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PowerOrb

 Monitor Power Consumption via Color
  (+6)
(+6) 		  [vote for,
against]

In the center of your house lies the PowerOrb - a round colored globe similar to Ambient Devices Weather Orb.

The PowerOrb Changes color based on the amount of power you are consuming in your house. If you're drawing lots of power (heater on, lights on, computers on) then the orb glows bright red. If you've got everything throttled down, then the globe glows a cool white or light blue.

The idea is to help people realize that they are using various amounts of power, and helps them realize they can reduce power consumption by turning off unnecessary devices.

People might get used to say a green or green-blue PowerOrb, and when it glows red, they know something extra must be running in the house (like your new 60" Plasma TV).

—proee, Jan 30 2007

Not an orb http://www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk/
But the same premise... [theleopard, Sep 29 2008]

[link]






       this would be useful to see if you've left any appliances on when leaving the house (+).
—xaviergisz, Jan 30 2007
   

       Screwed to the wall in my basement, I have a box containing a rotating disc. The rotation speed is determined by the power being drawn by the various electrical appliances in the house.
—angel, Jan 30 2007
   

       Don't forget to turn the PowerOrb off before going to sleep, mind.
—theleopard, Jan 30 2007
   

       Will there be a mini-PowerOrb to show how much power your PowerOrb is using?
—hippo, Jan 30 2007
   

       Then it's turtles all the way down.
—angel, Jan 30 2007
   

       "What's that thing?"
"That's my houses Uvula"
"Oh, so it's a girl house."		   

       I like the idea as it is, but did you ever think that maybe the PowerOrb should glow brighter when less power is being used by other appliances. This would help equalize power usage, facilitating the power company in anticipation of power needs and distribution.
—Salted Nuts, Jan 30 2007
   
      
[annotate]
   


 

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