Smart Powerstrip – Green Powerstrips and Surge protectors
Posted by Norman F
Powerstrips and Surge protectors have evolved into the green era. They help combat phantom power draw by Power Bricks aka Wall Warts, and other electronic devices. Lawrence Berkley National Labs estimates that 10% of residential power use is wasted toward this as most homes have 40 products constantly drawing phantom power or vampire power even when the device is off. Save over a $100 a year by fixing this problem.
The new 3rd generation Smart Powerstrip helps you save power if you use a desktop or laptop computer for about $35. It also works great for TVs. Green Powerstrips have finally started to appear. You can Measure Energy Usage with a Kill a Watt Energy meter to quantify the power use and savings.
You plug your computer into the blue control outlet and your computer’s peripherals into the white outlets that are automatically switched off when your computer is turned off. They also make a Smart Powerstrip with TV coax protection and telephone protection.
Monster Power MDP650 is a similar power saving powerstrip.
iGo Power Smart Tower adds USB ports to a power saving strip.
These short power cord extenders are good for power supplies or wall warts. They help you maximize each outlet.
Also consider installing a Digital Timer to control the smart powerstrip and turn it off when it is not needed.
A more manual approach is a standard 7 Outlet Surge Protector with individual on-off switches. You can turn off only those items you want to.
New Power Saving Powerstrips and Surge protectors
Practecol makes a power strip with a foot switch or remote control.
A recent development is powerstrips with room sensors.
ThinkEco modlet is a new energy saving power outlet that wirelessly monitors and controls energy use through your computer or Smartphone.
Powerstrip Surge Protection
Another big benefit of powerstrips is preventing power surge damage to electronics. Summer brownout season is starting. Make sure you have a quality brand name surge suppressor like APC. We try to only buy ones that come with insurance backing their performance. We have filed claims and gotten money back to fix broken power supplies. Belkin has a “Lifetime Warranty and $300,000 Connected Equipment Warranty”
Look on the bottom of your power strip and make sure it has a TVSS clamping rating of at least 330 volts. The smaller the clamping voltage rating the better. It is required by UL 1449.
Joule rating on a surge protector indicates the amount of energy that a device is capable of absorbing. In general, the higher the joule rating, the better the unit is able to protect your equipment and the longer it will last. If your surge protector does not have these figures indicated or does not have the UL logo, it might be time to upgrade.
Notebook chargers
iGo has a new universal laptop charger that uses 80% less standby power, virtually eliminating vampire power. AC and AC/DC versions are available from $109.
Hopefully more laptop manufacturers will integrate this kind of technology into chargers included with their products.
Be sure to read: What makes a Green Computer or Electronics Product?
Energy-Efficient Uninterruptible Power Supply
APC has a new series of ultra-efficient Backup-UPS ES uninterruptible battery backup products. Considering these are usually left on all the time, more efficiency is very welcome. They claim a $40 per year power cost reduction over competitors.
It’s also RoHS compliant, which means its manufacture and ultimate disposal is easier on the environment.
Power Strip Surge Protection
We have covered the benefits of having power strips in the past. Being able to turn off all devices and prevent any phantom power draw is very helpful. Another big benefit is preventing power surge damage to electronics. Summer brownout season is starting.
Make sure you have a quality brand name surge suppressor like APC. We try to only buy ones that come with insurance backing their performance. We have filed claims and gotten money back to fix broken power supplies. Belkin has a “Lifetime Warranty and $300,000 Connected Equipment Warranty”
Power Strip with Room Motion Sensor
Sensor plug is a motion sensor connected to an output plug that can be used with lights or other appliances. This device will turn on the light that is plugged into it when it detects motion. This can also be used as a security device.
HiSAVER is a new intelligent power strip surge protector that reduces power and Standby power use of computers and television systems by using a motion sensor to shutdown electronics when people are not present. You can configure the time delay. Prolong the life of electronics, save on your power bill.
Position the motion sensor on your wall then hook the strip up to your TV system and it can power down your TV and/or components when no one is watching, turn off even your lights.
Use this power strip on your computer and it can turn off your monitor, printer, etc when you are gone.
The strip can turn the power back on when it detects people in the room.
DKO International is marketing the product in the US. Projected cost is $99.
Filed under: Conservation, Easy, Eco Friendly, Effort, Electronics, Green, Home, Money, Reduce | Tags: Green Powerstrips, Powerstrip, Smart Powerstrip, Surge protectors, vampire power
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August 5th, 2009 at 12:04 am
[…] have covered the benefits of having power strips in the past. Being able to turn off all devices and prevent any phantom power draw is very […]
June 4th, 2010 at 8:41 am
[…] or hibernate after of inactivity. There are tutorials on how to do this and free software. Use a smart power strip as wall warts draw power even when nothing is on. No need to buy a new PC or operating system to […]
August 13th, 2010 at 9:58 am
[…] Energy Star rated products have their logo on them and use less energy. They have certified everything from TVs and computers to cordless phones. Desktop/integrated desktop and notebook computers, products must meet stringent TEC requirements for estimated annual energy consumption. Keep in mind that their testing has been called out of date, so you still need to follow techniques to save power. […]
August 27th, 2010 at 11:22 am
[…] not forget about putting it on a powerstrip and turning it off when you do not use […]
December 29th, 2010 at 8:07 am
[…] a smart power strip so the TV cannot draw phantom power or vampire power while it is off. […]
January 26th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
The newest entry in the smart plug game is actually the first product that was on the market — in Europe. Plugwise is being used by numerous homes, businesses, utilities, schools, hospitals, city governments and housing complexes to dramatically decrease their plug loads. The product has been on the market in Europe since 2006, but as of january 2012 is available in the United States. Check it out on the kwhpower site.
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:16 pm
[…] Save energy with all our tips […]
January 16th, 2013 at 12:00 am
[…] Save energy with all our tips. Unplug items not in use. Use power strips […]