ENERGY SAVING Problem of standby power: Vampire loads

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Like oxygen is to humans, electricity is to devices and appliances. Even when turned off, they need electricity to exist. After all, they’re “electronics”. Surprisingly, standby power is also known as “vampire load” because it is unwanted. What looks “off” isn’t really off; standby power keeps your TV listening for the remote and your phone ready to switch on at any time. But it is also responsible for the extra hundred dollars in your electricity bill.

Standby power explained

Electronic devices and electrical appliances consume electricity even when they are not in use. When a device or appliance is not in use, it is said to be in standby mode. The power drawn by the device or appliance during this time is standby power. Also known as ghost power, vampire power, vampire draw, or phantom load. Choosing such names depicts the nature of continuous unwanted power draw.

Standby power is a low power mode, the lowest any device or appliance can be in. Every device has a standby power rating in watts. Whether unplugged or switched off, devices and appliances draw vampire power. It is undesirable and should be as low as possible. Standby power tells us how devices and appliances, throughout their existence, consume electricity even when they remain off. You can notice vampire loads in our daily lives through various examples.

Mobile phones: Charge your mobile phone up to 99% and turn it off for the night. Wake up and turn on your mobile phone. The battery percentage is not 99% but around 80%. The mobile phone consumers power through its battery.

Adapter: When an adapter is connected to the switch but no laptop/computer is connected, it still draws no-load power. The adapter draws the standby power to support internal capacitors.

TVs: When the TV remains off, pressing the remote button instantly delivers a signal to turn it on. To receive the signal, the IR receiver, memory circuit, and LED indicators must remain functional.

Network devices: WiFi routers and set-top boxes always remain on and updated, even when no client device is connected to them.

Smart devices: Remote-controlled IoT smart devices always “listen”. Whenever you say their name, they instantly reply, even when they have been turned off for a long time. Examples include smart speakers, printers, meters, gaming consoles, and many more. Smart devices consume more standby power than conventional ones.

Appliances: Ovens, coffee makers, washing machines, refrigerators, heaters, dryers, and other home appliances are vampire loads. Such kitchen appliances remain idle (off) for 90% of their lifetime. They are in use for only a few minutes every day. Still, they contribute to vampire power. Charge your mobile phone up to 99% and turn it off for the night. Wake up and turn on your mobile phone. The battery percentage is not 99% but around 80%. The mobile phone consumers power through its battery.

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Should standby power be zero?

Standby power is a type of unproductive power usage and power wastage. In earlier times, people ignored standby power. The electric meters in our homes and offices, even if they have become smarter, cannot differentiate between wanted and unwanted power consumption. Standby power gets added into the bill. Utility companies cannot judge or ignore standby power. You still have to pay for it.

Standby power is a necessary evil. You cannot escape from it. However, standby power must not be zero. A zero standby power would result in devices and appliances taking longer to start than ever, losing settings, and disabling useful smart features. A healthy balance requires less but non-zero standby power. Global standards specify standby power ratings to be less than 0.5 Watts per device.

How to reduce standby power consumption?

A single device or appliance does not contribute much vampire power. However, repeated additions throughout the year make an annual increase. According to the US Department of Energy, standby power makes up to 5-10% of the electricity bill. It may add an unwanted USD100 annually to each household.

In addition to unnecessary power expenditure, vampire power accounts for 1% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Hence, standby power should be minimized. International bodies have set standards to combat standby power, for example, IEC 62301 in Europe.

In 1999, the International Energy Agency (IEA) took a 1-watt initiative. In simple words, the 1 Watt initiative aimed to lower the standby power of any device or appliance to 1 Watt. In 2013, the number was further reduced to 0.5 Watts. The following steps prove to be fruitful in avoiding the unnecessary problem.

1. Avoid vampire power

The simplest way to reduce standby power consumption is to avoid it. Prevention is better than cure. For example, unplug your charger or adapter when not in use. Do not leave your TV plugs connected to the socket when you wish to turn it off. Always keep your toaster aside, unplugged. Such small steps are enough to create an annual difference in your bill.

2. Use a power strip

Using a power strip to charge consumer electronics and portables such as smartphones, laptops, computers, tablets, smartwatches, TVs, and various other gadgets enables you to track their switching status. Smart power strips detect standby mode to turn off such devices. As a result, vampire loads connected to a power strip can be better managed. However, you must avoid connecting kitchen appliances to power strips.

3. Choose certified products

Engineers take standby power into consideration during power supply design. As a consumer, always buy certified products. Legacy devices and appliances draw more standby power, about 10 Watts. The newer ones consume less vampire power, unless they are feature-loaded or become old with time.

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Standby power in power electronics

Fighting vampire loads is a manufacturer's responsibility before it becomes a consumer problem. All the above-listed methods are applicable in our homes. From a manufacturing perspective, global testing standards help engineering teams to design and build appliances with low standby power ratings.

In industries such as power electronics and energy stations, standby power and other low-power modes are problematic. In earlier times, mechanical switches and relays helped such industries to beat high vampire load draw. However, this method turns off smart devices like WiFi routers and speakers.

Power engineers combat standby power through advanced power supply designs and smart controllers. In factories, separating the power tree into two paths is an optimal method to reduce vampire power. The high-power path is for motors, inverters, converters, and other power electronic devices.

The low-power path supplies standby current to auxiliaries such as WiFi routers, speakers, smart clocks, and others. A Flyback diode is a great option for such paths. Another reliable method involves a lower-power bias power supply, in which a tiny section of the system is on while the main system remains off.

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