Thread: Hello to All
View Single Post
Old 07-06-2015, 07:28 PM   #9 (permalink)
Gandalph
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Natick, MA
Posts: 8

Orangemobile - '11 Honda Fit Sport
90 day: 41.42 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thank you all for the warm welcome. Mods will have to wait until I return home on the 13th of July, as I'm out on the road right now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cowmeat View Post
BTW, what were the results of the hunt? I know the cable boxes and TVs draw some juice, did you find anything else worthwhile to unplug?
Found a few devices that were drawing unnecessary power while not in use. Mostly things with AC/DC converters that have to have their coils energized constantly even under no load (speakers, electric toothbrush chargers, chargers for phones) and devices with small displays that remain powered on even when not in use (Microwave, toaster oven). Also found that the cable modem and wireless router draw something like 25 watts together all the time, even though they are only used about 8 hours a day.

Put some devices on a master-controlled switch (speakers, chargers) controlled by the connected PC, unplugged unused display devices, and put the telecomm equipment on a timed power strip to keep it turned off during the middle of the day while we're at work and in the middle of the night while we're asleep.

Total savings in terms of wattage is close to a 50 watt constant draw. Electricity is quite expensive in New England due to most of the power plants being fired by natural gas, and all the available gas pipelines being maxed out currently (I pay about 2.5x the national average price for a kWh). By my calculation that electricity savings works out to about $100 per year in savings on electric bills.

The next major project on that front is to get some solar panels hooked up to a small battery system and selectively power the fridge using it when the batteries are juiced up, and grid power when the batteries are depleted. I'd install a real grid-tied solar system, but I rent the house that I live in, so I can't modify the wiring in the wall. Unfortunately, it's not safe or legal to use the grid-tied solar systems that are sometimes advertised to use the existing wiring as they create a possibility to overload the rated current for the house's wiring and set the house on fire from inside the walls.
  Reply With Quote