Dell (DELL) announced today plans to transition all of its new laptop LCDs to mercury-free light-emitting diode [LED] backlights over the next 12 months. This is a major achievement and marks another important step in the co.’s commitment of becoming the ‘greenest’ technology company on the planet.
The announcement was made during the company’s mobility summit in the Principality of Monaco, Monte Carlo, (Sept.24), where Jeff Clarke, senior vice president, Dell Product Group reiterated the company’s commitment “to leading the transition to energy-efficient LED technology”. “Our customers, stated Clark, “have made it clear that they want the greenest technology possible.”
The first laptops to make the switch (about 2/3 of the Latitude E-family) will be the Latitude E4200, E4300, E6400, E6400 ATG and E6500. Also shipping with LED back lighting as a standard display will be the Dell Precision M2400 and M4400 mobile workstations. I think is fair to assume at this point that other models will follow over the next several quarters.
In addition to being mercury-free and highly recyclable, LED displays deliver significant energy savings compared to cold cathode fluorescent lamp [CCFL] technology. According to Dell, power savings are rather significant. Its 15-inch LED displays for example consumes an average of 43% less power at maximum brightness. The co. estimates customer savings of approximately $20 million and 220 million kilowatt-hours in 2010 and 2011 combined, the equivalent of annual CO2 emissions resulting from energy use of more than 10,000 homes.
Dell also estimates that at least 80% of its total laptop volume will be delivered with LEDs as a standard back-lit display by the end of fiscal ’09 and 100% in fiscal 2010.
The Round Rock, Texas-based co. expects the development and supply chain enablement efforts to pave the way for others in the industry to follow. Dell is fulfilling its commitment to become the ‘greenest’ technology company on the planet. In June, it achieved an energy efficiency milestone by becoming the first company to introduce an “80 PLUS Gold-certified” power supply for servers, exceeding 2009 targets outlined by the Climate Savers Computing Initiative.
Dell also introduced its first “hybrid” PC that is about 80% smaller than a standard Dell desktop and consumes up to 70% less energy.
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