Here's the article:
http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-10/eu-backed-steeper-project-aims-make-electronics-10-times-more-efficient
Sunday, October 31, 2010
European Company Aims to Reduce Phantom Power Consumption
Electronic devices that are off, but still plugged in consume about fifteen percent of our homeowners' energy. "Steeper", an European Union backed initiative, is attempting to increase the efficiency of electronic devices by an order of magnitude and to eliminate "vampire" or "phantom" power that is completely wasted. They are focusing on the energy lost in transistors and nanowires to do this, and are combining efforts with IBM-Research Zurich and a polytechnic institute in Lausanne. Transistors that turn devices on and off are one area of study, where the researchers hope to lessen the amount of time it takes for the device to transition, which could cumulatively save a lot of power. They are also trying to limit the operating voltage of transistors to below 0.5 volts by developing new types of nano wires. With vampire power already consuming 49 terawatts a year, an amount that is expected to double within the next twelve years and triple within the next twenty, this could be huge area of savings for us all.
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I would say that in lieu of redesigning these transistors, we could just try to encourage people to simply unplug these power-sucking appliances, however, we are a generally lazy bunch of people, and I can't see people unplug their electronics every time they are done using them. I for one will not unplug my cell phone charger from the wall unless I'm going somewhere overnight and need it to keep my precious phone alive.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that DVR systems were among the top of the list of electronics that consume power while powered down. Everyone knows we can't unplug that cable box while we aren't watching tv. The convenience of being able to record our favorite shows while we are away from home is too much to give up. Plus, those stupid boxes take so long to come back online if they get shut off. It's just too frustrating to deal with every time you want to turn on the tv.
So I guess the only option to this problem would be to do exactly what they are doing here. My only question is: would these new electronics cost more than the older, vampire electronics? And if so, would the price difference cover what one would save on their energy bill?
This is definitely a brilliant step forward in energy savings as it seems quite logical that a considerable amount of energy is wasted as the technology sits idle until it is used. I think Spencer is spot on considering the question of practicality: versus unplugging everything each time. There is simply too many things plugged in at once to be always unplugged and it would be a tedious chore. I like this idea of reducing phantom power consumption a lot, and I do believe it can make a notable difference in both cost and energy saved. It is similar to the start-stop system (engine turns off when at a red light or stopped for multiple moments) some cars now have in order to save as much energy as possible. However, our electronics like our DVR's stay turned on for much longer periods of times and thus could allow for greater savings through this new technology presented. I don't think there would a great differince in the cost of products incorporated with this technology and those without it, as the transistors and wires are pretty minor in cost to the whole. I like the idea a lot and believe it has much promise.
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