[pchelpers] Re: "My computer uses HOW much power??"

this is really interesting. I wonder how much my PC uses... and this 
huge monitor. I finally turned it sideways so I can push my keyboard 
back and put my food in front of it :)

Scott McNay wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> A few days ago, I picked up a couple of P3 Kill A Watt power monitors
> on eBay; a company in Hawaii was offering 2 for $40 plus $5 shipping.
> Most places are asking $22 to $35 for one.
>
> It can show the instantaneous values for voltage (about 125V), hertz
> (59.9 -- why is it not exactly 60?), Watts, Amps, Volt-Amps, and Power
> Factor (1 is best, lower than 1 apparently means power company has to
> generate more power compared to the amount that you use). It also
> records accumulated kWH and time, which allows you to leave your
> device (lamp, computer, fan, etc.) running for a while, and then you
> can divide to calculate approximately how much you'd use in a day,
> month, or year.
>
> I was flabbergasted when I plugged the UPS into it and let it sit for
> 24 hours. There are 3 computers (1 old one and 2 newish ones), a
> flat-panel monitor, a network switch, and of course, the UPS itself.
> After I did the arithmetic, I found that together they were sucking up
> 65% of the winter-time power usage, according to the electric bill.
> Later tests of the individual items showed that the two newer
> computers were the number 1 and number 2 most energy-consuming devices
> in the house (1315 and 1236 kWH/yr, beating out the refrigerator at
> 1005. After the fridge, there is the central air handler with 462.
> Then, there is a 19W lamp, 42W lamp, and clock radio on a power strip,
> using 307, followed by the 3rd (old) computer, using 295, then the
> flat-panel monitor, using 148. After that, it dribbles into the
> double-digits.
>
> Two notes: First, the computers are on all the time, for several
> reasons; most people would not need to -- and considering the numbers
> I saw, most people would not want to! Secondly, the appliances
> (furnace, water heaters, dryer, stove) are gas, so the figures would
> be different for an all-electric home.
>
>   


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