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CSEF · 2010 Energy & Power (Junior Division Only)

Aakash N. Shah · Sutter Middle School, Folsom, Sacramento County

Overview

Objectives/Goals How much Standby Power is wasted in typical household electronic devices per hour? Methods/Materials Kill-A-Watt (instrument to measure power) Camera, Laptop, Desktop Computer, P.S.P. Console, Wii Console Pencil, Logbook An outlet Table/free space Results Trial 1: 14 W Trial 2: 16.5 W Trial 3: 18.1 W Conclusions/Discussion My project was "How much standby power is wasted in typical household electronic devices?" I chose this topic because I've always wondered how much un-necessary energy is being wasted. Additionally, while I would be putting away my charger/adapter, it would be warm. So I asked my dad why do they stay "warm" and he said, it was due to standby power. I went to Intel Corporation to meet my dad and his colleagues to understand more about this standby power concept. There I used the 'Kill-A-Watt' instrument to test and measure various devices. I recorded all the data, observations and graphed the results. My hypothesis was that 32W - 35W (Watts) of standby power is wasted in typical household devices per hour. The average standby power from my three trials was 16.2 Watts. On an average, each device consumed the following amount of standby power: Laptop - 1.03W, Desktop Computer - 8.33W, PSP Console - 2W, Wii Console - 3.67W. Therefore, my results DO NOT support my hypothesis. I think my hypothesis was wrong because originally I over-estimated that standby power in all these devices. Initially, in this experiment, I did not know how to measure standby power correctly. I did not have a good understanding of exactly what is standby power. Later, I corrected my mistakes and gained correct knowledge and achieved valid results.

Summary statement

My project is about the amount of standby power being wasted in typical household electronic devices.

Help received

My Science teacher Ms. Linsley answered questions; Dad and his colleagues made me understand the concept of standby power.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2010 Energy & Power (Junior Division Only) · Entry J1031

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