Questions tagged [electricity]
Questions concerning the production or use of electricity in a sustainable way.
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How to ensure you are using efficient chargers for cell phones, laptop computers, and other electronic devices?
I recently asked a question regarding a sustainable way to generate white noise. I received a wonderfully helpful comment from Móż (thank you!) in which Móż recommended ensuring that the power source ...
3
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1answer
49 views
How to create a sustainable white noise generation box?
I would like to create a white noise generation box. I want it to be as sustainable as possible (within reason), as it will likely be used 24/7.
My thinking so far is to use an old, unused smartphone,...
4
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3answers
91 views
Which energy sources will replace fossil fuels for heating homes in cold climates?
Many countries are looking to phase out fossil fuels for domestic heat and hot water within this decade (see related question).
Which alternative energy sources will primarily replace fossil fuels? ...
4
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1answer
88 views
Any way for microinverter PV array to power a house when the grid is down?
Suppose I'm already heavily invested in microinverter type solar panels -- with the inverter on the panel on the roof. These comply with UL 1741 and will stop supplying power the moment they see grid ...
3
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1answer
34 views
Effects of refrigerating vegetables that I'm supposed to freeze
I recently experimented with storing "frozen edamame" in my refrigerator for 7 days (about 45 degrees F/7 deg C), instead of the freezer. There were seemingly no ill effects. So that made me ...
3
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1answer
70 views
Embodied energy of tap water
There is a significant chance that this has been covered on SE, but I haven't yet found anything similar enough for my taste (see related questions, below).
Question:
How could I go about coming up ...
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1answer
33 views
Help me safely mod my freezer
I want to connect my freezer to an external thermostat like this to maintain a higher temperature than it otherwise could. Are there any thermostats or other control devices that would keep the ...
2
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1answer
43 views
Can I insulate my refrigerator to improve efficiency?
Any "reasonable" methods would be appreciated. I have heard that this can be done but I'm dubious that it would do much. Maybe if I put polyethylene on the right bits?
2
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1answer
105 views
Most efficient cheap heating system for small apartment in the US midwest?
I live in the US Midwest and am looking to upgrade from my current old baseboard heaters to a more energy-efficient solution. Any ideas?
I am already well advanced on a parallel project of home ...
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0answers
31 views
Help me estimate my annual refrigerator power consumption from this data sheet?
I am shopping for refrigerators and looking at this model. Feel free to let me know if that's stupid.
But my main question is this: I'm trying to come up with a moderately conservative power ...
2
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1answer
31 views
How does the EPA estimate annual power consumption for refrigerators?
I'm trying to get a simplified idea of how the EPA estimates annual power consumption for refrigerators, e.g. here. There are a number of reasons why I want to know this, but there are three big ones:
...
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1answer
17 views
How do I find an efficient AC-DC converter for low-power applications?
My understanding is that AC-to-DC converters each have their own "sweet spot" in which they achieve their rated or advertised maximum efficiency. I want something with maximum efficiency at ...
2
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1answer
47 views
How to test accuracy of my Kill-A-Watt or similar device?
I have a used Kill-A-Watt power meter and want to see how accurate it is. In my "conventional" middle-class USA apartment, am I likely to have any electricity-consuming devices that I could ...
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1answer
50 views
Can I use a “normal” thermometer in a refrigerator?
My refrigerator has a rheostat that I want to turn up to save energy. I'm trying to figure out whether I need to get a dedicated refrigerator thermometer.
I have a digital and a mercury-based ...
5
votes
1answer
43 views
What will happen if I leave my freezer off most of the time?
I only use my freezer to freeze ice packs, which I only use about an hour every two days. Because of this, I plan to turn my freezer off (or to the hottest setting) most of the time, and then reduce ...
2
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2answers
49 views
How to get a small volume of freezer capacity with high efficiency and low cost?
I have a big refrigerator/freezer and barely use any of the space. I also don't necessarily need to keep things cold all the time, as I mostly use it to freeze ice packs and extend the freshness of ...
1
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1answer
42 views
How to identify the rating of my electrical panel
Recently I got a bid from a solar company and they said I don't need to upgrade my electrical box since it is rated at 125 amps, and for that value, I can install a 7k system based on calculation here....
4
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1answer
55 views
Should I close vents to unused rooms?
It’s 40°C at dusk during a summer heat wave. My electric utility is threatening blackouts and begging people to conserve.
I have a couple unused rooms in a detached suburban house that don’t need air ...
0
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1answer
37 views
Creating a string of six 2V batteries in series to power an inverter
Background:
I have a Magnum Energy MSH3012RV 3kw inverter-charger that runs on 12VDC and I'd like to be able to discharge around 250 to 300 AH between recharges (from 120VAC input) without the ...
5
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1answer
293 views
How can I figure out what's using so much electricity in my home?
I recently moved into a new home with 2 other housemates (joining 1 who already lived there) and our combined bill for electricity is far higher than I expected. Now we're using just over 40 kWh per ...
3
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1answer
75 views
Should a projector be turned off if it won't be used for five to ten minutes?
The conference rooms in my office have projectors mounted on the ceilings, typical of many offices.
During the day, several meetings will be scheduled in the rooms, with perhaps five to ten minutes ...
4
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4answers
1k views
Are fuel cell electricity generators a sustainable way of making electricity?
Since 75% of the universe is hydrogen, would it be sustainable to use fuel cell electricity generators? Fossil fuel generators won't last forever, because there is not an endless supply of fossil ...
0
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1answer
41 views
I have got some lights for hydroponic growing, they run from the UK mains but have small clover shaped connectors - what are these called?
I just got a load of LED grow light tubes - they have mains connectors that use clover shaped plugs -- very much like a lot of laptop chargers use, but just a bit smaller.
There is no label on the ...
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1answer
104 views
Is electricity used at night more likely to be renewable?
Discussing charging my electric car with a colleague recently I argued that since (in Ireland) our renewable energy sources are mainly wind and hydro, since I charge my car at night the mixture of ...
5
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4answers
779 views
Why are my LED light bulbs so short lived?
I thought the idea of LED is, that the light bulb has a very long life and uses very little electricity.
I have not invested in full LED lighting but tried the LED bulbs, you screw in your normal ...
5
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1answer
221 views
Is Tesla Powerwall a good investment?
I'm trying to determine if investing in a couple of Tesla Powerwall units to store solar energy is a wise financial decision.
My energy cost is $0.1649/kWh. The installed price of the two Powerwall ...
3
votes
2answers
143 views
Differences in efficiency between oven, toaster oven, and stove?
Wondering how efficient different cooking methods are (for the sake of example, assume a dish in a cast iron pot heated by stovetop vs. oven).
Stove seems to use less energy than an oven (as the ...
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vote
1answer
45 views
Are pure or modified sine inverters different?
Just starting my power closet to power my off grid mobile home
I've come to question everyone that I belive would know with no concrete answer
Is there a difference between using a modified sine or ...
3
votes
6answers
206 views
better to heat house with gas or with electricity?
Is it better to heat house with gas or electricity? We have gas insert and gas heating but am looking at other options for sustainable energy use. Thank you!
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1answer
66 views
Size and reliability of inverter for refrigerator in an off-grid tiny home
I am building an 'Off Grid' tiny home, with my primary energy supply from solar + battery storage. I intend to utilise low voltage everything possible with the exception of a standard home washing ...
3
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2answers
2k views
How much electric energy would a studio apartment use per month if everything inside is powered by electricity (heater, water, stove, etc.)
How much electric energy, on average, would a typical one-person studio apartment consume per month in the winter if everything inside is powered by electricity?
Additional Information:
Apartment ...
5
votes
1answer
692 views
How much, if any, does resolution effect the net power consumption of watching online video?
I watch a lot of online video. I'd assume that for example videos on Youtube in 720p use less power than the same videos in 1080p. I think this might be because:
more power is used by sending network ...
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votes
4answers
270 views
Getting power from an innovative new mechanism [closed]
I am new to StackExchange and trying my best to stay within the rules. I have invented an efficient mechanism -- a rotating mass magnetically attached inside a closed loop (GB 2517244). I am ...
7
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1answer
576 views
How much energy do wall outlets with USB waste when not actively charging?
In new buildings and homes I've noticed wall outlets with USB chargers popping up more and more:
Answers at another question indicate that these outlets waste energy just like traditional chargers ("...
5
votes
1answer
124 views
Best course of study for learning to build electrical systems and supporting electronics for an off grid power station
I'm working on constructing a totally self sufficient (i.e. totally off grid) building in the wild.
I do not want to restrict myself to any particular source of power (hydro, solar, wind etc), but I ...
5
votes
3answers
116 views
Do higher electricity prices cause people to use less?
Demand for gas is elastic...
I've read that cars in Europe are, on average, more efficient than cars in the US due to significantly higher taxes on gasoline.
...but not for electricity?
In the ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
Is leaving an electric oven on to heat bad for the oven?
We leave our oven on with door open to heat our trailer Will that cause the ovens thermostat go out it's an electric stove with four burners to boil water also for heat.
2
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1answer
137 views
How much energy would it cost to stabilize 2 tons of water at 70 degrees?
I'm trying to figure out the efficiency of energy usage between heating up 2 tons of water from 5°C to 70°C everyday (during winter) within a certain given time (let's say one hour) and stabilizing 2 ...
0
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1answer
61 views
Office building electricity use [closed]
A typical office lease says the tenant has 1.5 watts of electricity to use per sq.ft. for lighting and 3.5 watts of electricity per sq.ft to use for computers etc. anything over this they say extra ...
3
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1answer
72 views
How can I find out what a reasonable rate for installed solar is?
I'm looking to have a ~20kW grid-tied solar system installed at our property in Ontario, Canada. I've been searching and reading but am unable to find current (last year or two) data on how much such ...
8
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3answers
154 views
How the grid is managed in markets with high renewable energy penetration
As many people know, many of the renewable energy technologies generate fluctuating power dependent on availability of the power generating source e.g. wind and solar et al. Balancing power must be ...
6
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1answer
240 views
Can 140 square miles of solar panels power the US?
In the book The Upcycle (copyright 2013) by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, the authors make the following claim:
... consider exactly how much desert area covered in solar collectors ...
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3answers
4k views
What's the average efficiency of pumped hydroelectric energy storage facilities?
Pumped hydroelectric storage has, to date, been the most scalable way to store electricity (in this case, in the form of gravitational potential energy), allowing us to spread the time between when ...
7
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2answers
339 views
Anything similar to GravityLight that can be readily purchased?
Ever since it was first mentioned in a popular news site, I've always been interested in GravityLight. But I've never been able to go to a store or a site and just buy it.
Is there anything vaguely ...
7
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2answers
1k views
Can I connect an inverter directly after an MPPT controller, with no battery?
Is it possible to connect a 12VDC to 220VAC inverter to the output of an MPPT solar charge controller, with no battery? This will be cheaper than having a full solar inverter, which can be really ...
4
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3answers
635 views
Does the price of polysilicon (for solar PV panels) depend on oil prices?
The assertion that the answer to this question is "yes" was made in an answer to another question here: Which solar power technology has the highest energy return on investment (EROI aka EROEI)?.
The ...
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1answer
235 views
Does a PV panel take more energy to build than it generates in its lifetime? [duplicate]
Industrial energy costs are $1 per million BTU (MMBTU) or 300kWh, or $3*10^-6 per watt hour (Wh).
http://www.eia.gov/consumption/manufacturing/
Solar has 1 kg of 9n silicon per 100W, at $20/kg. ...
6
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2answers
99 views
The more miles a car drives, the more economical battery packs become?
I was reading here: Here’s How Electric Cars Will Cause the Next Oil Crisis, that the more miles an EV drives, the more economical battery packs become. I don't understand this assertion. I see ...
8
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2answers
153 views
Does it make any difference to charge my electronic devices using an USB port?
I work with a computer and I was wondering if using its USB ports to charge the devices that I use the most (mostly my phone and my e-reader) while working as opposed to charging them using a normal ...
5
votes
1answer
373 views
Electrical usage data logging with wireless data transfer
Does anyone know of a wireless energy usage capture device, that one can attach to an appliance and find out the energy usage?
I know that there are certain energy monitors that do the job to some ...
