Posts Tagged 'standby power'
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
A recent Ernst & Young analysis
revealed that cleantech Venture Capital (VC) investments fell 50% overall in 2009 from 2008. Seemingly alarming news for this important sector, but there’s optimism in their analysis.
What is cleantech and why should anyone care that VC funding dropped 50%?
Ernst & Young, “a global leader in assurance, advisory services, tax, transactions, and strategic growth markets“, defined cleantech in their analysis as, “a diverse range of innovative products and services that optimize the use of natural resources or reduce the negative environmental impact of their use while creating value by lowering cost, improving efficiency, or providing superior performance.” Cleantech will continue to play a vital role in our everyday lives and our future. The U.S. Government thinks it so vital that they are noted as one of the largest investors in the sector.
If cleantech is so crucial, why are VCs backing off?
Keeping in mind the global recession and that 2008 was a record year for cleantech investments, the analysis becomes less drastic. After all cleantech received $2.6 Billion in VC financing through 2009, and Q409 was even kinder. VC cleantech deals rose 21% overall in Q409 while energy efficiency cleaned up. As a sub-sector of cleantech, energy efficiency VC investment rose 11% in Q409 making it the largest VC deal maker. In line with the boost in VC deals, energy efficiency also raised the most capital in Q409 than all the other cleantech subsectors.
The shift marks as an interesting cleantech market driver. Others noted in the analysis include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which recently awarded $2.3 Billion to cleantech manufacturing; the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, who is expediting cleantech entries; U.S. corporations, who are rapidly “going green” in order to reduce overhead and operating costs; and U.S. public markets, which brought $2.8 Billion in cleantech investment.
John de Young, an Associate Director at Ernst & Young, captured the trend concisely, “These results reflect the easing of an investment cycle largely driven by significant capital demands of solar companies and a shift toward energy efficiency products with lower funding requirements and potentially faster commercialization.“
Tags: American Recovery and Reinvestment act, cleantech, energy efficiency, Enrst & Young, Rise in Energy Efficiency VC deals, standby power, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire power, VC Funding, VC Investment, Venture Capitalist
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Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
A new survey conducted by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) finds consumers want energy efficient technology to save them money. In fact, it’s the #1 attribute consumers look for when purchasing new appliances. (UL is an independent certification organization that has been testing and creating standards for electronics and other products for over a century.)
A recent Consumer Electronics Association study corroborates this data but goes even further by indicating that consumers believe energy efficient electronics will save them money. And they’re right - energy efficient electronics will reduce the electricity that is used; thus, reducing the cost to operate that specific electronic.
And the government is well aware of this data. According to Steven Chu, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, ”Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there’s enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month” Cash for Appliances is a government program to replace old inefficient appliances with more efficient Energy Star approved ones. Learn more about how to take advantage of appliance rebates.
Much like the Universal Charging Solution, an industry-wide effort led by the GSMA to standardize cell phone chargers, the program is well intended and will save money, energy and help reduce harmful CO2; BUT, Cash for Appliances still misses the larger picture of eliminating wasted energy that occurs when the appliance is plugged in but not in use or serving its primary function.
Vampire Energy Loss, often times called Vampire or Standby Power, is a parasitic blip suffered by most electronic devices – whether it’s a cell phone charger, microwave, laptop, washer or flat screen. If they are left plugged in and are electronic, then they most likely suck electricity when they are not being used. Through Energy Star, vampire power is slightly reduced in most products but not eliminated. If the aim is to be truly energy efficient, then vampire energy loss must be annihilated. The technology exists and should be utilized more effectively.
Tags: cash for appliances, CEA, consumer electronics association, Energy star, standby power, UL Certification, UL Survey, underwriters laboratory, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire power, vampire proofâ„¢, vampire proofâ„¢ technology
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Monday, January 11th, 2010
CES is history. Crazy entertainment platforms ruled the long weekend and why not? Personal entertainment is where the money’s at. The consumer electronics’ industry is vying for your entertainment dollars. Every product poses itself as the next big breakthrough.
We didn’t quite see what we came for – exciting energy efficiency technology. There were a wide variety of power strips that reduce vampire power. These same type of products have failed to be viable in past years. What do they lack? Aside from high cost, the biggest hurdle these products face is that they require consumer behavior change. A downfall of many valuable eco-friendly products to date.
It is no secret that most consumer electronics waste the majority of the electricity they draw during charging and conversion of the electricity from ac/dc power and when left plugged into the outlet when not in use. This is known as vampire energy loss, standby power consumption or vampire power. It was unfortunate that the engineers behind 3D TV, tablet pc’s and some of the other potential game-changers did not aim to eliminate vampire energy loss – only curb it. 
Tomorrow’s headlines reaffirm the need to stop wasting today’s energy resources that yesterday were just an afterthought …
Tags: CEA, CES, consumer electronics association, consumer electronics show, consumer electronics show 2010, power strip, standby power, standby power consumption, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire power, Vampire Proof
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Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially begins tomorrow the 7th and runs through the 10th. Although it’s been reported that CES 2010 has scaled back in size from previous years, the hype, speculation and predictions from tech-insiders has not.
While most every one’s focus is tuned towards 3D TV, viable touch tablets and competing e-readers, we will do our best to stick with speakers, sessions and exhibits that combine technology and energy efficiency – like the Innovations Movement, Greener Gadgets Tech Zone and Sustainable Planet. It’s really the creative prowess of technology and gadgetry that is truly amazing.
As an innovative,
ground-breaking company, Vampire Labs thrives in creative atmospheres. We’re geared up to take it all in – the ingenious, the impersonators, the unreal, and, yes, a few games of roulette here and there. Hopefully, you’re joining us, but, if not, check us out on Monday for a recap.
As our flight descends, I close with this quote and hope for an exciting, safe and, hopefully, promising weekend: “Just as energy is the basis of life itself, and ideas the source of innovation, so is innovation the vital spark of all human change, improvement and progress.” (Ted Levitt, 1925-2006)
Tags: CES, ces 2010, consumer electronics show 2010, eco charger, energy efficiency, green gadgets, green tech, las vegas ces, standby power, ted levitt, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire power, Vampire Proof, vampire proof charging solutions
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
It’s almost here; hopefully, change is in the air. The UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen will begin on Monday, December 7th, and run through the 18th. We urge everyone to get involved and sign the Climate Petition, provided by Hopenhagen, and let the world know what gives you hope for a better planet. Also, check out what gives our international brothers and sisters faith for a greener future.
What gives us hope for Copenhagen? We put our trust in you. That you are reading, watching, listening and taking to heart the power you have in our collective future. Your power lies in your daily actions – to what companies your purchases support and causes those corporations may champion or hinder, to your household energy awareness and if you have energy efficient products and practices; because, ultimately, the answer to ‘how to reduce exponential climate change?’ comes down to almost every decision, we consciously or unconsciously, make.
In the past, we’ve looked at how climate change affects different people
around the globe and how easy it is to dismiss global warming as something that can’t affect you. Now, there is insurmountable evidence that human and planetary health are inevitably intertwined. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a summit on November 25th called Public Health Impacts of Reducing Greenhouse Gases that presented its findings on the causal relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and public health. (Click for video and slide deck from the NIH event).
World leaders that are focused on reaching true agreements on greenhouse gas emissions at the Climate Conference in Copenhagen now have additional ammunition to champion our planet’s greatest fight – scaling back the wreckage of exponential climate change.
Tags: carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, climate change, climate conference, climate petition, CO2, COP15, Copenhagen, eco charger, Exponential Climate change, global warming, Greenhouse gas, greenhouse gas emissions, Hopenhagen, National Institutes of Heath, national security, NIH, public health, public health impacts of reducing greenhouse gases, standby power, standby power consumption, United Nations Climate Change Conference, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire power
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
Tags: clean technology, climate change, eco charger, energy efficiency, green technology, Mobile Charger, Slaying Vampire Energy Loss, standby power, vampire energy, vampire energy loss, Vampire Energy Loss Sucks, vampire labs, vampire power, Vampire Proof, vampire proof charging solutions, vampire proofâ„¢ technology
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
Standardization of mobile charging is a necessary move in the right direction for the mobile industry. The Universal Charging Solution(UCS), a charger standard utilizing a micro-usb connection, is projectd to save 13.6 Million Tons of greenhouse gas emissions due to reducing the 51,000 Tons of replacement chargers that are made annually and by increasing efficiency of chargers by 50%.
While eliminating 13.6 million Tons of greenhouse gas emissions is pretty awesome, the backers of the UCS, the mobile industry’s largest players, are missing additional astronomical savings that could easily be included in the UCS to further eliminate unnecessary and dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, like CO2. Why require a 50% reduction in vampire energy and not go for the largest impact, like South Korea has, and aim to finally put a stake through the heart of mobile vampire energy loss?
There is significant data to confirm that eliminating vampire power in mobile chargers would have an added significant global impact, because the money wasted and greenhouse gases emitted are too large to ignore.
Globally, it is estimated that around $256 Billion is wasted annually due to vampire energy loss and 3.3 Trillion pounds (or 1.65 Billion Tons) of Co2 are emitted over that same period. The US Department of Energy estimates that vampire energy sucks around 10% of the average US household’s electricity bill with the Environmental Protection Agency estimating around $10 Billion is lost in the US every year due to vampire electronics. Mobile chargers are one of the most prolific vampire electronics that exist today, because Billions of people across the globe own a cell phone and must charge their device.
To that end, we challenge the mobile industry to include the elimination of vampire energy in the UCS. If the aim is to clean up years of environmental havoc reeked by this industry and truly change the world, then it’s time to stop ignoring the vampires in the room and finally put a stake in vampire energy.
Tags: CO2 emissions, energy savings, Greenhouse gas, phantom load, standby power, UCS, universal charging solution, vampire energy, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire power
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Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Energy Awareness Month, observed every October since its inception in 1991, doesn’t get much fanfare when shouldering the limelight with Halloween. However, that doesn’t diminish its importance. The particular month of observation is not nearly as relevant as this year’s concept – “A Sustainable Energy Future; Putting All the Pieces Together”.
When looking at securing a stable future for our economy and planet, energy is one of the largest pieces of the puzzle, because with an increase in sustainable energy comes a decrease in dependence and warring over limited natural energy resources and the windfall effects of climate change.
Take something as simple as your cell phone charger/s or external power supply for your laptop. Many people unwittingly leave them plugged in when the cell phone or laptop is not connected, because they do not realize that the chargers and power supplies continue to suck energy. This spooky phenomenon is call Vampire Energy Loss.
The US Department of Energy estimates that vampire chargers and power supplies are responsible for around 5 to 10% of an average US household’s annual energy costs! That’s way scarier than your friend that shouldn’t be wearing the “sexy” nurse outfit. Yikes.
Thankfully, there are ways you can reduce the energy your home wastes, especially the
vampire energy loss your electronics create. For instance, you can easily and cost-effectively replace your standard chargers and power supplies with Vampire Proofâ„¢ Earth-Friendly Mobile Chargers and External Power Supplies that eliminate vampire energy loss. But don’t stop there, because more vampire electronics surely lurk in your home and are wasting energy that adds to your electricity costs as well as the global energy vacuum created by wasting energy. What’s frightening is that most electronics are subject to vampire energy loss, even Energy Starâ„¢ approved electronics. If it isn’t Vampire Proofâ„¢, then they more than likely suck … energy.
As you prepare your Halloween outfit for this year, take a moment and realize that how you use your power is a vote in how our energy future plays out. If a majority chooses to be frugal with their energy consumption and reduce vampire energy loss, then future generations will benefit from a new clean, green energy resource – energy efficiency.
(Click this link to learn more about Energy Awareness Month and what you can do to be a positive piece of the energy puzzle.)
Tags: A Sustainable Future, Add new tag, earth friendly mobile charger, eco charger, energy awareness month, green mobile charger, October Energy Awareness Month, phantom load, Putting All the Pieces Together, standby power, vampire energy loss, vampire labs
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Monday, September 28th, 2009
As the December 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen approaches, the debate over how to stop the acceleration of climate change is going to heat up. The main focus of the meeting in Copenhagen is on cutting carbon emissions, a natural and man-made greenhouse gas. Why the focus on greenhouse gas emissions, specifically carbon?
Climate change occurs due to the “greenhouse effect” or “global warming”, which is a natural phenomenon that sustains the temperature of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Without a natural “greenhouse effect”, life would not be possible on Earth. With the addition of unnatural, man-made gases in the atmosphere, this natural process has accelerated. Most reputable scientists agree that the addition of man-made greenhouse gases into the atmosphere has accelerated a drastic change in the planet’s climate that if unchecked will cause serious global problems.
What causes unnatural carbon emissions? There are many causes of unnatural carbon emissions like fuel burning transportation and power plants, 2 leading carbon emitters. So is electric transportation the answer to lowered greenhouse gases? Sort of, but that will still constitute a plug and an electric outlet. Meaning – they would still be pulling power from the grid. Thus, creating a need for even more electric power and more power plants to produce that electricity. Well, should alternative energy resources be sought in place of coal or nuclear power plants? Alternative energy resources are continuously being sought, but they are most likely a long way off from actualization. So, where should global leaders focus their energy in order to responsibly cut global carbon emissions? How about an energy resource that has been ignored for far too long. Â
In 2008, more than 3.3 Trillion pounds of man-made, unnatural CO2 emissions can be attributed to vampire energy loss. As you know, vampire energy loss occurs when an electronic device continues to consume energy when not in use. This wasted electricity contributes to CO2 emissions even when your electronics are not being used! That wasted energy cost more than $256 Billion in 2008. That’s a lot of CO2 and a lot of cash for nothing. How about harnessing that waste and putting it back into the power supply? Sounds too obvious – too easy, right? How can slaying vampire energy loss be accomplished on a global level where nations’ electric grids and power plants are not aligned with or under any one global manager?
The most prolific energy consuming products on the planet are electronic and semiconductor products like your mobile phone, laptop and other devices that require a battery to be charged by electricity in order to function. In fact, 500 Billion were produced, sold and used in 2008 alone. That’s significant. All of those devices (that are not Vampire Proofâ„¢) suffer from vampire energy loss. A Vampire Proofâ„¢ electronic slays vampire energy loss and does not waste unused energy. Because, as you know, Vampire Energy Loss Sucks!
The world has an opportunity in December to commit to cutting carbon emissions by mandating zero vampire energy loss in new electronic and semiconductor products. This is where immediate realization of lowered carbon emissions can be found and should be the focus in December in Copenhagen.
Tags: accelerated climate change, climate change, Climate Change Conference, COP15, Copenhagen, eco charger, global warming, phantom load, standby power, UN Climate Conference, vampire energy, vampire energy loss, vampire labs
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Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Today, more than ever, the consensus on energy is that it needs to be used efficiently, but watt does that mean exactly?
What approach makes the most sense? Should global citizens expect able governments to mandate efficiency standards? Does that mean governments and utilities should come together
to fund and implement smart grid technology on the distribution side? Do manufacturers take the lead to make sure they are supplying the most energy efficient products possible with available technology? Or, do consumers expect their new electronic and appliance products to already be as energy efficient as possible? Or, should global citizens take it upon themselves to use their energy wisely by ensuring they buy the most energy efficient products on the market?
Optimally, a holistic approach that answers ‘Yes’ to all of the above questions is ideal. However, complex problems need to be addressed from all angles. Where does a nation, or planet, start?
Take South Korea for example, the 26th most populous nation in the world, has made efforts over 2008 and 2009 to reduce vampire energy loss in all electronics and appliances to 1 watt by 2010. Products that do not meet this standard are fashioned with a yellow warning sticker. Their efforts are already beginning to pay off. According to South Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy, “South Korea can expect to save nearly $45 Million worth of energy every year.”
While we strongly believe their target should be 0 watt loss, South Korea’s efforts can provide a tasty sample to the global community of the power our technology offers by addressing vampire energy loss in the most prolific and universal products in the world.
Consider this: the United States ranks 4th in global population; the European Union is 3rd with India and China claiming the top 2 spots. If only 2 of the 4 most populous (and seemingly influential) nations would take a similar approach as South Korea, then BILLIONS in energy savings could begin to be realized, increasing efficiency while ultimately lowering power costs and easing loaded energy budgets.
With widespread adoption of Vampire Proofâ„¢technology on all sides of the energy equation, vast potential exists to execute a holistic approach that sees Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in energy savings, reduces Trillions of Pounds of unnecessary CO2 emissions and offers a rapid return on investment.
Tags: climate change, eco charger, Eco friendly, global energy crisis, global warming, phantom load, phantom power, South Korea, standby power, vampire energy loss, vampire labs, vampire proofâ„¢, vampire proofâ„¢ technology
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