What’s that you say? Phantom load? Here’s the Wikipedia definition of phantom load:
Phantom load, sometimes referred to as standby power or leaking electricity is the power consumed by any device while it is switched off.Many of the appliances in homes today consume power when they are turned off. These include stereos, VCRs and television sets. The phantom load can be caused by miniature transformers (such as wall warts) that convert AC electricity into DC electricity. The conversion is most efficient with large power draws, such as refrigerators, and least efficient with device that require little power, such as digital clocks. Phantom load is also caused by devices that have a small LED or other indicator to show that they still have power. These displays obviously use electricity.
For any single appliance the load is never very large (the most inefficient designs draw 15-20 watts [1]), however when factored over all of the appliances in a country like the U.S. the load can come to billions of watts. Some studies have suggested that the total phantom load caused by the United States alone would provide enough power to handle the electric needs of Vietnam, Peru, and Greece [2]. Suggestions for reducing the phantom load include the use of a surge protector or a power strip. When the supply is turned off, the appliance can no longer draw power from an outlet, thereby eliminating phantom load.
So, if you’re saving energy by turning off the TV – YOU ARE WRONG, SIR! That instant-on TV is still plugged in and still drawing power, as is the cable TV converter, digital clock, cell phone charger, computer, DVD player, etc. Want to find out just how much energy you burn with phantom load? I found a Web site that tells you how to measure it. You need to know where your electricity meter is located, grab a pencil, and get started.
Remember to turn off your computer before checking the meter. There’s even a handy computer to help you do the math.
I haven’t done this yet, but plan to over the weekend. Currently, I’m unplugging lamps, cell phone chargers, the power strip connected to my TV, DVD player, and VCR, and my stereo. I’m sure there’s room for improvement, though, such as purchasing a Wattstopper Plug Load Control or Smart Strip Power Strip. These devices “help stop the idle current drawn from your outlets when electronics aren’t in use, though they go about it in different ways.” You can read more about them at Treehugger.com.
Now, all this phantom load stuff may seem petty to some of you, so for you I offer the following parable:
“A rider was galloping along a road and almost ran over a sparrow lying on its back in the road with its feet up in the air. The rider stopped and asked, “What in the world are you doing, lying there like that?” The sparrow replied, “The sky is going to fall, so I’m getting ready to hold it up.” The rider burst out laughing and said, “What! You, little sparrow? What good can you do, when the whole sky is falling?”
And the sparrow looked up and said, “One does what one can.”
What would happen if each of us just did what we could?”
Do what you can. Do the right thing.
s.
Filed under: conservation, global climate change, green living
