Normally a humble power strip is the last thing I'd expect to cover here on Gizmag. But this one by Fujitsu offers a little extra. With built in power sensors, the power strips can monitor exactly how much electricity is being used in the workplace.
The power consumption data collected by each power strip is then sent over the local network back to a PC or server, where an administrator can identify the worst eco-offenders in the office. The premise is that once the data is made visual office workers will come to have a greater awareness of their electricity usage, and hopefully not waste as much as they did before. And if employees take this new awareness home with them, it's possible that they'll start saving power there as well.
Fujitsu's testing at one office reportedly managed to bring down electrical consumption by a whopping 20%. But of course if Fujitsu really wanted to battle power consumption, they could send 10% of this power back through the strip as a 'shocking' form of negative reinforcement for workers who don't use power wisely...
Fujitsu's power strip still has to go through some tests before they decide on a release date. Given all that technology has accomplished over the years, it's amazing that no one has thought to implement a simple power monitor like this before now.
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd via TechOn.