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Do EVs (and PiPs) represent a phantom drain?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by inferno, Nov 23, 2014.

  1. inferno

    inferno Senior Member

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    Me being energy conscious I noticed that 1 watt is being drained by the PiP. What doesn't add up though is I went to sleep with the battery being charged a 3.54 KWH, when I woke up about 10 hours later it turned to 3.55.

    That difference here is a almost 2/10 of a cent, but add this up everyday and leaved it plugged in it could be more.

    What I'm even more curious about is if this is for the drain of the Li-ions or is it something else? And...when the PiP stops charging (the chargeport light goes off) does it ever go back on because the battery drains?

    I'm especially concerned because I bought it used...

    What about other EVs? How do they react? I assume almost everyone that has an EV with a plug leaves it plugged in at night...
     
  2. retired4999

    retired4999 Prius driver since 2005

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    Once charge is complete it will not turn on again to charge such a small amount.
    I plug mine in every night, I just don't worry about anything I just drive it.
    Enjoy your car!!!:D
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the evse brick is using energy. unplug it when you are done, and everything else in your house.
     
  4. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    Put a switch in the circuit feeding the EVSE and switch it off after charge completion.
    Magically your problem will be solved. Amazing..........:censored:
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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  6. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I'm not sure why it would need to use energy, except to keep the indicator light on. I'm sure someone has some info to enlighten us.
     
  7. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    Well, it has a power supply and microcontroller in it to run the EVSE functions... those take energy, however small, ya know!
     
  8. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

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    Somebody measured the energy used by the various EVSEs but I don't remember where I read the study. Most used several watts and a few used 10-20. I recall that the Prius Plugin 120v EVSE was one of the better ones and drew only something like 2-6 watts.

    Ignoring the EVSE, the car itself may slowly use some energy to periodically wake up and self-monitor. This is certainly true for cars with telematics devices which listen to the cellphone network at regular intervals. The Volt does this for a couple of days after it has last been driven.

    Also, batteries slowly self-discharge just from sitting around doing nothing. Lithium-ion batteries are much better about this than NiMh.
     
  9. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I've had night-lights that used more.
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yeah, nite lites are an energy buster. imagine the millions on every nite?
     
  11. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    I know you are joking, but I love night lights. I only acquired them recently, slightly retarded fellow that I can be sometimes.

    No more fights over turning on high power lamps for the cats, or a light forgotten. Wife happy with a house she can wonder about at night and not turn on a light ever few steps. All for 0.3 watts a lamp, and the genius things turn themselves off during the day! My only gripe is that the things are below the accurate measurement of my kill-a-watt meter LOL

    We have a big house, so I think there are 10 night lights. That works out to ~ 1 kWh a month.
     
  12. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Having a friend who lives off the grid and who rations-out his solar-derived power very judiciously, I've become aware of how incredibly wasteful of electricity we are as a society. "Phantom-loads" that can consume tens of watts while a device is turned off seems like more than poor electrical engineering to me. One has to wonder who's bread is being buttered when households are consuming large amounts of power, when we are essentially doing nothing. But that's a discussion for another forum...
    Rant over.
     
  13. inferno

    inferno Senior Member

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    This is what I worry about when talking about wireless charging. One device will be plugged in all the time. These phantom loads come from the society based on convenience, ie, TVs to be turned on by a remote - Cable Boxes that have up-to-date information, etc...

    We are wasting a ton of electricity. A kill-a-watt is an awesome tool. The only thing that really needs to be on in the house is the fridge and possibly the water heater boiler so pipes don't freeze. Nothing else needs to be on while away (ok, maybe the internet connection of 10W or so).

    Cable Boxes take up 20-30 watts constantly, and to my surprise when off they consumed the same amount! Most TVs, 20W while off, then 100 or so while on unless you have the latest and greatest.

    Plugged in transformers, can be 1W or so.

    As for the 'night light' on the PiP cord, it's 1W, why does it needs to be so much? My guess is that it's not the light but the brick inefficiently drawing energy.

    I sure hope the next PiP and/or wireless charging resolves this issue, but I can't imagine wireless charging being able to charge the car efficiently and sleep efficiently, unless it's a magnetic switch to turn the power on.
     
  14. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I would think a proximity sensor would be a minimum requirement. I can't imagine the device constantly building an induction field when there's no receiver there to receive the power from it.
     
  15. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Yep, but to hear the Repukes tell it, if externality costs are passed on to the consumer WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!

    You should read up on Germany. They have the highest penetration of clean energy in the Western World (except for perhaps Denmark?), a very high kWh cost to residences, and yet the monthly costs are about the same as in the US. 'Tis not a miracle, it is just less waste.

    Who Wudda Thunk ?!?
     
  16. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Perhaps If we educated our children in the sciences to the level they do in Germany, most of us would be throwing out our appliances that waste more power than they use.
     
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  17. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    ^^^ Nah. It is simply a matter of price.
    People in general do not value that which is inexpensive.

    So while I agree that Merkin Repukes in general ridicule science, they are (still) able to count their monthly debt. Force a Repuke to pay a high energy bill, and they will learn to switch off an appliance when not in use. If a rat can be conditioned, so can a Repuke.
     
  18. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    That hits low, but it might be on the mark. People who judge quality based on price alone deserve to be duped.
     
  19. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    True, but that has what exactly to do with avoiding obvious waste -- like turning off an appliance when not in use ?
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think toy is putting wireless phone changing in their next gen.