CES 2009 - Phantom Load

The amount of energy used by products when they are in standby mode is significant. The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are off (or in standby mode). On a national basis, standby power accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of annual U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in annual energy costs.
- www.energystar.gov

Electronics companies are slowly learning some innovative ways to fight phantom load without sacrificing product quality. A more informed customer base is pushing these changes. Here are a few notes from CES 2009:

Bravia Eco HDTV: They brought back a switch on the side of TV that will turn off the main power supply so it will have “zero power consumption in standby mode.” This is the same as using our tried-and-true power strip method, but they have made it more convenient.

HP Monster GreenPower: At first glance you should be concerned with any product with the word “green” in the title. Beware Green Washing. GreenPower is a feature on one of the HP Monster PowerCenters (fancy words for surge protector). It has two types of plugs. One is for the computer, and the others are for everything else. Once the computer is turned off, the PowerCenter cuts supply to the rest of the gadgets.

On the OLED front… Universal Display Corporation developed a flexible OLED prototype wristband display (pictured w/o wristband below) with support from the US Department of Defense. The fact that it is flexible, durable, produces a crisp picture, and runs on little electricity gives this technology so many possible applications. – Hat tip to Engadget

In other news... CES 2009

The International Consumer Electronics Show kicked off last night in Las Vegas. This is the premier event for everything electronic. It's a lot like a car show with new models and concepts that will be hitting the market, or at least stirring interest, over the next year. 

As the energy movement is hitting full stride, this year's event promises to show off a lot of exciting advancements related to energy efficiency in our homes. I will be posting all the news and notes about the products on display that will change the way we use electricity.

Smart homes and meters will undoubtably be a topic, but first I want to start off with a goofy toy. 

Owikits 6-in-1 Solar Toy Building Kit

This is a 21 piece toy set that can be made into six different objects. It includes everything from an airboat to a car to a walking puppy. Best of all the kit ranges from only $15 -$20. This is a great way to get kids involved early with the potential of renewable energy. However, for now it just looks like fun. 

For more from Owikits check out their website. 

I found this story via Inhabitat.