economist.com — I was shocked to learn that leaving our appliances - DVDs, computers, etc, - in stand-bye mode costs energy worth $3 billion and causes pollution equivalent to 18 million cars. Interesting article that generates awareness for this issue (something more difficult than the technology needed to solve it).
Mar 19, 2006 View in Crawl 4
djgump35Mar 19, 2006
Isn't it better for the devices to be in standby mode? I thought I read that on a manual or something.
m85476585Mar 19, 2006
It shouldn't, but after you consider all the inefficiencies of the power supplies can add up. Most devices use switchmode power supplies which need a small load to operate at all (they don't work with "no load"). Manufacturer might accomplish this with a "dummy" load, which is basically a resistor that wastes to make sure the minimum is used at all times.
robotcitizenMar 19, 2006
I hate to sound like the MPAA, but P2P is wasting electrcity too. People don't even use standby if a P2P app is running. The PC stays full on all day and night.
snugsohoMar 20, 2006
It's not really a fear of the technology but nuclear has serious disadvantages, firstly it is a finite energy resource in that there is only so much uranium that can be used available in the world (I read somewhere that we have around 90 years left of economically viable uranium remaining at our current rate of global consumption but because I can't remember the source don't quote me on that), secondly it's the cost of nuclear facitilies to construct, operate and then eventually decommission. And thirdly, the waste - we still have no absolutely safe method of disposing of nuclear waste aside from burrying it deep underground which is itself a questionable practice and even the nuclear industry recognises that burial deep underground is just a temporary measure.
modulo1Mar 20, 2006
The PS2 had the power switch. The slim PS2 only has standby unfortunately (Red = Standby, Green = On). Really sucks when you want to go on holiday and you have to use the power strip to turn everything off instead of the power switches that the manufacturers gave them!
domesticMar 20, 2006
My old 19" CRT ate almost 95W, but less than 5W when in stand by (IIRC).Then I changed to an LCD monitor (19") and it takes 42W, and in standby it takes less than what my meter can read (I guess around one watt).Most of all I've been disgusted with the ATX powers, they take easily over 10W/each and I have many computers and only some of them are on 24/7, so I'm 'wasting' at least 40W all the time. Some are not so accessible that I could just reach in to the back and use the hard switch, so I've been turning them totally off only when I go to vacation or so.I measured my desktop with 1200Thunderbird - 120W and afterward with A64 3000 forced to the lower clock speed and was amazed that I save over 50W and only had to shell out some $300 for the parts! sigh. Mac mini is awesome though, idling on desktop 28W, running full steam 38W. That's half of what my A64 takes.. I've even been thinking that I should change my xbox to a mac mini, but that's another $600 for some 20-30W save, not to mention the cost of losing the usability of XBMC (but at the same time acquiring ability to surf the web and stuff like that)...
Closed AccountMar 20, 2006
i am still going to buy the biggest most power consuming microwave i can and leave it on, oh ya
dddaneApr 2, 2006
If you've ever been to a foreign country, you'll notice that they have less of a 'stand by' problem. Their TV's all have two modes: "off" as we know it (stand by), and "off" where the power is completely cut off. Something so simple, yet none of our TV's have this. Why?
mefree30Jan 24, 2007
The point is that the price of an item does not always represent the true and total cost to society in general and it is not always ethical to purchase or consume something just because you can pay the price. While it might have been legal and affordable for you to purchase a slave in 1850 (or in some parts of the world today), is it ethical to do so? I say no in part because the slave probably did not voluntarily offer his services or receive fair compensation for what he was forced to do. Similarly, many power companies are not giving the people that they subject to pollution any choice in the matter and are not giving them fair compensation for what they are being forced to endure (knowingly or unknowingly)
karldornJan 30, 2007
Could you check out my new idea www.standbyplug.co.uk and let me know what you think, Cheers
sentaiSep 6, 2008
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