Putting in a little effort can decrease idling load by maybe 20 watts, give or take (with major variation from household to household). That amounts to about 175 KWH per year, or roughly about $20 per year at current average residential electricity rates.
I really ought to get a power strip for my TV. Most of the energy it consumes is consumed while it is off. Same is true of my DTV box. If my computer system was not on a power strip, most of the energy consumed by my printer and cable modem (and its wallwart) would be consumed while they are off. If not for the power strip, about 5% of the energy consumed by my monitor and 20% of the energy consumed by the contents of my tower case would be consumed while they were off. And over 90% of the energy consumed by my landline phone is consumed while it is on standby.
That 75% number sounds high to me - I think more like 30%, possibly
At what? How much of the heat heats the target and how much goes elsewhere? Especially when it is air conditioning season?
Given your figures in earlier articles in this thread compared to ones I can show, I don't think it's a big deal for doorbell transformers to have to show their power consumption. And I doubt the cost would have to be increased more than $2 if the core material is "29M6" (or similarly good) as opposed to something only a couple steps above recycled ship hulls, and the primary turns count is increased enough to get peak magnetization down to about 13.75 kilogauss or so at 125 V. Doing all that can save most consumers about 75 cents to $1 per year per doorbell transformer.
I think "Energy Star" has done reasonably well, except for an instance brought to my attention earlier this year where EPA apparently did some boneheaded turf battle move against DOE in the area of LED lighting.
Most of those wallwarts when idling consume 1-2 watts of electricity, .5-1 watt if they are more modern "switchmode" ones as opposed to ones with iron core transformers. Modern cellphone chargers consume about .5 watt unloaded. (There is a noticeable weight difference between switchmode ones and iron core ones.)
1 watt costs close to $1 per year at average residential electric billing rates in the USA. I think that the power strip will have a payback rate exceeding that of a decent mutual fund experiencing a bhull market.
Blower motors don't consume nearly as much power as refrigeration/AC/ heatpump compressor motors. But some blowers are not nearly as efficient as they can be now, and some refrigeration from 20 years ago still exists now, while being something like 40-50% as efficient as the modern stuff.
That depends on the home. Some homes are in locations with lower climate control needs. Some homes are occupied by occupants with lower climate control needs. Also consider that (3) can add to load of (2) since heat from incandescent bulbs adds to heat to be pumped out of the home by air conditioning.
I would do everything where the payback rate exceeds that of long term dividend-reinvested performance of the S&P 500 (and that exceeds long term performance of value of a lot with a house on it).
the outlet strip likely has a power on light of some sort wasting
That is 1/4-1/3 watt, occaisionally less.
Power strips without lights are common and easily available.
I also know how to get in a light consuming only 1/20 watt! Make it an InGaN green LED, in series with a 150K 1/4 watt resistor and a suitable diode. Put a second diode across the LED antiparallel with the LED (parallel in opposite directions). This also usually works fairly well with an InGaN blue LED despite discouraging numbers for photometrics.
And I think that manufacturing cost of adding that in at the 100,000 unit per year level should be something like roughly 30-40 cents or so above that of using an NE-2H neon lamp and its appropriate resistor. That can still bump up the retail price a couple bucks. Retail price goes up $1 according to a business model selling minimum of 1/4 million and preferably 1/2 million units per year. Spend 1-2 bucks more for a power strip having an "on light" to consume
1/4 watt less and keeping the "on light" decently bright (save 20-25 cents less per year) - rate of return is comparable to or somewhat more than that of long term performance of an S&P 500 index fund, should the power strip last at least 20-30 years.
The LED cost can be brought down maybe a dime if instead of InGaN chemistry, the LED is the variant of GaP that is the most major one of the ones to be known as "low current red". Peak wavelength of that one is usually noted as 690, 697 or 700 nm - but the spectrum is a broadband red one, so most of the photometric output is not from "borderline infrared". It will be rather dim at average current of .34 milliamp, but still easily visible in a dark room. It is probably a good idea with this LED to use a
120K-ohm resistor instead of a 150K one (power consumption is increased from 1/20 watt to 1/16 watt) - and I would only do so if using such a red LED instead of the better green one is necessary and sufficient to decrease the retail price by a buck.
If it's merely 60-70% of everything and their usage-while-off is 3-5% of electric bill of 1/4-1/3 of people with electric bills, that is still significant!
And I can save pounds per year for a few pounds via a move that you deride as penny-wise-pound-foolish. Looks like I gotta put a switchable power strip for my TV and DTV box onto my written shopping list, since a parttime engineer also having a delivery job and a long term lover at age
Not really. You get far better return on your time and money by going after the 95-97%. Turn lights off when not in use. Unclog the line from the dryer. Go with a more efficient water heater and fridge if they're ancient. Spending a thousand dollars worth of time and supplies to trim off $2/month is insanity. It is the high wattage items that matter. Not three dozen quarter watt items that don't add up to 5 watts or to a whole ten dollars a year.
And I can easily tell you why. Take a close look at your first article in this rather long thread. Now using just that article, don't you see a rather nasty potential for injuring or killing someone?
So the immediate reaction from the people reading is
"What an IDIOT! He wants to save a couple of cents per month at the risk of potentially killing someone! I have got to stop someone else from doing something this stupid and also potentially harming someone else"
Then later in the tread, you mention actually using a GFCI and wiring everything to code, etc., etc., etc. But you totally ignore anything involving return on investment. In order to save pennies, you spend 10s of dollars. Not a rational choice, but it is your choice.
I take issue with your assertion that this a long thread. We haven't even begun to put a value on "Pride of Ownership." Forget about the 120 volt welcome to strangers. That's a distraction from the real issue. Which is "Pride of Ownership." Whether it be your home or the apartment you are renting, consider this: The first impression you make on a visitor is your door, your doormat, and your doorbell or knocker. Also your house/apartment numbering if you care to be found. Take care of them and they will take care of you. I'm giving my daughter a new door mat for Christmas. Its color complements her home decor. Not the usual "Welcome." It says "Go Away." She may not think it appropriate. I leave the decision in her hands. Whatever she decides, a doormat is the smile your entryway presents to the world at large. But maybe not that one. This doormat costs 5 bucks. Yes, for as little as 5 bucks you can present an image to the world that says what you want it to say. That's many years of the transformer electricity savings being discussed. And much more valuable IN THE LONG RUN. Return on investment? What price "Pride of Ownership?" That's real ROI. Until the depths are plumbed trying our best to answer the real question - What price "Pride of Ownnership" - it is fruitless to waste time on transformer pennies. That's my strong belief. Others may disagree.
But the Chi Coms need to meet our requirements if it is sold here. I can't remember the last time I saw a new walwart that wasn't a much more efficient switcher design instead of an inefficient transformer.
Upset? NO - just amazed at your cost/benefit line of reasoning. It's fine to try to reduce energy consumption, but not the way you attacked that doorbell situation.
The new wall-warts are smaller, but it's NOT by eliminating the transformer. These new ones begin with an AC-to-AC converter, that operates on line voltage and raises the frequency. A higher frequency requires a smaller transformer.
"Switcher" refers to a more efficient voltage regulator, that controls the DC output by turning it on and off rather than by wasting power like a linear regulator (as in older wall warts) does. This also makes it smaller by reducing the need for a heat sink.
You think so, eh? How about the lead paint on toys, and Melamine in milk products and pet food?
They meet our requirements, do they?
And how about all those switch mode power supplies with defective electrolitic caps, that draw about 3 times the idle current they were designed to draw?
All because some ChiCom, as you call them, decided to cut corners (that's the only thing they are good at, by the way) on the formula for the electrolyte.
If I NEVER had to deal with another Chinese product it would be too soon, as far as I'm concerned. In my business (Computers) there would be NO product if there was no Chinese crap.
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