Environment

Standby for the energy saving technology of 100% Off

Standby for the energy saving technology of 100% Off
The 100% Off prototype
The 100% Off prototype
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The 100% Off prototype
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The 100% Off prototype

March 25, 2009 Here’s a thought – the amount of time a domestic appliance like a television spends on standby over the course of a year actually costs more than the time it spends in use. To counteract this remarkable waste of money and energy comes a device called “100% Off” – a very switched on idea.

“100% Off” was originally conceived as part of a study aimed at improving household energy efficiency by controlling the power consumption of individual appliances. The device utilizes an 8-bit microprocessor programmed to run a mathematical algorithm that identifies different power modes. By measuring the current consumed during both normal operation and standby, the appliances can be automatically turned off when not in use.

The invention is claimed to be able to save households up to 20% of their electricity bill, as well as reducing global CO2 emissions by 1%. That’s no mean feat when considering that recent studies revealed that in the EU alone, appliances left on standby are responsible for an estimated 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

This device has been created as either a single plug-in or as a power board with several sockets that allows for multiple appliances. The user is able to have some units switched off while others remain on – for example a computer monitor can be shut down while a PC stays on if necessary. As well as being compatible with all existing household appliances, there are plans to make the technology applicable for more advanced equipment such as laser printers.

The “100% Off” design was developed by a team from the University of Catalonia (UPC) and is being patented and brought to market by Good for You, Good for the Planet. With an estimated 10 billion appliances worldwide using a stand-by mode, that's a large target market. There are also plans to integrate the technology into newly manufactured appliances.

Mick Webb

3 comments
3 comments
tpb
Quote. "the amount of time a domestic appliance like a television spends on standby over the course of a year actually costs more than the time it spends in use."
This is an incredible exaggeration, my LCD TV uses a maximum of 225 watts with a standby power of 1 watt. The actual power consumption is closer to 175 watts. So if I watch TV for 3 hours, it will take 22 days with the TV off to equal that 3 hours of use. If the TV is off for 21 hours a day * 365 days, this equla 7.6KWHs. AT $0.12 per KWH, this device will save me $0.91 per year.
Shelbyguy
I have 2 LCD tvs. But I still have 5 CRT tvs. LCDs while more efficient and popular, are still the minority compared to energy gobbling CRT/tube tvs. I'm not replacing my CRT tvs until they die, so the sooner this 100% off hits the market, the better.
Matthew Bulat
Consider a remote controlled power board. 4 button for 4 power points. $40 and already available. Another style is a master slave power board. E.g TV master, DVD, PVR, AV gear as slave. Only when the master device is on as measured by current will the slave device power up. For other energy savings ideas see http://www.matthewb.id.au/Electricity/Save_Electricity_Calculator.html How much more can you save?