How much pwr does display use?

PhilS
PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
in Energy Use & Conservation #1
Does anybody know the watts used to light digital displays? I leave mine 'on' because I didn't figure they use much, but there ARE 8 of 'em. 4 outback controllers, 2 magnum inverters, a SW2512 & a C-60 but the displays are all about the same.

Phil
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: How much pwr does display use?
    PhilS wrote: »
    Does anybody know the watts used to light digital displays? I leave mine 'on' because I didn't figure they use much, but there ARE 8 of 'em. 4 outback controllers, 2 magnum inverters, a SW2512 & a C-60 but the displays are all about the same.

    fwiw, my trimetric (resolution = 100 milliAmps = 2.4 watts @ 24 volts) does not show any change when I turn on or off my display lights, but I don't have as many displays as you do. Do you have a battery monitor? With all of your displays you might get a reading. Of course, you should turn off the PV input while measuring (or do it at night), and make sure there are no varying loads.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: How much pwr does display use?

    Display power is integral to a device's self-consumption and therefor should have been included by default when the design was made. There's more day-to-day variation in power production/consumption from other loads than the displays will produce, so I wouldn't worry about it.
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  • RandomJoe
    RandomJoe Solar Expert Posts: 472 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: How much pwr does display use?

    If you mean the little 2- or 4-line LCD screens on the equipment itself, the LCD portion takes roughly 100 mA at 5V. The backlights depend on technology. LED backlights are specced at around 100mA, but that's VERY BRIGHT in my experience, a comfortable level is closer to 50-60mA.

    I have one LCD I took from an older controller that either uses some hideously inefficient LEDs or maybe even uses an incandescent bulb (though it does look like LEDs) - the thing draws nearly 1A at normal brightness!

    So a reasonably new LCD with backlight is going to be around 1W max (100mA display 100mA backlight at 5V), or 0.5W with the backlight off.

    Ballpark numbers... There are an incredible variety of LCD displays out there. These numbers are for the very common HD44780-based character displays.
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  • PhilS
    PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: How much pwr does display use?

    Thanks for the guesstimates. I was figuring numbers similar to RandomJoe's at maybe using 1/2 watt each, or 4 - 5 watts total. All of the displays have a "power save" mode that turns the display light off so that made me curious as to "how much" power would that mode save? With eight displays, and since I give them all a cursory look whenever I'm in that building, it'd be a pain to turn them all on 2 to 5 times per day.

    BUT... if they were using 5 watts apiece, times 8 would be 40 watts and that's a big enough draw that I'd start looking at the displays with a flashlight.

    (I figured that bOb would know but I had such difficulty with the Outback forum that I haven't been there in over a year. That's assuming he still frequents that forum and hasn't started a Midnite Solar forum.)

    Thanks again. I'll continue to leave the displays on.

    Phil
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: How much pwr does display use?
    PhilS wrote: »
    (I figured that bOb would know but I had such difficulty with the Outback forum that I haven't been there in over a year. That's assuming he still frequents that forum and hasn't started a Midnite Solar forum.)

    Thanks again. I'll continue to leave the displays on.

    Phil

    Actually there is a MidNite forum: http://www.midniteforum.com/
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  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: How much pwr does display use?

    I agree there is a bit of a proliferation of such things, much like the cluster of remote controlls you see in older home entertainment/tv/theatre systems.

    The answer depends on what you mean by "display". The little LCD and backlight mentioned above is one thing, but if you are talking about such entire gadgets as trimetric, outback mate, or other kinds of remote units, then these things may draw additional amounts to run the electronics inside them. Many/most will have embedded micro controllers. In the midnite world, an example would be the Classic 150 MNGP display which has its own processor, and backup battery etc, and draws about 2W.

    The smaller the system the more important these parasitic/tare losses become.
    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar


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