Digital Billboard Energy Use in California Phase II

Phase One of San Diego Gas and Electric’s Digital Billboard Project “Digital Billboard Use in California: ET14SDG8011” consisted of a description of digital billboards’ technology, preliminary energy profile, and a California market characterization. The final report, submitted in July 2014, estimated the various components of digital billboards (LEDs, power supplies, cooling systems, and the central processing unit) of a typical 14’ x 48’ digital billboard use between 29,000 and 94,000 kilowatt-hours per year, and estimated that roughly 250 to 300 of these digital billboards are installed in California. Additionally, the Phase One report recommended focusing on two energy savings measures: using high quality LEDs and tight brightness control settings[1].

This report summarizes Phase Two of San Diego Gas & Electric’s Digital Billboard Project, which builds upon the initial findings to take a closer look into the energy consumption of digital billboards by performing field measurements of installed sign’s brightness, analyzing utility bills from an existing sign and results from laboratory testing, as well as the potential energy savings of more efficient LEDs and reduced brightness settings. Based on the brightness studies and outreach throughout Phase II, it is clear there is a need for a better understanding of the energy efficiency opportunities among the different market actors. Best Practices documents can provide needed guidance to manufacturers, customers, and advertisers on common efficiency metrics and reporting guidelines. Similarly, an established Test Procedure will create consistent reporting practices on energy efficiency of digital billboards.