I learned some interesting things about cable TV and home energy consumption, with the help of my handy kill-a-watt monitor. I tested each of my components for how much power they consume in standby mode. For the most part, there was no cause for alarm. However, one exception stands out, and it’s a big one. For my first nomination into the Energy PIG Hall of Shame, along with ideas on how to cut the fat, read on.
Most components don’t drink much juice when they’re on standby mode. Good energy consumption consumer electronics citizens include my Samsung HD LCD TV at 1 watt, our PS2 Playstation at 1 watt, our Samsung DVD player – a little worse at 2 watts, and a “vintage” Toshiba VCR weighing in at a more rotund 6 watts. My simple solution for the VCR is to unplug it. Not a problem, since it’s rarely used.
Moving right along, my first BIG PIG award goes to Motorola for their Cable TV Digital Video Recorder – Model DCT 3416 to be exact – that manages to consume 28 watts when it’s on or off. That’s right, you read correctly, The Motorola DCT 3416 Digital Cable Set Top Box actually consumes 28 watts when it’s “off”. Here’s a picture of this rather innocent looking culprit. At 8,760 hours per year, this works out to a nasty 245 kilowatt hours (KwH). In our locale, electricity costs 20.7 cents per hour (transmission plus generation – we’re NStar customers in metro Boston). This works out to around $50.75 per year. Ironically, this is more than we pay RCN to rent the DVR.
Motorola's DVR - a true energy pig
Now as a family, we only watch about 15 hours of television per week. This works out to roughly 10 percent of the time. Hidden electricity waste amounts to $45.70 per year. The simple solution is to unplug the DVR when it’s not in use. Unfortunately, we have a variety of scheduled programs, cast erratically across the week at a variety of times and days. My kids will be none too happy if the latest episode of Monk is missing. Likewise, I don’t want to miss The Office, my favorite management leadership training program. The plot thickens.
I could use a mechanical timer, but the basic one I have is limited to standard, on-off dial. Setting it to turn on at 7 p.m. and off at 11 p.m. might work for weekdays, but it doesn’t work during weekends, when the boys start their day with Sports Center.
Before you accuse me of being a fanatic, indulge me as I look at the macro economic and climate implications of this smart consumer electronics/dumb electricity consumer device….
First, we need to populate our model by gathering some facts and making a few assumptions. Then we can make some estimates for aggregate electricity waste and needless greenhouse gas emissions.
Fact questions: How many people in the US have cable television? How many have HDTV?
Assumption questions: How many have Motorola set-top DVR boxes? What’s the average idle time for these units? What percentage of the population leaves them “off” (not unplugged) out of ignorance about their energy use?
Estimates: How much power is being wasted? And finally, how many power plants does this represent and what’s the carbon footprint of this seemingly inocuous little 28 watt electricity gremlin?
For all you trivia buffs, according to Nielsen, as of November, 2008, 23.3% of US households owned HDTV. As of 2000, the US Census Bureau estimated 105 million households in the US. Let’s assume that the Motorola DCT line and all Motorola DVR units prior to this model have the same power consumption problem. Let’s also assume for a moment (for illustrative purposes) that the Motorola DCT Electricity Gremlin line has a 10% market share. Here are some estimates based on our facts and assumptions:
105 million (households) x 23.3% (HDTV penetration) = 24,465,000 HDTV households. Based on our 10% “dumb” Motorola device assumption, that’s around 2.4 million Motorola DVRs in service. Let’s also assume for a moment, that the average amount of time those DVR’s are used is 20%, and that they’re idle 80% of the time. Let’s also assume that 90% of the people with these units turn them “off,” but don’t unplug them. More quick math:
2.4 million (households) x 8,760 hours (in a year) x 80% (idle time) x 28 watts (phantom consumption) = 471,000 KwH or 471 MwH.
At 20.7 cents per KwH, that works out to around $97 million.
But how much CO2 is this? According to a post in Triple Pundit:
Electricity production from all sources in the US average 3 pounds of NOx [nitrous di-oxides] per MWh, 6 pounds of SOx [sulfur di-oxides, which together with NOx form acid rain] per MWh, and 1,515 pounds of CO2 per MWh (delivered). For coal the emissions factor is around 2,000 lbs per MWh.
Or in our case; 1,515 pounds CO2 x 471 MwH works out to 713,565 pounds of CO2.
Clearly, we need standards, regulation and full disclosure here. These devices should be recalled and replaced with devices with the intelligence to stop using power unless they are in record mode, or “on” for viewing. End of story. There needs to be a certification process as well.
This ball lands squarely in the government court. There is a need for regulation. We need to cut the fat. It shouldn’t be optional, it should be a requirement.
Sorry Motorola, you blew it. Wake up.
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