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March 5, 2004
I added a refrigerator as a primary load to the February 5, 2004 entry below...
February 5, 2004
Phantom Load table
With a great deal of help from my daughter, we have more phantom loads values
for items sucking electricity from our house. We have lots more to check,
but so far the phantom loads aren't too costly for a normal homeowner. For
a solar home, this is a great deal of juice.
| Item |
|
Avg. usage rate |
|
Monthly usage |
Monthly cost ($.05/kWh) |
| VCR |
|
0.22 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
6.60 kWh |
$0.33 |
| 5 disc CD Player |
|
0.11 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
3.30 kWh |
$0.17 |
60 watt Radio Shack amplifier
On with zero volume |
|
0.26 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
7.80 kWh |
$0.39 |
Sentry night light, turns on
when lights go out |
|
0.01 kWh every 7 hrs |
|
0.65 kWh |
$0.03 |
Clock Radio (revised 11/21/03)
|
|
0.01 kWh every 11 hrs |
|
0.80 kWh |
$0.04 |
4 watt night light, manual
switch |
|
0.01 kWh every 4 hrs |
|
1.80 kWh |
$0.09 |
| Total Cost per month |
$1.05 |
Primary loads
These are everyday items that put more of a load on the house. Once again,
we have an incomplete list.
| Item |
|
Avg. usage rate |
|
Monthly usage |
Monthly cost ($.05/kWh) |
| 3' x 3' Rotary Box Fan 8 hrs/day |
|
1.00 kWh every 48 hrs |
|
15.00 kWh |
$0.75 |
Television - 25"
about 3 hr of viewing |
|
0.60 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
18.00 kWh |
$0.90 |
Floor Lamp
Compact Fluorescent Bulb |
|
0.16 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
4.80 kWh |
$0.24 |
Microwave Oven
Five minutes on high |
|
0.08 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
2.40 kWh |
$0.12 |
Washing Machine
Two loads of laundry |
|
0.32 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
9.60 kWh |
$0.48 |
Our old refrigerator
Continuous use |
|
3.44 kWh every 24 hrs |
|
103.20 kWh |
$5.16 |
| Total Cost per month |
$7.65 |
November 21, 2003
Primary loads
I've started measuring some of the bigger energy consumers in the house (well
one thing so far). Here are the startling results:
| Item |
|
Avg. usage rate |
|
Monthly usage |
| 3' x 3' Rotary Box Fan 8 hrs/day |
|
1.00 kWh every 48 hrs |
|
15.00 kWh |
November 7, 2003
Preliminary values of phantom loads
Updated: November 21, 2003
Here are some preliminary results from the first few appliances. I kept the
items plugged in for a few days each to approximate normal usage.
| Item |
|
Avg. usage rate |
|
Monthly usage |
Sentry night light, turns on
when lights go out |
|
0.01 kWh every 7 hrs |
|
0.65 kWh |
Clock Radio (revised 11/21/03)
|
|
0.01 kWh every 11 hrs |
|
0.80 kWh |
4 watt night light, manual
switch |
|
0.01 kWh every 4 hrs |
|
1.80 kWh |
This stuff seems pretty cheap so far. For Oregon, that's about 14.6 cents
worth of electricity per month (at about 4.5 cents per kWh). On a standard house connected to the electricity grid,
that's nothing. However, for a solar powered home in Western Oregon in the
dead of winter, it is a significant (though not huge) drain. Watch what
happens when I get to the computer room. Zot!!!
October 15, 2003
My Kill-A-Watt Arrived
My Kill-A-Watt energy usage meter arrived from Backwoods Solar
today. I played around a bit. The big surprise was that the microwave used
1550 watts continuous while running on high! Wow. I guess we won't be bringing
that to our future solar house. Guyee. We are going to do a little study
in the Snabulus house on how much electricity our belongings use. I will
post my findings on a chart in this section when we are ready. Check back every
so often to find out. In addition to regular loads, we will also show the
phantom loads being used. Phantom loads are electricity used by a device when
the switch is turned to off. It is amazing how much that adds up in a house
with a dozen little digital clocks. We'll find out exactly how much and let
you know.
October 14, 2003
Welcome to the Energy Page
It will take a little while to get the content going here, so I thought I'd
just start off with a few good links while I get organized.
- The Rocky Mountain Institute -
They have a great book out on saving energy at home called Homemade Money. I own a copy and we've
been able to save a fair chunk of change. It is a bargain and it was on sale
for $5 the last time I checked.
- Mary Jane's Farm -
Mary Jane has great organic meals for reasonable prices. Most are instant
and taste far better than backpacker food and MREs. They also make a
great, quick meal. My wife visited Mary Jane last year and has great
admiration for her and the way she runs her farm and her business.
- Backwoods Solar -
I just ordered a watt meter (tells you how much wattage each appliance uses) from them.
I will let you know how it goes. They have a great selection of items for those
who want to be as self-sufficient as possible.
- EV World - This
online magazine keeps me up to date on all of the latest twists and turns
in alternative energy vehicles (not just electric). Editor Bill Moore has
interviewed many interesting people such as neoconservative James Woolsey
to Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark. EV World covers both pro-
and con- sides in the hydrogen debate.
- The Simpler Way -
Ted Trainer makes the case for a sustainable rather than growth-based economy.
I've only skimmed it, but it looks interesting. I have not read enough to know whether I agree
or disagree with it.
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