Meralco Power Lab Opens It's Door to the Public Consumer

Nowadays, with a wide array of electronic gadgets and home appliances that continuously flood the market, most buyers tend to compare the products based not only on sleek, ergonomic designs and affordability but also on its state-of-the-art technology, to decide which brand and model to buy.

Technology, indeed, plays a big part in most buyers’ decision-making process, especially if one considers how much or how little electricity an appliance or gadget consumes using a particular technology.

At the newly-opened Meralco Power Lab, a Demo Area allows guests to discover how technology directly affects the amount of electricity appliances and gadgets consume. Appliance stations show side-by-side demonstrations of different technologies with accompanying energy display monitors to reveal real-time numerical and graphical energy consumptions (kWh) and their equivalent power costs.

During the Meralco Power Lab Opening

At the TV appliance station, for example, LED and CRT TVs are compared side-by-side to show .02 kWh/hr (P0.22) and .09 kWh/hr (P.98) consumptions, respectively. Knowing the different energy consumptions of each appliance equips consumers with the power to make an informed choice.

Visitors can also use the interactive energy display monitors to compare the energy consumption of electrical equipment using different appliance settings such as TV brightness to see its immediate effect on energy use and power cost.

Aside from TV sets that use CRT, LCD and LED technologies, other appliances featured in the Demo Area include air-conditioners and refrigerators that use conventional and inverter technologies, kitchen appliances, lighting and audio-video equipment.

“After visiting the Meralco Power Lab, we hope our customers would be more discerning in choosing the electrical appliances and equipment they want to buy, taking into careful consideration the impact of their gadget’s technology on power consumption,” said Meralco Power Lab Project Manager Alfred Iporac.

The Meralco Power Lab also houses an Equipment Testing Laboratory which can verify the energy consumption of air-conditioners, refrigerators and freezers, washers and dryers, entertainment systems, kitchen and other household appliances. The testing area is reconfigurable to accommodate different appliances, equipment and devices.

An Intelligent Living Space, located at the second floor of the Meralco Power Lab, features a typical residential set-up to demonstrate innovative and energy efficient technologies for the future home. Using tablets and other handheld devices, visitors can monitor and control the appliances, lighting, security and electric vehicle charging.

The Meralco Power Lab features appliances from Samsung, solar panel installations from Ben’s Green Housing, Inc. and home area network automation systems from One Commerce.

Located inside the Meralco Compound in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, the Meralco Power Lab is open for scheduled visits only. Entrance is free.