The Energy Detective And Other Green Gadgets For The New Year

Jen Bolden of IdealBite recommends a few gadgets for the new year that can help you conserve energy.

There's a gauge to help keep track of how much energy your appliances are using, a power strip that can cut power only to the appliances you want to cut energy to (while leaving, for example, your clock plugged in), and sort of weirdly, a soda maker?

I want the energy gauge -- and there are more like it out there.

Check it out:

Comments

[Efried]

Even this presentation is kind of naive - I love it. The USA is just starting to care about energy consumption- of course you might get deeper into that and rightsize all appliances at home and introduce solar powered 12V networks. You may also insulate your fridge additionally and increase its temperature. Once the industry is using supercaps for storing data in the receivers, or operating clocks without display we have a fair chance to get rid of the standby losses with 110V/230V. And please don't forget to head for airflow through the house and proper shading avoiding cooling demand in summer... So there is a lot to improve - just go on covering that....

[frantaylor]

With LED lighting and super low-power electronics, the only job for 110 VAC is refrigerator, HVAC, and washer/dryer. These are the things that actually use significant power. There are a few pesky things like hair dryers and vacuum cleaners but they are not used very often.

Everything else is really tiny power wise and can be taken off the grid and onto solar power from the roof and a battery for the nights. We are talking really minimal, you should be able to do this even in Minnesota or Maine. One can imagine a tiny little robot thingy to push the snow off of the solar panels. In Alaska maybe you can do it with a really big battery that you charge all summer and drain all winter.

If you are smart you might be able to do away with all the big power devices, and just run from the solar cells.

The problem with being self-sufficient is that you are not helping to inflate the bubble that we call an economy.

[GreenGuy85]

Good call on The Energy Detective! I got one a few months back and it's helped me save a ton on my power bills already; at least 30 bucks a month compared to last year's bills. Sure it doesn't save you anything by itself, but it just serves as a constant reminder for energy conservation and allows you to put a price on what your fridge, AC, etc. are actually costing you. Trust me, once you see the dollar signs adding up right in front of you, it's hard not conserve! Great product.

For anyone interested in purchasing one, you can grab it at: http://www.theenergydetective.com/index.html

[alvdh1]

It's the refrigerator, lighting, cooling, appliances and computers, stupid.

[frantaylor]

The refrigerator is #1 on the list and is the place where the most savings can happen.

[frantaylor]

It's the refrigerator, stupid!