This article was originally published in the September/October
1994 issue of Home Energy Magazine. Some formatting
inconsistencies may be evident in older archive content. | Home
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Magazine Online September/October 1994 The Green Plug Dilemma
Several new types of electricity-saving devices are becoming
common. These gadgets rely on electronics to operate an
appliance more efficiently. Perhaps the best known example is
the Green Plug, which adjusts the voltage applied to motors to
improve their performance--but there are also motor controllers,
smart thermostats, and sensors now available. We are delighted
that the power of integrated circuit logic is now being applied
to saving energy; there are many situations where a little
intelligence can save energy and sometimes provide new services
and amenities. One trouble with this new generation of
electronic energy savers is that they are much more difficult to
test (and therefore verify) than previous ener