who's got power for nutbar TV? I have a TV (quite a large one),
but it generally gets used less than 1 hour a week.
Then how would you know that the "Living with Ed" show for instance is
"nutbar TV", or that it could be any more nutty than a lot of the
stuff on Usenet?
I find the numbers suspect.
Off the top of my head - 2 minutes at 1200W = 40Wh, 24 hours at 3W =
72Wh, 24 hours at 30W = 720Wh. Now, the bread could start frozen,
adding to the toasting time, or the satellite TV receiver could have a
built in DVR upping its idle current. But the concept will remain the
same - some large loads for a short time can require much less energy
than smaller loads for a long period.
But I don't _have_ idle electrical
consumption - nor a VCR or TV receiver (I offloaded the satellite internet
receiver to the next-door neighbour - we both get a break on the cost of
the connection, and run a WiFi link between the houses).
Nice to be able to offload something onto a neighbor! I was on the
receiving end of one of those requests... a neighbor (about 9 miles
away) with no line of sight to a good phone line, wanted us to share
our radio-linked DSL with him by re-broadcasting. Trouble was,
powering a 24-7 radio pair might have cost us a half kWh or more per
day. Once I told him that at the very least he'd have to pay for some
PV to cover the energy, end of story. He would have choked on the
price of the radio pair and VOIP units anyway.
I generate enough power to be able to use a toaster.
I'm not sure I'd want to run the house ventilation, the freezer _and_ a
toaster at the same time, though.
I tell people that inverter capacity is relatively cheap, and that if
they can afford it, to size for the largest combination of loads
that's reasonable. For example, when I'm about to fire up something in
the shop, I for sure don't want to have to consider if it's compatible
with my wife's power use in the house.
Why on earth would anyone size a PV/Wind system for phantom
loads
That's an easy one, I can think of several reasons. Someone might want
to excise the mindless commercials from their nutbar TV,
thereby
reducing 60 minute programs to 40, but at the cost of the idle power
consumption of a VCR or DVR. Another might want a microwave-convection
combo. They don't come in mechanical-timer versions, and
electronically controlled models often need massaging with every
re-powering. A user could want their well pump or solar water heating
on timers, and decide that X10 or 110V versions might cost less in
money or inconvenience than battery-powered substitutes. Or someone
who works outdoors might want a cordless phone. Still another might
decide that considering their near-constant power use, that it makes
little sense to use search mode to save a few Whrs, etc., etc. Most
folks think of this stuff as "living a normal lifestyle". Telling them
they can't or shouldn't have it is unnecessarily judgmental, and a
ticket to oblivion for installers. The candles-and-clothesline
approach used to be de rigueur, but times are changing.
Wayne