ABSTRACT
•
Standby power, also called vampire power, vampire draw, phantom
load, or leaking electricity, refers to the electric power consumed by
electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode.
Some such devices offer remote controls and digital clock features to
the user, while other devices, such as power adapter for laptop
computers and other electronic devices, consume power without offering
any features. This latter case is sometimes distinguished as no load
power. Standby power can be as high as 10 to 15 watts per device, and
occasionally more. Due in part to California regulations, a modern
appliance (2007 and newer) must use less than 0.5 watts on standby. For
example, a typical LCD television display uses less than 0.3 watts on
standby. A 2005 study estimates the number of standby appliances in the
EU at 3.7 billion .Although the power needed for functions like
displays, indicators, and remote control functions is relatively small,
the fact that the devices are continuously plugged in, and the number of
such devices in the average household means that the energy usage can
reach 22 percent of all appliance consumption, and around 10 percent of
total residential consumption.
INTRODUCTION Many household appliances are never fully switched off, but spend most of the time in a standby mode. A 1998 study estimated that devices on standby accounted for about 5% of U.S. residential electricity consumption, “adding up to more than $3 billion in annual energy costs”. A 2000 study said standby power accounted for around 10% of household power-consumption. A 2004 United States Department of Energy report found that national residential electricity consumption was 1.29 billion megawatt hours (MWH). 5% of that equals 64m MWH, about the output of 18 average power stations. The average American home uses 11,040 kWh of electricity per year. Unplugging a modern TV when not in use could save as much as 9 kWh per year. That would be a savings of only 0.08%. More energy savings would be obtained by converting an incandescent to a fluorescent or a fluorescent to an LED lamp. Keep in mind that some standby power requirements are needed for devices such as security systems or fire alarms. Some standby power, such as power needed for timers or programmable thermostats, reduces total electrical usage. The Reducing Consumption section below provides practical advice on reducing standby power. Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These "phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance." FIRE RISKS The risk of fire from devices in standby mode is debated. There are reported cases where televisions have caught on fire in stand-by mode. The contributing factors for such fires include: • Humid environments • Lightning storms • Age of the appliance A modern HD LCD television may use 1W or less when in standby mode, compared to 80-125W during operation. Features that require Standby Power are: • Internal clocks and sensor • External clock displays and panel display LEDs; • Remote control sensors; • Battery rechargers and power-conversion packs; Communications between a base unit and a portable unit (as in a portable phone). Identifying Devices An appliance watt meter can be used to find out how much energy is used by standby power. Watt meters can often be borrowed from the local power authorities or a local public library. Standby power consumption can oftentimes be indicated qualitatively, if after a several hours of non-operation a device is still warm to touch (usually surface near to the power plug). Such elevated surface temperature will depend on the standby power consumption and the device surface, so small enough standby consumptions cannot be detected in this way. Devices and functions that can consume standby power • Power supplies, transformers and inefficient electronic devices • VCRs, DVD players and most audio systems • TVs, home cinema suites and set-top boxes • Microwave ovens • Cordless phones and answering machines • Security systems and fire alarms • Computers, digital monitors and printers • Door bells • Timers, motion sensors, light sensors and automatic sprinklers • Programmable thermostats • Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) • Devices with "Instant on" functions, with remote control receivers, or waiting for the user to interact • Devices with a stand-by light or clock • Power adapters (sometimes referred to as wall warts), whether they are powering a device or not • Most home video game consoles • Standby Indicator • DC Power adaptor Reducing Consumption The most practical and effective way to reduce standby power in the home is to set computerized devices to power saving mode. Home computers all have Power Schemes that allow the computer to go into a System Standby mode after a predetermined time. Keep in mind that screen savers are not power savers and do not reduce power consumption. Blue-ray players often have a quick-start mode, which should be turned off to reduce standby power to from 5.0 watts to 0.5 watts. Video games often use power when they are turned off, but the standby power can be further reduced if the correct options are set. For example, a Wii game can go from 18 watts to 8 watts to 1 watt by turning off the WiiConnect24 and Standby Connection options. Products that have batteries or are always plugged-in use standby power. Consider purchasing a corded vacuum cleaner rather than a cordless one to reduce standby consumption. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units also use significant standby power. If a flashlight is only used occasionally, consider buying an LED flashlight with regular batteries rather than a flashlight that requires being plugged into a wall. The simplest way to reduce standby power consumption is to unplug unused devices. Another method is to plug them into a switchable power bar or surge protector with multiple sockets and a real off switch, then switching the power bar on and off as needed. Another alternative is to consider buying energy saving devices or devices that offer a real off switch. Replacing battery-powered devices, such as cordless phones or rechargeable razors, with corded alternatives not only cuts down on the standby power required to charge the battery, but also reduces energy lost in battery charging and discharging inefficiencies. Timers can be used to turn off standby power to devices that are unused on a regular schedule. Switches can turn on/off based on activity sensors. Home automation sensors, switches and controllers can be used to handle more complex sensing and switching. However, many of these devices in their turn require standby power, as well as requiring energy and resources to make and recycle the device, so care should be taken to assure reduction in power use. Standby power consumption of some computers can be reduced by turning off components that use power in standby mode. For instance, disabling Wake-on-LAN, "wake on modem", "wake on keyboard" or "wake on USB" may reduce power when in standby. Unused features may be disabled in the computer's BIOS setup to save power. A switchable multiple socket or power bar Table showing the information about the Vampire Power Vampire Average (W) Silver Stake (or what to do) Desktop computer 73.97 W when on and idle (21.13 W when asleep and 2.84 when off) If you're going away for a short period of time, make sure you hibernate your computer, instead of leaving it on If you're going away for a good while, TURN IT OFF (and better yet, switch off the surge protector/power strip) Laptop 44.28 W when on and charging (and down to 4.42 W with just the power supply plugged in) Pretty similar to a desk top. Make sure to unplug the power supply when you're done. DVR and digital cable combo 44.63 W when not recording with the TV off...but still a whole 43.46 W even when it's turned off by remote Unplug it. Microwave When it's off with the door closed, it'll use about 3W (with the door open, you're looking at 25.79 W and when you're cooking...a whole 1433 W) Don't leave it cooking with nothing in there. That'd just be silly. Close the door. Unplug it. Cell phone charger When you're phone is plugged in but fully charged, you're drawing 2.24 W (and when the charger alone is stuck in the wall you're down to 0.14 W) Don't leave your phone "charging" when it's not charging Unplug it. Statistics of costing and tips for reducing Vampire-Power: The amount of standby power wasted varies among electronic equipment, but overall, the cost to consumers and businesses for all the electricity lost to vampire power in the US is estimated to be $4 billion annually. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates the global energy consumption due to standby power at between 200-400terawatts per year. Not all of this vampire power is truly wasted—after all, many of the features in modern electronics that require standby power are either critical for proper functioning of the unit or are associated with desirable features. Most wasted standby power is consumed by inefficient power supplies and components that are getting power unnecessarily. An Australian study of global standby power usage in electronic devices estimated that electronics manufacturers could reduce vampire power by 30% right off the bat just by using existing, better technologies—and with minimal additional cost to consumers. WHERE DO THE VAMPIRES DWELL? Exact figures on total losses to standby power are not available, but the most recent major survey on the subject estimated that in the United States, 5% of electricity usage is due to standby power. In Europe, the numbers run slightly higher: France at 7% and Germany and the Netherlands at 10% each. Australia comes in at 11%, Japan at 12%. Vampire Power Strips The Smart Strip power strip features advanced circuitry that not only offers excellent power surge protection and line noise filtering, but is actually able to ‘sense’ the flow of electrical current through the strip’s control outlet. Because of this unique ability, the Smart Strip can turn off selected equipment when it’s not in use, creating benefits that no other power strip on the market today can offer. Most importantly, the smart strip prevents a “phantom load.” Honestly, I had no idea what this term meant. It sounded scary and I was more than happy to invest in a Smart Strip at that point if it prevented the “phantom load.” Turns out, a “phantom load” is actually any appliance or electronic gadget that uses energy even when turned off. Sometimes they are referred to as “vampire appliances” or “energy vampires.” If your home or office is typical, you live with at least 20 vampires (if you’re a Twilight fan, this may excite you more than it should). That adds about $200 to your annual energy bill, according to Cornell University. The “off” button doesn’t really mean off anymore—it means “standby.” Your TV with remote control likely uses more energy during the majority of hours a day that it’s turned off and in a “standby power” state than it does during the hours you’re actually watching. According to Cornell, we are using the equivalent of seven electrical generating plants just to supply these vampires that are supposedly turned “off.” Here are some of the most common energy suckers: • Appliances with remote controls (i.e. TVs, VCRs, audio equipment). • Appliances with a continuous display (i.e. clocks on microwaves and ovens) Table with standy by power ratings of various devices Appliances with rechargeable batteries (i.e. cordless phones or digital cameras) Appliances with external power supplies (i.e. printers and iPod chargers). Product/Mode Average (W) Min (W) Max (W) Count Air Conditioner, room/wall Off 0.9 0.9 0.9 1 Charger, mobile phone On, charged 2.24 0.75 4.11 4 On, charging 3.68 0.27 7.5 23 Power supply only 0.26 0.02 1 32 Clock, radio On 2.01 0.97 7.6 23 Computer Display, LCD Off 1.13 0.31 3.5 32 On 27.61 1.9 55.48 31 Sleep 1.38 0.37 7.8 30 Set-top Box, digital cable On, TV off 24.65 14.2 74.74 18 On, TV on 29.64 14.1 102.23 18 Off by remote 17.83 13.24 30.6 14 Off by switch 17.5 13.7 26.3 16 Speakers, computer On, no sound 4.12 0.69 9.84 21 Off 1.79 0 5.6 19 Stereo, portable CD, not playing 4.11 1.29 6.83 15 Cassette, not playing 2.42 1.16 5.92 13 CD playing 6.8 3.96 9.2 15 Off 1.66 0.7 5.44 19 Radio playing 3.3 1.36 8.25 20 CD Player On, not playing 8.62 4 25.7 7 On, playing 9.91 5.8 25.6 7 Off 5.04 2 18.4 7 Coffee Maker Off 1.14 0 2.7 12 Copier Off 1.49 0 2.97 2 On 9.63 3.6 14 3 DVD Player On, not playing 7.54 0.24 12.7 33 On, playing 9.91 5.28 17.17 33 Off 1.55 0 10.58 33 Microwave Ovens Ready, door closed 3.08 1.4 4.9 18 Ready, door open 25.79 1.6 39 17 Cooking 1433. 966.2 1723. 18 Surge Protector Off 1.05 0 6.3 6 On 0.8 0 6.92 43 Telephone Answering Device Off 2.01 1.31 2.55 7 Ready 2.25 1.42 2.83 7 Television/VCR Off by remote 5.15 2.15 13.3 6 Off by switch 5.99 2.15 13.11 7 Turntable (audio) On, not playing 6.01 1.72 12.8 3 Off 0.2 0 0.6 3 VCR On, not playing 7.77 3.8 11.62 14 Off 4.68071 1.2 9.9 14 How to reduce vampire power? Top 10 ways to fight vampires 1. Unplug your devices. It's as simple as that. Pull TV/computer/stereo/etc. power cords out of the outlet. If they're not in use or if they're totally unnecessary (are you really going to ever use that VCR player again?), unplug. 2. Reduce your demand. Sure, electronic gizmos are fun. But do you really need 2 TVs for one room? If the answer is yes, then at least follow No. 6's advice! 3. Use the other off switch. Many devices also have an 'off' switch in the back. For example, most computers come with one 'soft' power switch on the front, which takes it from standby to on. Separately, there is usually a real 'on/off' switch located in the back on 4. The power supply (near where the power cord goes in). 5. Turn off your power strip. Plug your devices and chargers into a power strip. And when you're not using those devices, turn the strip off. 6. Remove chargers from the wall when you're not charging. Your cell phone charger, iPod charger, laptop charger, etc. keeps drawing electricity even if your phone/IPod/laptop/etc isn't charging. So if your phone says "Charge complete" (or worse, isn't even attached to your charger), pull the charger out of the wall. 7. Buy Energy Star certified appliances if you're in the market for new stuff. Energy Star takes standby power into account, and devices that qualify for certification draw less energy than others in "off" mode. Some of their best electronic items include cordless phones and audio equipment. 8. Get a cell phone that tells you to unplug it. Nokia will be rolling out new phones with audible alerts that say, "Battery is full, please unplug the charger." This feature will first appear in models 1200, 1208 and 1650 and will most likely debut in Europe. 9. Use a smart strip for your computer accessories. These work really well when it's not feasible to unplug your devices. Check out the Insole. This power strip saves energy by monitoring occupancy. The Smart Strip Power Strip monitors power differences between computers and peripherals. This way, when you shut down your computer, the Smart Strip automatically shuts off the accessories. The Mini Power Minder also works by communicating between your computer and your accessory. 10. Use a Kill-A-Watt device to measure your electronics' power consumption. It can actually be kind of fun (and definitely enlightening) to run around your house and see how much juice each piece of equipment takes. You'll likely be surprised. (If you want something a little more hardcore, try Watts Up?). 11. Check out the Green Switch wireless home energy control system, which let's you cut power to various electronics quite easily. For other whole house devices and monitoring, this interview that might be right up your alley. RECENT TRENDS Bridge shaped surge protectors Time sensitive surge protectors Eco-Foot print trackers Pretty drain plugs FUTURE TRENDS AT&T Zero Charger Jams Wooden Stake into Vampire Power Usage By completely eliminating vampire power draw when plugged in and unused, AT&T's Zero charger uses less electricity and has the potential to reduce electricity bills - if ever so slightly. Whether you realize it or not, there are vampires in your house right now, sucking away at your most important resources. We’re not talking about vampire bats, kids, or even metaphorically about the stars of Jersey Shore sapping your time, but vampire power devices, which consume electricity even when they’re turned off. Cell phone chargers typically make the list, but AT&T struck back at the nibbling nuisances on Wednesday with the Zero charger, which consumes absolutely zero electricity when turned off. It works by automatically disconnecting the charging circuit when there’s no phone connected, eliminating the wasted power that typically comes from keeping it idle. To work with existing phones, it offers a single USB port to accept the charging cables that typically come with modern devices. Although “phantom power” devices typically consume under one watt, because many households host a multitude of them, and they run 24 hours a day, AT&T estimates the wasted electricity could power 24,000 homes for a year. On a smaller scale, the difference becomes almost impossibly subtle: Even assuming a charger consumes one full watt when not in use – a fairly hungry charger by manufacturers’ own standards – and is left in an outlet every single day for a full year, it would consume about $1 worth of electricity per year, at average U.S. utility prices. AT&T hasn’t yet announced pricing for the Zero charger, but it will arrive in retail stores and online in May. Watt Stopper's Digital Lighting Management System It’s like having a personal energy manager in every room • Fastest - plugs together for quick error-free installation • Easiest-automatically configures to maximize energy efficiency • Best - saves energy beyond code requirements for the greatest ROI Digital Lighting Management (DLM) is an intelligent, distributed control system that automatically maximizes lighting energy efficiency… CONCLUSION By adopting these advanced technologies we can reduce vampire power to the large extent and can be benefited a lot. REFERENCES www.greenoptions.com www.grinningplanet.com www.pcworld.com www.ehow.com
INTRODUCTION Many household appliances are never fully switched off, but spend most of the time in a standby mode. A 1998 study estimated that devices on standby accounted for about 5% of U.S. residential electricity consumption, “adding up to more than $3 billion in annual energy costs”. A 2000 study said standby power accounted for around 10% of household power-consumption. A 2004 United States Department of Energy report found that national residential electricity consumption was 1.29 billion megawatt hours (MWH). 5% of that equals 64m MWH, about the output of 18 average power stations. The average American home uses 11,040 kWh of electricity per year. Unplugging a modern TV when not in use could save as much as 9 kWh per year. That would be a savings of only 0.08%. More energy savings would be obtained by converting an incandescent to a fluorescent or a fluorescent to an LED lamp. Keep in mind that some standby power requirements are needed for devices such as security systems or fire alarms. Some standby power, such as power needed for timers or programmable thermostats, reduces total electrical usage. The Reducing Consumption section below provides practical advice on reducing standby power. Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These "phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance." FIRE RISKS The risk of fire from devices in standby mode is debated. There are reported cases where televisions have caught on fire in stand-by mode. The contributing factors for such fires include: • Humid environments • Lightning storms • Age of the appliance A modern HD LCD television may use 1W or less when in standby mode, compared to 80-125W during operation. Features that require Standby Power are: • Internal clocks and sensor • External clock displays and panel display LEDs; • Remote control sensors; • Battery rechargers and power-conversion packs; Communications between a base unit and a portable unit (as in a portable phone). Identifying Devices An appliance watt meter can be used to find out how much energy is used by standby power. Watt meters can often be borrowed from the local power authorities or a local public library. Standby power consumption can oftentimes be indicated qualitatively, if after a several hours of non-operation a device is still warm to touch (usually surface near to the power plug). Such elevated surface temperature will depend on the standby power consumption and the device surface, so small enough standby consumptions cannot be detected in this way. Devices and functions that can consume standby power • Power supplies, transformers and inefficient electronic devices • VCRs, DVD players and most audio systems • TVs, home cinema suites and set-top boxes • Microwave ovens • Cordless phones and answering machines • Security systems and fire alarms • Computers, digital monitors and printers • Door bells • Timers, motion sensors, light sensors and automatic sprinklers • Programmable thermostats • Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) • Devices with "Instant on" functions, with remote control receivers, or waiting for the user to interact • Devices with a stand-by light or clock • Power adapters (sometimes referred to as wall warts), whether they are powering a device or not • Most home video game consoles • Standby Indicator • DC Power adaptor Reducing Consumption The most practical and effective way to reduce standby power in the home is to set computerized devices to power saving mode. Home computers all have Power Schemes that allow the computer to go into a System Standby mode after a predetermined time. Keep in mind that screen savers are not power savers and do not reduce power consumption. Blue-ray players often have a quick-start mode, which should be turned off to reduce standby power to from 5.0 watts to 0.5 watts. Video games often use power when they are turned off, but the standby power can be further reduced if the correct options are set. For example, a Wii game can go from 18 watts to 8 watts to 1 watt by turning off the WiiConnect24 and Standby Connection options. Products that have batteries or are always plugged-in use standby power. Consider purchasing a corded vacuum cleaner rather than a cordless one to reduce standby consumption. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units also use significant standby power. If a flashlight is only used occasionally, consider buying an LED flashlight with regular batteries rather than a flashlight that requires being plugged into a wall. The simplest way to reduce standby power consumption is to unplug unused devices. Another method is to plug them into a switchable power bar or surge protector with multiple sockets and a real off switch, then switching the power bar on and off as needed. Another alternative is to consider buying energy saving devices or devices that offer a real off switch. Replacing battery-powered devices, such as cordless phones or rechargeable razors, with corded alternatives not only cuts down on the standby power required to charge the battery, but also reduces energy lost in battery charging and discharging inefficiencies. Timers can be used to turn off standby power to devices that are unused on a regular schedule. Switches can turn on/off based on activity sensors. Home automation sensors, switches and controllers can be used to handle more complex sensing and switching. However, many of these devices in their turn require standby power, as well as requiring energy and resources to make and recycle the device, so care should be taken to assure reduction in power use. Standby power consumption of some computers can be reduced by turning off components that use power in standby mode. For instance, disabling Wake-on-LAN, "wake on modem", "wake on keyboard" or "wake on USB" may reduce power when in standby. Unused features may be disabled in the computer's BIOS setup to save power. A switchable multiple socket or power bar Table showing the information about the Vampire Power Vampire Average (W) Silver Stake (or what to do) Desktop computer 73.97 W when on and idle (21.13 W when asleep and 2.84 when off) If you're going away for a short period of time, make sure you hibernate your computer, instead of leaving it on If you're going away for a good while, TURN IT OFF (and better yet, switch off the surge protector/power strip) Laptop 44.28 W when on and charging (and down to 4.42 W with just the power supply plugged in) Pretty similar to a desk top. Make sure to unplug the power supply when you're done. DVR and digital cable combo 44.63 W when not recording with the TV off...but still a whole 43.46 W even when it's turned off by remote Unplug it. Microwave When it's off with the door closed, it'll use about 3W (with the door open, you're looking at 25.79 W and when you're cooking...a whole 1433 W) Don't leave it cooking with nothing in there. That'd just be silly. Close the door. Unplug it. Cell phone charger When you're phone is plugged in but fully charged, you're drawing 2.24 W (and when the charger alone is stuck in the wall you're down to 0.14 W) Don't leave your phone "charging" when it's not charging Unplug it. Statistics of costing and tips for reducing Vampire-Power: The amount of standby power wasted varies among electronic equipment, but overall, the cost to consumers and businesses for all the electricity lost to vampire power in the US is estimated to be $4 billion annually. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates the global energy consumption due to standby power at between 200-400terawatts per year. Not all of this vampire power is truly wasted—after all, many of the features in modern electronics that require standby power are either critical for proper functioning of the unit or are associated with desirable features. Most wasted standby power is consumed by inefficient power supplies and components that are getting power unnecessarily. An Australian study of global standby power usage in electronic devices estimated that electronics manufacturers could reduce vampire power by 30% right off the bat just by using existing, better technologies—and with minimal additional cost to consumers. WHERE DO THE VAMPIRES DWELL? Exact figures on total losses to standby power are not available, but the most recent major survey on the subject estimated that in the United States, 5% of electricity usage is due to standby power. In Europe, the numbers run slightly higher: France at 7% and Germany and the Netherlands at 10% each. Australia comes in at 11%, Japan at 12%. Vampire Power Strips The Smart Strip power strip features advanced circuitry that not only offers excellent power surge protection and line noise filtering, but is actually able to ‘sense’ the flow of electrical current through the strip’s control outlet. Because of this unique ability, the Smart Strip can turn off selected equipment when it’s not in use, creating benefits that no other power strip on the market today can offer. Most importantly, the smart strip prevents a “phantom load.” Honestly, I had no idea what this term meant. It sounded scary and I was more than happy to invest in a Smart Strip at that point if it prevented the “phantom load.” Turns out, a “phantom load” is actually any appliance or electronic gadget that uses energy even when turned off. Sometimes they are referred to as “vampire appliances” or “energy vampires.” If your home or office is typical, you live with at least 20 vampires (if you’re a Twilight fan, this may excite you more than it should). That adds about $200 to your annual energy bill, according to Cornell University. The “off” button doesn’t really mean off anymore—it means “standby.” Your TV with remote control likely uses more energy during the majority of hours a day that it’s turned off and in a “standby power” state than it does during the hours you’re actually watching. According to Cornell, we are using the equivalent of seven electrical generating plants just to supply these vampires that are supposedly turned “off.” Here are some of the most common energy suckers: • Appliances with remote controls (i.e. TVs, VCRs, audio equipment). • Appliances with a continuous display (i.e. clocks on microwaves and ovens) Table with standy by power ratings of various devices Appliances with rechargeable batteries (i.e. cordless phones or digital cameras) Appliances with external power supplies (i.e. printers and iPod chargers). Product/Mode Average (W) Min (W) Max (W) Count Air Conditioner, room/wall Off 0.9 0.9 0.9 1 Charger, mobile phone On, charged 2.24 0.75 4.11 4 On, charging 3.68 0.27 7.5 23 Power supply only 0.26 0.02 1 32 Clock, radio On 2.01 0.97 7.6 23 Computer Display, LCD Off 1.13 0.31 3.5 32 On 27.61 1.9 55.48 31 Sleep 1.38 0.37 7.8 30 Set-top Box, digital cable On, TV off 24.65 14.2 74.74 18 On, TV on 29.64 14.1 102.23 18 Off by remote 17.83 13.24 30.6 14 Off by switch 17.5 13.7 26.3 16 Speakers, computer On, no sound 4.12 0.69 9.84 21 Off 1.79 0 5.6 19 Stereo, portable CD, not playing 4.11 1.29 6.83 15 Cassette, not playing 2.42 1.16 5.92 13 CD playing 6.8 3.96 9.2 15 Off 1.66 0.7 5.44 19 Radio playing 3.3 1.36 8.25 20 CD Player On, not playing 8.62 4 25.7 7 On, playing 9.91 5.8 25.6 7 Off 5.04 2 18.4 7 Coffee Maker Off 1.14 0 2.7 12 Copier Off 1.49 0 2.97 2 On 9.63 3.6 14 3 DVD Player On, not playing 7.54 0.24 12.7 33 On, playing 9.91 5.28 17.17 33 Off 1.55 0 10.58 33 Microwave Ovens Ready, door closed 3.08 1.4 4.9 18 Ready, door open 25.79 1.6 39 17 Cooking 1433. 966.2 1723. 18 Surge Protector Off 1.05 0 6.3 6 On 0.8 0 6.92 43 Telephone Answering Device Off 2.01 1.31 2.55 7 Ready 2.25 1.42 2.83 7 Television/VCR Off by remote 5.15 2.15 13.3 6 Off by switch 5.99 2.15 13.11 7 Turntable (audio) On, not playing 6.01 1.72 12.8 3 Off 0.2 0 0.6 3 VCR On, not playing 7.77 3.8 11.62 14 Off 4.68071 1.2 9.9 14 How to reduce vampire power? Top 10 ways to fight vampires 1. Unplug your devices. It's as simple as that. Pull TV/computer/stereo/etc. power cords out of the outlet. If they're not in use or if they're totally unnecessary (are you really going to ever use that VCR player again?), unplug. 2. Reduce your demand. Sure, electronic gizmos are fun. But do you really need 2 TVs for one room? If the answer is yes, then at least follow No. 6's advice! 3. Use the other off switch. Many devices also have an 'off' switch in the back. For example, most computers come with one 'soft' power switch on the front, which takes it from standby to on. Separately, there is usually a real 'on/off' switch located in the back on 4. The power supply (near where the power cord goes in). 5. Turn off your power strip. Plug your devices and chargers into a power strip. And when you're not using those devices, turn the strip off. 6. Remove chargers from the wall when you're not charging. Your cell phone charger, iPod charger, laptop charger, etc. keeps drawing electricity even if your phone/IPod/laptop/etc isn't charging. So if your phone says "Charge complete" (or worse, isn't even attached to your charger), pull the charger out of the wall. 7. Buy Energy Star certified appliances if you're in the market for new stuff. Energy Star takes standby power into account, and devices that qualify for certification draw less energy than others in "off" mode. Some of their best electronic items include cordless phones and audio equipment. 8. Get a cell phone that tells you to unplug it. Nokia will be rolling out new phones with audible alerts that say, "Battery is full, please unplug the charger." This feature will first appear in models 1200, 1208 and 1650 and will most likely debut in Europe. 9. Use a smart strip for your computer accessories. These work really well when it's not feasible to unplug your devices. Check out the Insole. This power strip saves energy by monitoring occupancy. The Smart Strip Power Strip monitors power differences between computers and peripherals. This way, when you shut down your computer, the Smart Strip automatically shuts off the accessories. The Mini Power Minder also works by communicating between your computer and your accessory. 10. Use a Kill-A-Watt device to measure your electronics' power consumption. It can actually be kind of fun (and definitely enlightening) to run around your house and see how much juice each piece of equipment takes. You'll likely be surprised. (If you want something a little more hardcore, try Watts Up?). 11. Check out the Green Switch wireless home energy control system, which let's you cut power to various electronics quite easily. For other whole house devices and monitoring, this interview that might be right up your alley. RECENT TRENDS Bridge shaped surge protectors Time sensitive surge protectors Eco-Foot print trackers Pretty drain plugs FUTURE TRENDS AT&T Zero Charger Jams Wooden Stake into Vampire Power Usage By completely eliminating vampire power draw when plugged in and unused, AT&T's Zero charger uses less electricity and has the potential to reduce electricity bills - if ever so slightly. Whether you realize it or not, there are vampires in your house right now, sucking away at your most important resources. We’re not talking about vampire bats, kids, or even metaphorically about the stars of Jersey Shore sapping your time, but vampire power devices, which consume electricity even when they’re turned off. Cell phone chargers typically make the list, but AT&T struck back at the nibbling nuisances on Wednesday with the Zero charger, which consumes absolutely zero electricity when turned off. It works by automatically disconnecting the charging circuit when there’s no phone connected, eliminating the wasted power that typically comes from keeping it idle. To work with existing phones, it offers a single USB port to accept the charging cables that typically come with modern devices. Although “phantom power” devices typically consume under one watt, because many households host a multitude of them, and they run 24 hours a day, AT&T estimates the wasted electricity could power 24,000 homes for a year. On a smaller scale, the difference becomes almost impossibly subtle: Even assuming a charger consumes one full watt when not in use – a fairly hungry charger by manufacturers’ own standards – and is left in an outlet every single day for a full year, it would consume about $1 worth of electricity per year, at average U.S. utility prices. AT&T hasn’t yet announced pricing for the Zero charger, but it will arrive in retail stores and online in May. Watt Stopper's Digital Lighting Management System It’s like having a personal energy manager in every room • Fastest - plugs together for quick error-free installation • Easiest-automatically configures to maximize energy efficiency • Best - saves energy beyond code requirements for the greatest ROI Digital Lighting Management (DLM) is an intelligent, distributed control system that automatically maximizes lighting energy efficiency… CONCLUSION By adopting these advanced technologies we can reduce vampire power to the large extent and can be benefited a lot. REFERENCES www.greenoptions.com www.grinningplanet.com www.pcworld.com www.ehow.com
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