreements have delivered rapid results that impact sustainability in ways that would not have been possible under other approaches. As the independent administrator and data aggregator for the programs, D+R delivers an annual report that provides transparency, public accountability, and objective updates on the programs’ progress toward greater energy efficiency. D+R’s findings include including:

  • At the end of 2017, The VA STBs saved 8 TWh of electricity, avoided 20.6 million metric tons of COemissions, and saved consumers $3.5 billion in electricity costs.
  • For SNE, the service provider signatories served 94.8 million residential U.S. internet subscribers at the end of 2017, accounting for 89.1% of the U.S. market.
  • For CEEVA, in 2017 the first reporting year, signatories demonstrated successful deployment of energy-efficient set-top boxes, with 100% of devices meeting the requirement energy levels.
Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of STBs and SNE
"This is a big win for nearly every American who pays a monthly television bill because experts tell me that federal standards could not have produced this much financial and energy savings by 2017."
—Senator Diane Feinstein D-California