首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Tips for Saving Electricity You probably don’t even realize it, but an energy thief is inside your home at this very moment.
Tips for Saving Electricity You probably don’t even realize it, but an energy thief is inside your home at this very moment.
admin
2009-09-12
36
问题
Tips for Saving Electricity
You probably don’t even realize it, but an energy thief is inside your home at this very moment. This thief is silent and unseen, and he’s picking your pocket. His name is "standby power". Standby power is the name given to the electricity used to power electrical appliances and devices even when they are turned off. But how can this be? Isn’t an appliance "off" when you switch it off? Not necessarily.
Many electronic devices consume electricity 24 hours a day just to stay warmed up for whenever you decide to use them. "Instant on" TV sets are one example. Whether you watch TV seven hours a day or not at all, the TV is always partially on, staying ready to flicker(闪烁) to life the moment you turn on its switch.
Other devices that consume power constantly are those that have external or internal clocks: microwave ovens, computers, VCRs, DVD players, and cable TV and satellite TV boxes. Energy experts estimate that approximately 5 percent of residential electrical power consumption in the United States is used for standby power. That’s a lot of power plants running overtime just to keep our electronics warm and ready to go.
Some of the most prevalent standby power devices are the large plug-in transformers that are used to step down power to cordless phones and answering machines. How much do these various devices consume? Not much; just a few watts, maybe 3 to 5 each. But multiply that number over a 24-hour day, times the 6 to l0 devices in a typical home, and the scope of the savings could be greater than it may seem.
Switch Off Equipment Not in Use
For many years manufacturers had no incentive to increase the energy efficiency of electronic devices that use standby power. After all, they weren’t paying anyone’s electric bill. But recently, since more efficient devices have appeared on the market, any electronic equipment you purchase new will likely yield an energy improvement over something that has a few years on it.
A good solution to deal with standby power losses in existing equipment is to plug several of the devices into a power strip that has an on/off switch. Power strips are inexpensive and available at home centers and office supply stores. An entire cluster of items can then be shut off--really shut off--just by flicking one switch. This works well in areas like home entertainment centers, where a TV, VCR, DVD player, and cable box might already be plugged into one electrical receptacle.
However, if you want to leave some of the devices on--for instance a VCR, to record while you’re away, this scheme won’t work. And it isn’t worth doing on devices that have a clock feature that you depend on to tell time. But if you think it through and separate out devices that can be switched off entirely without consequence, you might be surprised by the number you can put together on one power strip.
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea from an energy-efficiency standpoint to unplug anything electronic that you’re not using at that moment. Lamps and toasters aren’t electronic and don’t draw standby power when they’re switched off, but battery chargers, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers, and stereo systems do. Why pay for this leaking power if you’re not using the item?
Check Settings for Appliances
It is surprising how involved we can get with tweaking and adjusting some things in our lives, yet remain utterly oblivious to others. We may spend hours picking out paint for a dining room, yet be unaware that our refrigerators are running too hot or too cold. That can cost money we don’t need to spend and consume electricity that does not need to be wasted.
Refrigerator and freezer temperatures can be set using an accurate thermometer and the easy-to- find controls inside the refrigerator compartment(低温室). Set the refrigerator to 36 to 38 degrees, and the freezer to 0 to + 5, Anything lower than that is wasted. Food won’t last any longer if it is kept at a lower temperature, and some items, like lettuce and other vegetables, can even freeze and be destroyed by lower temperatures in the refrigerator compartment, wasting both food and energy.
If you nm a dehumidifier(减湿器) in your home, be aware that most are controlled by a humidistat. A humidistat to humidity is what a thermostat is to temperature. In other words, as the humidity in the area where the dehumidifier is running drops to a certain set-point, the machine will shut itself off until the humidity rises past that set-point again.
Turning the humidistat to its lowest setting causes the dehumidifier to run constantly, which is wasteful. And because dehumidifiers use quite a bit of electricity, running one as infrequently as possible will benefit your utility bill’s bottom line. Finding a humidity level you can live with--and then Setting the humidistat to that level--will result in the unit running intermittently, which saves energy compared to one that runs continuously.
Maximize Personal Comfort
The adjustment to a cooler house in the winter and a warmer one in the summer can be aided by the use of devices designed to increase personal comfort.
Turning down the house heat and creating your own warmth zone in bed by sleeping under a comforter or an electric blanket saves energy. A small space heater serves the same purpose in a room setting. If you know you’re going to be in one area of the house for a period of time, dialing down the central heating system’s thermostat and turning on a space heater in the area where you’re located can reduce overall energy consumption during that period. This works well for home offices or entertainment rooms designed for TV or movie watching.
Alternately, in the summer, installing a small room air conditioner in order to cool small areas can reduce your energy bill substantially. Dial up the thermostat in the rest of the house to keep the central air-conditioning system from running so often. The power consumed by a small room air unit is much less than that used by the larger system. This strategy can also be used at night in one or two bedrooms--provided you can sleep with the noise created by a room air conditioner.
Combining the many simple steps we’ve outlined can make a dramatic difference in your energy bills. It just takes a small commitment on your part to save energy and put a stop to wasteful energy use in your home.
选项
A、Y
B、N
C、NG
答案
B
解析
由题干中的standby power和electrical appliances可定位到第一段第四句Standby power is the name given to the electricity used to power electrical appliances and devices even when they are turned off.[精析] 定义处设题。本题考查对standby power含义的理解。文中提到standby power电器件在关闭状态下(turn off)所耗的电能。而题干却将该词含义理解为电器在插头被拔掉(Plug off)后仍然耗电的状态。由于turn off和plug off含义不同,题干的含义与原文不符。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/mG37777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
A、Sunny.B、Rainy.C、Windy.D、Cloudy.B
A、Encouragepeopletoundertakeadventures.B、Publicizehiscolorfulanduniquelifestories.C、Raisepeople’senvironmentalawa
A、Promising.B、Admirable.C、Rewarding.D、Meaningful.B
A、Animalpaintingwaspartofthespirituallifeofthetime.B、DeerwereworshipedbytheancientCro-Magnonpeople.C、Cro-Magn
Sustainabledevelopmentisappliedtojustabouteverythingfromenergytocleanwaterandeconomicgrowth,andasaresultith
TooMuchHealthcareA)ForpeoplewhohadbeenawaitingtherolloutoftheAffordableCareActinordertoobtainhealthins
Criticsofrenewableenergyoftenarguethatwindandsolarpowerare"boutique’’’(精品)energysourcesthatcouldnever【C1】_____
Lifeispricelesstothosewhopossessit.Policymakers,though,musttakeamorehard-headed(头脑冷静的)approach.Thatisparticul
Fromthefirstparagraphweknowthatpresent-dayuniversitieshavebecome______.WhatdowelearnaboutSiliconValleyfromt
随机试题
有权查询客户银行资料的单位有_______。
下列抑酸药会导致维生素B12吸收减少的是()。
犯罪的本质特征是()。
某场地地面下的黏性土层厚5m,其下的粉砂层厚10m。整个粉砂层都可能在地震中发生液化。已知粉砂层的液化抵抗系数Ce=0.7。若果用摩擦桩基础,桩身穿过整个粉砂层范围,深入其下的非液化土层中。根据《公路工程抗震设计规范》(JTJ004—89),由于液化影
《中华人民共和国教师法》第六条规定,________(时间)为教师节。
后视镜是重要的,坐在驾驶室里,不时瞥一下后视镜,可以看清已走过的路,可以看看后面有无危险。没有了后视镜的驾驶过程让人心慌。但若只看后视镜,不看前方,更让人心慌,因为来自前面的冲撞,比来自后面的冲撞更猛烈,也更常见,何况前面的路正长。下列各项与这段文字想要
2015年9月3日,纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利70周年大会在北京天安门广场隆重举行。在抗日战争相持阶段,八路军在华北地区发动的一次规模最大、持续时间最长的战役,粉碎了日军的“囚笼政策”,增强了全国军民取得抗战胜利的信心,提高了中国共产党和八
(2013-北京-5)坚持和完善中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度,就必须坚持“长期共存、()、肝胆相照、荣辱与共”的方针。
下列对诗词中的物理现象描述错误的是:
某公司员工都具有理财观念。有些购买基金的员工购买了股票,凡是购买地方债券的员工都购买了国债,但所有购买股票的员工都不买国债。根据以上前提,以下哪项一定为真?
最新回复
(
0
)