Study: 70% of Flat-Panel TVs to be Eco-friendly by 2012

Twenty percent of flat-panel TV shipments in 2008 had green features, according to DisplaySearch.

"Green Technology in Flat Panel Display: Market Technology and Trends" expects that number to hit 70 percent by 2012.

Green flat panels accounted for almost 20 percent of the total $95.6 billion market for TFT LCDs, OLEDs, and plasmas, according to the study. DisplaySearch says green flat panel penetration will pass 50 percent in 2011 and achieve 100 percent in 2014.

DisplaySearch finds flat panel manufacturers work on green features for many reasons:

• Environmental Regulations — Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), Energy Using Products (EuP), Energy Star, TCO and others
• Cost Reduction — While not all green technologies represent cost reductions for panel makers, as long as the technologies improve and more suppliers adopt them, green will eventually lead to lower costs
• Social Responsibility — corporate citizenship in areas including global energy savings
• Prevention of future damages or customers claims

"Energy savings is a hot topic globally, whether the economy is good or bad. Displays often have the highest power consumption of any component in electronics products," says David Hsieh, VP of DisplaySearch and author of this report.

According to DisplaySearch, here are the four methods to implement green displays:

• Green Panel Design — new cell structures that increase panel transmittance or new technologies
• Energy-Saving Production Processes — photomask reduction, ink-jet printing of color filters, roll-to-roll production, and replacement of toxic gases in production
• Green Components — glass, color filter, liquid crystal, optical films, driver ICs and LED backlights
• Packaging — space-saving containers for better transportation efficiency and recyclable packing materials

Related: Are Green Jobs the Wave of the Future?

Green Flat Panel Trends