A new study from the Electric Power Research Institute has revealed that the new Retina display iPad costs a surprisingly little $1.36 to run per year, which is less than a 60W fluorescent light bulb, Apple Insider reports. The figures are based on charging an iPad every other day and contrast with the huge increase in power requirements seen as a result of the Information Age.
The test also aimed to see what energy consumption would be like in the ‘post-PC’ era, with iPads and a variety of mobile devices being pitted against household appliances.
“As information technologies continue to change rapidly we see important implications for energy consumption,” said EPRI Vice President of Power Delivery and Utilization Mark McGranaghan. “These results raise important questions about how the shifting reliance from desktop to laptop to mobile devices will change energy use and electricity requirements for the information age. ”
Apple Insider:
The third-generation iPad, which sports a high-capacity 42.5-watt-hour battery, uses less 11.86 kilowatt hours of electricity over a one year period, a stark contrast to 42” plasma television which consumes 358 kWh. An average laptop consumes 72.3 kWh while a 60-watt CFL light bulb eats about 14 kWh, costing an average $8.31 and $1.61 a year, respectively. Cost will obviously vary by location but for reference the EPRI experiment was conducted in Knoxville, Tenn.
Apple likes to stick to their green checklists, so it will be interesting to see what developments are made not only in power consumption but in making gadgets more environmentally friendly as well.
