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  • Chak
    replied
    I Have two charging stations with lot of plugs connected.
    I can confirm that most of heavy device use lot more than the controlling device.

    Like Pronto pro use about 10 watt with the extender.

    I agree only the charger of most modern phones makes no sense to turn off.

    Leave a comment:


  • TeleFragger
    replied
    Originally posted by ljames28 View Post
    I wonder about using remote plugs to turn off chargers. My remote plugs use 0.4W each so it depends if the charger thats already there is going to use less or more than that. It's possible when the charger is done charging it drops its consumption to less than 0.4w and therefore youd actually be increasing consumption.

    i use a x10 appliance module to recharge my craftsman push mower.... after 18hrs power off... then I dont use it again till I need to.. but I started doing that more with items that need to be recharged....

    errr.. well I have to reset all that up... but im getting there

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  • ljames28
    replied
    I wonder about using remote plugs to turn off chargers. My remote plugs use 0.4W each so it depends if the charger thats already there is going to use less or more than that. It's possible when the charger is done charging it drops its consumption to less than 0.4w and therefore youd actually be increasing consumption.

    Leave a comment:


  • Chak
    replied
    I have about 35 devices that are connected to Homeseer via Plugwise (www.plugwise.com/en)
    All this devices will individual give there usage to homeseer
    Depending on usage an the status of the house i can control them.
    And also make visible i charts what the usage every hour/day/week/month is.
    I have build lot of events for controlling them. All the events are set in the Powersave group.
    To give you an idea of some events.

    -Charge the dect phones only form 01:00-02:00
    -Charge the remotes from 01:00-02:30
    -Charge the electric tools only from 03:00-04:00
    -Charge the shaver and toothbrush only from 01:00 -02:00
    -Start the Time capsule only when Imac online (stop when offline)
    -Shutdown the Hifi when the TV usage is more than 20 Watt
    etc..
    Shutdown all the devices what are not in use when the house is armed

    All this devices are normally on for 24 hours and use some power
    This way I'm saving lot of energy
    Since i can see the usage individual and the total power consumption via RFXcom I'm chechking the lable of every device before i buy. My house is bekoming more and more green..

    Enver
    from Holland

    Leave a comment:


  • drozwood90
    replied
    Glad to hear it Steve!

    I've been too busy to work on the KAW project...sorry...

    I've been working on my HTPC. I think It's about done!

    Yeah...like that will happen!!

    --Dan

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  • Steve Q
    replied
    I put the motion sensor under my desk as Dan suggested. This works great. Now I don't need Homeseer to speak a reminder to shut the computer off! Sweet!

    I also setup an event to put my computer in standby after 30 minutes on no activity. I don't know why, but Windows will no longer put the computer to sleep even though I have it set up to sleep after 30 minutes of no activity. Poweroff.exe works really great.

    Steve Q

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  • mrhappy
    replied
    Along the lines of some power strips out there I decided on one of my media machines that when it was not online I would turn the speakers/monitor/satellite box/HDD that are attached to it off just to save a few more watts....I set up an event to ping the box every couple of minutes, if the ping response is offline then turns the appliance module connected to all of the added bits off. To turn it back on the app module is switched on and after 5secs the WOL command is sent.

    On a more visual level I have an RGB LED light that I have connected to the serial port, when the power level goes above 2kw HS turns it red so as to tell me if i'm not already aware to find out what is causing the increase in power (usual rate for me is 250-300watts baseline, 600w when at home watching TV/PC, 1-2kw when cooking [rare]...theoretical maximum of 60a/14.4Kw)

    I don't want to change my lights yet, only CFL bulbs I have are for either my reef (no choice) or outside (where colour temp does not bother me, and I have them on at night time)...I cannot stand the colour temp given off by CFL bulbs, they make me feel like i'm in an office. At the moment most of my inside lights are 40w candle bulbs, against I have dimmed them i'm probably looking at 20-25w, I don't think the cost vs power is that much different.

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  • Steve Q
    replied
    Dan,

    Thanks very much for the link to the "Power Off" utility. This looks excellent. I also like the idea of the putting the motion sensor under the desk. I remember some threads a while back about putting one under the bed so it could see your feet when you get up and then start the coffee pot. But it never occurred to me to use it see if someone was using the computer. Excellent!!

    Here's another green idea: I think I will use the Power Off utility to hibernate/turn off the computer when we leave the house. I will add this to one of the events I already have to shut off lighting, etc. whenever the security system is armed. Or I may trigger it with the RFID tag in the cars.

    The fun never stops!!

    Steve Q

    Leave a comment:


  • drozwood90
    replied
    Originally posted by Steve Q View Post
    Dan,

    I agree with this approach but I did not pursue it because I am frequently using the computer when it might try to hibernate. The motion sensor is not very good at detecting the small amount of motion at my desk.

    But I like your approach. How do you get Homeseer to put the computer in hibernate?

    Steve Q
    Steve,

    That's the hard part with occupancy. I'm going to be evaluating a new sensor pretty soon. For the moment, I have a hawkeye under the desk watching feet. Seems to work VERY well. In fact, I think this was the first automated thing I did...back when I was evaluating all the different software out there. Rupp set me up with this method and I've been using it ever since. It just works.

    I use this software:
    HTML Code:
    http://users.telenet.be/jbosman/poweroff/poweroff.htm
    It's free, gives the source, TONS of options and just works!
    I think it does WOL, power off, shut off, standby hibernate, etc.

    The other thing that I'm going to include soon, is my wife and I will (soon after I finish building them) have pressure mats under the mattress on each side of the bed. If her side is occupied, and no one is in the room, AND it's late at night, then hibernate.

    --Dan

    Leave a comment:


  • Steve Q
    replied
    Originally posted by drozwood90 View Post
    I agree with Telefragger...

    What I've done is setup a remote control shutdown software. Then, when we are going to bed, if the machine is still on and there is no occupancy in the room with the PC, the server directs the software to hibernate the PC.

    So...this way, we go to bed, if the machine is on, HS sets off a hibernate and no one looses any data and we get to save on the power used.

    My philosophy on HA is that it should compliment our lives, not annoy us until we perform a certain behavior. The house should be able to aid us in doing things to help. Otherwise it's just one more thing I have to deal with in the house.

    --Dan
    Dan,

    I agree with this approach but I did not pursue it because I am frequently using the computer when it might try to hibernate. The motion sensor is not very good at detecting the small amount of motion at my desk.

    But I like your approach. How do you get Homeseer to put the computer in hibernate?

    Steve Q

    Leave a comment:


  • nightwalker
    replied
    Sort of yes, The override virtuals I use are more manual. For example I have a silent mode that i can activate if the wife wants a nap. all events that could send something through the speakers check to see if that device is on before speaking. if it's on speaking is not processed, if it is all goes through as normal. Another example is a guest mode I use that when on doesn't allow the normal shut down events to run. Guests get the idea real fast when they start seeing lights going off and announcements wishing us a good night.

    Leave a comment:


  • drozwood90
    replied
    Hmm...I was toying with that idea...

    So (correct me if I'm wrong), I would make a link that HS can control, and a link that the switch controls. If the switch is set to anything (i.e. a human sets the light on or off) I have HS ALSO flip the virtual device. Then when any automation scripts / events run, have them check that virtual device.

    Then, when the light it turned off, flip the Virtual device back so automation can take over??

    --Dan

    Leave a comment:


  • nightwalker
    replied
    I use virtuals for that type of control. Almost everything I control checks a virtual device before doing it. That way if I'm doing something out of the norm around the house i can make sure that the unexpected doesn't happen.

    Leave a comment:


  • drozwood90
    replied
    Originally posted by Steve Q View Post
    I put a current monitor on the circuit that has 2 other computers. I was very lax about turning them OFF. Now my Homeseer computer speaks a reminder at 11PM to "Turn OFF the Dell and HP computer" and keeps speaking every 15 minutes until I turn them OFF.

    It's amazing how effective this can be!!

    Steve Q
    I agree with Telefragger...

    What I've done is setup a remote control shutdown software. Then, when we are going to bed, if the machine is still on and there is no occupancy in the room with the PC, the server directs the software to hibernate the PC. This has great WAF as she wants to have the machine off (the TV told her what I was saying about saving hundreds by not leaving stuff on...and the TV actually got her to listen), but forgets, and I don't want to babysit.

    So...this way, we go to bed, if the machine is on, HS sets off a hibernate and no one looses any data and we get to save on the power used.

    My philosophy on HA is that it should compliment our lives, not annoy us until we perform a certain behavior. The house should be able to aid us in doing things to help. Otherwise it's just one more thing I have to deal with in the house.

    If we make it smart enough to take care of the shades in the house, or keeping the heat on / off based on outside and window / door conditions, watching the sump pump / crock water levels, etc. It can be a great addition! Especially controlling the lighting, etc. The only issue I still have, which other seem to have solved, is I need to get HS to better understand manual control over the lights...so again, we can override the automation and allow it to AID in helping us...not hindering us (say trying to paint in a room or something like that and having the lights go off on you while on a ladder...that is bad...

    --Dan
    Last edited by drozwood90; April 17, 2009, 08:10 AM. Reason: more info

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  • DC
    replied
    My wife loves the HS announcements. I don't overdo it though! I don't have any that repeat every 15 minutes. And I don't have a lot of them or any trivial ones that are more annoying than helpful. The most persistent one is the reminder to take the trash can to the street the night before pickup and it repeats every hour, starting at 6:00 PM, until the garage door is opened or we go to bed. She likes that one because it ensures I don't forget to take the trash down. Most of the others are once a day reminders or triggered announcements like when someone is calling on the phone, or someone comes up the driveway or is at the front door. There is also one that speaks the outside temperature when we wake up in the morning. She loves that one because it tells her how to dress. In fact, on the rare occasion when HS stops speaking, she bugs me until I get it fixed! I do have a "mute" button on the keypad in the bedroom that mutes all HS speaking so she can turn it off if she's taking a nap or just doesn't want to hear it for some reason. Of course, it doesn't speak anything after we turn the "Awake" button off.

    my wife woke me up this morning and told me to go and "shut her up or else"!
    Maybe you could use a virtual device to tell HS that you are asleep and then mute TTS whenever that device is on. My wife wouldn't like it (and neither would I) if HS ever spoke anything at night while we're asleep.
    Last edited by DC; April 16, 2009, 09:31 PM.

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