Electric motors account for about half of all energy consumption in the US. They can be found just about everywhere; in fact, motors control the majority of moving parts in machines. Being so widespread, it is possible to see substantial energy savings with just a small improvement in efficiency. A very comprehensive overview of electric motors can be found on the Machine Design Web site (1). It...

Ever wonder how your car engine works? Or how electricity is transferred from the source to your house? Then surf over to How Stuff Works by Marshall Brain, a former Computer Science teacher at North Carolina State University. The site is divided into ten categories covering topics such as electronics, public works, and digital technology. A special section provides an inside look at everyday...

Mike's Electric Stuff is a popular Web site with various odds and ends about electronics and related equipment. Ever wondered just how much fun microwaving a CD can be? That's just the beginning of the wild things you can find. The site is divided into three main sections: antique glass (e.g., nixie tubes and neon lamps), Tesla coils and high-voltage stuff, and miscellaneous items such as lasers....

Specific information such as how many homes have PCs, modems and FAX machines or how home appliance usage has changed over time (1978-1997) can now be obtained in this recently-released Residential Housing Characteristics Survey by the US Energy Information Administration. Nearly two decades of Regional Energy Consumption Surveys (RECS) on US households and their energy is contained on site in...