BUSINESS

Does your smartphone use more energy than a refrigerator? A recent report by the Digital Power Group claimed that an average iPhone uses more juice for battery charging, data use, and wireless connectivity than a medium-sized, ENERGY STAR refrigerator.

Here are half a dozen surprisingly power-hungry devices that may be feeding your electric bill. (National Geographic News)

Use our resources to better understand energy-efficiency.

Discussion Ideas

• Review the National Geographic News article and identify the six “energy hogs” common in many American homes. How many students have all of the devices in their homes? How many have none?
  • Look at our map layer of climate zones in the U.S. Do students think some “energy hogs” are more common in certain climate zones? Why or why not?
    • Pool pumps are probably more common in hot areas, such as the Southwest. (In fact, the leading states for pool ownership are California, Florida, and Texas—although the other leaders may surprise you! This terrific analysis outlines the energy costs of pool ownership.)
    • Pools and pool pumps are also probably more common in suburban or rural areas, where people have large, single-family homes. Few people in densely populated urban areas have their own private swimming pools.
    • Furnace fans are probably more common in cold climates. This chart, related to insulation, provides another good model of climate zones in the U.S.

• Read our activity “Choosing Energy-Efficient Appliances,” which explains the concept of energy-efficiency and how it is calculated. Review the essential questions:
  • What are some ways you use energy resources?
    • Some may be on the “energy hogs” list, many may not!
  • How can you find out which appliances are most energy efficient?
    • Follow the instructions in step three of the activity, and use this formula: (Wattage x Hours Used Per Day)/1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption
  • Can individuals or families make more energy-efficient decisions about “energy hog” appliances?
    • The NG News article provides some choices:
      • make sure to choose an ENERGY STAR set-top box and pool pump;
      • use a furnace fan with an efficient motor, such as a brushless permanent magnet (BPM);
      • don’t using game consoles to stream movies.

• Follow step four of the activity and have students determine their energy consumption for one of the “energy hogs” listed in the article. Wattage is available on most devices, or on the manufacturer’s website. For really ambitious students with iPhones, read this through investigation, and check out the charts.