Big problem for Blighty (Fuel for thought)

[dcarrigg]

Re: Big problem for Blighty (Fuel for thought)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/us/26cable.html

Mooncliff, I found this article troubling. Talk about an energy drain.

Wow - you could have 6 macbook pros charging for 1 on these things - and all of them could have netflix streaming and video recording tech (I use macbooks as an example because their power consumption is easy to look up). With six separate netflix accounts (unnecessary) you are still paying less than a month of 'cable tv' subscription. Add the energy cost in - which in the US is probably an additional $40/yr, and it's an even worse deal.

[mooncliff]

Re: Big problem for Blighty (Fuel for thought)

Hmm, yes, me too.
We dont have set top boxes in Japan, or at least I don't when I watch cable, but maybe if I were to subscribe to certain services I would.
My parents have those set top boxes, though, so I guess I am going to see if there is something I can do about that.

I bought a watt meter, sometimes called a kill-a-watt? and it has been very useful. I used it to figure out that my modem and wifi were using about 300 watts per day, not a lot, but something, so I bought a power strip and turn them off when I am not going to use the internet. Same with the TV and the peripherals.

I suppose you could try using a power strip to cut the electricity to your set top box, and then see how long it takes to reboot afterward. If it is a long time, just give up, but if it is short, you might want to turn it off when you are not there.

There is so much waste everywhere, even in Japan, so there is a lot we can do to minimize use without having to live in the dark. I just replaced all my appliances because after 15 years they died, and have cut my electricity use by more than half with no change in standard of living. I used this calculator
http://www.pge.com/microsite/calcula...miles=0&mpg=21
and it seems my electricity, natural gas, and gasoline use put me at about 1/15th the use of an average American, and that was before I got the new energy efficient appliances.
So be optimistic that it is possible to whack these damn problems down much faster than they crop up!

If you live in a sunny hot place, you might want to consider an elastomeric titanium oxide roof coating that reflects heat, instead of reroofing. I did that 6 years ago and it has been a miracle. It is amazing that you can touch the roof at midday in August and it is barely warm. The house does not heat up during the day in Hawaii, and we dont need air conditioning any more. If you do it yourself, it is about 1/10th the cost of a new roof anyway, at least in Hawaii. Simple low-tech and cheap stuff I love. I also found some great curtains that block heat for $60 for 6 ft X 6 ft pair.

[mooncliff]

Re: Big problem for Blighty (Fuel for thought)

Or a Macbook Air uses about 10 watts... it is just amazing.

My office is transitioning from old desktops that use more than 100 watts to Epson Endeavors that use 16 watts.

There are suddenly lots of things we can do about the energy problems.

[GRG55]

Re: Big problem for Blighty (Fuel for thought)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/us/26cable.html

Mooncliff, I found this article troubling. Talk about an energy drain.

In the latter stages of the McMansion bubble it became fashionable to install "media rooms" in these oversized homes. Up here in western Canada, where the housing market hasn't [yet?] bust, it's still fashionable...usually in the below grade basement area since windows are undesirable in a media room. The most common complaint I hear from my neighbours who had their builders install a media room is that the cooling is inadequate; these rooms are uncomfortably warm all the time from the heat generated from all the audio and video electronics packed into them. Adding people just makes it worse...

[mooncliff]

Re: Big problem for Blighty (Fuel for thought)

Yep, each person is emitting 100 watts per hour.

But in Canada shouldnt it be cool enough most of the time if you just install an exhaust fan?

Even the new 52 inch Sharp Aquos Quattron only use like 150 watts, I think. It should be possible to have reasonable luxury with reasonable energy use?