Posted on 01/04/2012 5:03:08 AM PST by DemforBush
Unplugging each and every appliance and device not in use can be a pain, but it's something you must do if you don't want to pay for standby power — or the energy consumed by electronics while they're switched off. Right now you can use a power strip to make unplugging easier, but if PumPing Tap's designers ever bring their product to market, you don't have to worry about unplugging at all...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
TV’s used to have to “warm up” because they had tubes. That is no longer the case.
Being concerned about a miniscule amount of electricity that the clock on the coffee pot or an electronic device might use, etc. is ridiculous.
Tell me about it. I've had to promote the plunger from occasional visitor to regular companion. And as a bonus, the well-designed toilet is the only one I've ever had to turn the flow off so as to prevent an overflow.
“It’s about 10% of total power usage now.”
Please give some data to support this.....because I simply do NOT believe it.
I forgot all about that little bit of information
When your computer goes to 'standby' or 'sleep' mode it shuts off power to the monitor, speakers, printer, desk lamp or whatever else you plug into it. I'm trying to work out the payback for installing them in every office in a commerical office building, especially where most desks have two-six monitors on them.
How can I reduce standby power use in my home?Limited research suggests that an informed and aggressive approach can reduce standby use by about 30%. Frankly, there are more productive ways to save energy with an investment of an hour but if high standby energy use stands between you and the goal of a zero energy home, then it's an hour well spent.
How much power is used for standby in the US?...Worldwide?
Nobody knows for sure, but it's typically 5-10% of residential electricity use in most developed countries...
So if you're willing to waste a lot of your time and effort you might be able to shave your electrical use by 1.5% to 3%. I'd rather skip buying a morning coffee one day a month.
“Nobody knows for sure...”
THAT is likely to be much more accurate.
;-)
This little gadget is handy to find whats eating up a power bill.
I use it to quick test equipment also. You might be
surprised how much power a toaster uses just being plugged in.
If you have a desktop computer with all the peripherals I think the $35 power strip will pay for itself. Likewise if you have an older, less efficient, flatscreen TV plus the cable box, DVD player, etc.
That 10% number might be right if you have a gas stove, gas dryer, gas hot water heater, and gas heat.
This is pretty amusing. It means that
1. You won’t be able to turn on anything by a remote control, because it will be unplugged. You’ll have to plug in your TV, etc, every time you want to watch it.
2. Forget anything with a built-in clock, or timer that’s supposed to turn something on (like a coffee maker). The power consumption of those electronics is indistinguishable from the ‘standby’ power that causes the plug to eject.
3. Don’t try to charge any battery-operated device with its wall-wart charger. The proposed plug device will not be able to reliably sense the difference between moderate-to-small operating and charging current and true standby condition of the portable device.
I wonder how much extra energy this gadget itself consumes, and what it will cost to buy and replace when it breaks.
By the way, the illustration shows a European plug. Figures.
All electric energy dissipates as heat. Anytime the outside temperature is less than 70F standby power helps reduce your heating bill.
Those smart outlets consume power. It may be less than the appliance's standby power, but it is there.
Good post and I agree. The lack of common sense among liberals is reaching the point of becoming a joke.
AND ... precisely because we question whether something like this is good, they will often assume that conservatives do not believe in being good stewards of the wonderful resources God has given us. (shaking head)
At my current electrical rate, that $35 power strip represents 27W of stand-by power for 20 hours a day, 365 days a year for one year. Not worth the hassle.
Did you analyze in detail where your 200+ watts were going?
You can minimize this with a SmartStip (or equivalent) powerstrip. There is a control pot on the strip where you plug in the "master" appliance, in this case a TV. The TV always gets power, but the rest of the strip is turned off until you turn on the TV. When it senses that the TV is drawing full power it turns on the rest of the stack. In case you have some other "always on" devices thaere are a couple of "always hot" pots on the strip that are left out of the smart circuit. I've got on on my TV and one on my computer. They save bucks.
On the other hand, sockets that "eject" plugs are the stupidest idea I've heard of in a while.
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