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Abstract: In the Going Green Project, we were trying to find out how much energy and money cell phone chargers waste and how much we can save by charging overnight instead of keeping chargers plugged in all the time. We kept track of when we plugged our chargers in at night and when we unplugged them in the morning. Then we calculated the energy that was used, the energy that was saved, and saved money by charging overnight. We discovered that individually each cell phone charger wastes very little energy. However, if everyone simply charged overnight, it could make a big impact and save a lot of energy and money.
Problem: How much energy and money do we waste by forgetting to unplug chargers? How much energy and money could we save by charging overnight?
Procedure: 1. Research information that will be necessary for calculating the energy required for charging cell phones and how much money it costs. Research any additional needed information. 2. Make a data table and record when the charger is plugged in at night and when it is unplugged in the morning for 14 or more days. 3. Calculate the total hours and minutes that the charger was plugged in for each day. Calculate how much energy was required in that amount of time. Calculate how much money it cost for that energy. Also, record any extra observations in your data table. 4. Relate the data to how many people will be affected by this change and how it chould change the community/country/world. 5. Tell as many people as possible about this discovery and inspire them to make a change!
References Cook, O. (September 11, 2006). Energy tip #10: remove wall warts and slay electricity vampires. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/energy-tip-10-remove-wall-warts-and-slay-electricity-vampir U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. (2011). Population. Retrieved April 3, 2011, from http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=uspopulation&met=population&tdim=true&dl=en&hl=en&q=how+many+people+live+in+the+us Amann, J. (2000). Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings. New York, New York: New Society Publishers Richard, M. (November 26, 2005). Treehugger homework: unplug your cell phone charger. Retrieved April 3, 2011, from http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/11/treehugger_home_2.php Huffington Post. (November 21, 2008). Retrieved April 8, 2011, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/21/save-energy-by-unplugging_n_136625.html
By: Sami Taylor
Going Green: Cell Phone Chargers
Conclusion: In conclusion, cell phone chargers waste very little energy, and unplugging chargers is a very small thing we can do to contribute to energy saving. However, we should still unplug because every little bit of saved energy counts. According to our data, the average American wastes 1.6425 kilowatts of energy per year and $0.16 per year on not unplugging chargers. However, every family in the U.S. unplugged their cell phone chargers, about $84,105.78 and 841058 kWh would be saved per year. If the whole world contributed, about $1,868,328.77 and 18,683,288 kWh would be saved every year! Also, we have to consider that every charger and/or electrical device when plugged in wastes the same amount of energy as cell phone chargers. Just think of how much energy and money we could be saving! All of these things combined could save unimaginable amounts of energy and money. If everyone contributed, we would have a better world to live in. Anyone can truly make a difference by making a change and inspiring others to ‘Go Green’.
