A quick introduction: I’m moving to a new home and have decided to take the leap into Z-Wave and found MCV. (I’ve been an X-10 junkie for probably 15 years). My first purchase was the Kwikset Z-wave deadbolt and I’m looking to buy a slew of light switches in the near future, likely the Intermatic units you can get priced reasonably. I’ve got three thermostats to buy and want something nice there too that I can control from afar but don’t have the blue 24v wire so I might be stuck on that. I’ve also got plans to have cameras set up over the baby’s crib and around the property for security. And maybe a security system too.
Anyhow, I’m a green nut too so trying to keep energy usage low. I’ll definitely have 802.11n wifi running from a router and an extender (need it super reliable for work) so I don’t need another wifi router. Seems like the Lite might be best for me - is there much power consumption difference between the Lite and the Vera3?
Thanks for reading, hope to be around the forums frequently. I’d love advice and feedback on my plans.
Congrats – I’m right there with you, now with two crates of unused X-10 gear.
The Vera Lite seems like the fit for you, if you don’t need another 2.4GHz router.
Power comes via 12v 1A adapter, so that’s going to set the upper limit at 12 Watts (plus AC-DC conversion loss).
It’s not generating 12W of heat, though… it would be much warmer.
I’d guess about half that.
Of course, you might also end up with a USB Hub (powered) and a USB memory stick adding to the current draw.
I’d like to know what the Z-Wave AC light switches draw on standby too – the sum total of them is likely more than the Vera.
X-10 wasn’t low power either – the triac dimmers were always warm to the touch.
[quote=“GroundLoop, post:2, topic:173738”]I’d like to know what the Z-Wave AC light switches draw on standby too – the sum total of them is likely more than the Vera.
X-10 wasn’t low power either – the triac dimmers were always warm to the touch.[/quote]
Good point - my X-10 dimmers are always warm. That’s money down the drain.
A review on the MissingRemote website suggests a power consumption in the 3.2 - 3.7 Watt range (seems a bit low for Vera 3, but plausible for VeraLite). I’m getting a power meter which is good at the low end of the power range, so will measure and report!
I use Fibaro in-wall modules for light switching, these consume in the 0.75 - 1.0 Watt range. Mildly warm, but a lot cooler than my old X10 stuff (of which, also a couple of boxes full - eBay anyone?)
I make it about 6 Watts for a Vera 3 and about a one Watt for the AEON inline power outlets - plus or minus say 1/2 W with the crude measuring set up I’ve been using. That’s at 240V - the line Voltage makes a difference depending on the device.
So assuming 30 dimmers at 1 watt each, I’m looking at around ~ $40 / year in standby electricity cost (22 kWh/month) That’s reasonable. I’ve never done the math on my X-10 setup but given the heat they produce it has to be more than 1 watt/dimmer. Thanks for the info, that makes me feel good about going with Z-Wave.
