Smart Networked Powerplugs Save Energy, Prevent Fires

Why exactly hasn't this been done before/sooner?

"Why exactly hasn't this been done before/sooner?"
because RFID tags and readers are rather new and have been fairly expensive... at least the readers have been pricey. Any home or office with this would have to only use compatible electronics and any older device you wanted to use could not work unless you added the appropriate RFID sticker to its plug. To me this seems like a major pain in the butt that in the end would be good for us but I don't see it really happening with out a mandate from congress.

Ah. I see. There are a vast majority of folks who wouldn't want to go through the trouble of doing this.

I can see this happening without any congressional mandate. If you have a device that would normally draw a lot of "vampire" power. It would be worth it for companies who produce and/or use a lot of electronics to get their buildings and electronics retrofitted with such devices not only to save on all of that vampire power, but also for a green rating. Or if you have devices that draw too much current, they could save you from burning your building down.

Any new houses, commercial or industrial buildings could be built with this installed, and it really wouldnt take much to swap out old receptacles for people who want an upgrade. It doesnt seem like there are any invasive upgrades that would need to happen "inside" of electronic devices, rather a chip added to the end of the chord. I should also think it wouldnt be hard to implement and extension block with he chip in it, much the same as a ground tap adapter that people use for three pronged plugs to use with two pronged outlets.

"Whenever there is nothing plugged in, the wall unit can just simply shut off."

Shut off what??!! When nothing is pluged into wall outlets no current flows!

Also, properly wired circuits are quite safe. Outlets on 15 amp circuits should all be rated for 15 amps. Same with 20 amp circuits.

The wiring is also sized to handle those currents.

Overloads cause circuit breakers to pop.

Yes there are incidents, but it's probably incorrect installations in most cases. This magic plug won't know if the wire gauge or the breaker is correct.

Also, while circuit breakers do age, and may pop more easily when they get older, they are extraordinarily reliable devices. They don't have software glitches, and they are quite insensitive to electromagnetic interference.

I shudder to think of how this proposed system might react to a few lightning storms and brownout/blackout situations.

I'm not a Luddite. I have worked in software in electronics for years and I love it. However, this seems like a very bad plan.

Kickstand27 I was not trying to say it will be a failure as a niche business or as an option when building something. What I meant was is that for it to be a true success, and not a pain int the rear they would have to have some way of getting virtually all new appliances to come with this out of the box. I would be opposed to even entire states like California adopting it. The idea makes me shutter, not all appliances would be built to Californian code, it would cause confusion and frustration. But if for example all new appliances sole in the US had to have it after say 2011 and all new buildings had to have it after say 2017 the transition would be smooth and less problematic. Someone buying a new home would likely be buying mostly new appliances and the older ones could be adapted rather easily.

ford2go... turning it off is a safety issue not a economical one. If water is spilled on a wall with these outlets it cant short out, kids cant stick keys and knives in the holes and get zaped. As for spikes and brownouts, just get smarter circuit breakers.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but almost all my sockets have two outlets side by side. If they're using RFID, how will each outlet know which plug is plugged in to it? Or will it shut off the whole socket?

That would suck if my PC shut off because I unplugged my cell phone charger.

Jmfb_k7, from the descriptions on their website each receptacle is independently protected.

ford2go, you are correct that most properly wired homes are adequately protected with their circuit breakers. However, circuit breakers are designed to protect the wires in the walls, not appliances. Many fires occur due to overloaded appliances that do not approach 15 amps. According to the most recent National Fire Protection Association statistics, these fires kill about 300 people per year, severely injure 1,500 and result in over $1 billion in property damage.

I've also been trying to address fires caused by things left plugged in. Anything from kids' rechargeables to appliances we always leave plugged in. Take a look at my SmokeShutoff blog (google it if the URL doesn't work) to see all the kinds of fires I think would be less frequent if the device was powered off at the first sign of smoke, if the power strip was placed above the device so it could detect smoke, sound a buzzer, and shut off power to whatever is plugged into the power strip.
http://exactproductsinc.com/WordPress/

How long would it take to phase out all non-intelligent outlets and plugs? Quite a while, I would gather.

In the meantime, what about the standard plugs on devices nowadays? Track down an outlet which isn't intelligent?

There would be a huge amount of time before this system would work 100% problem-free, between now and when everything in the world has this tech. Would manufacturers really add this to their devices, knowing that it might pay off in 30+ years? Would the wireless circuitry last this long? I use outlets which are probably 30 years old.

Also, shutting off high-draw devices such as air conditioners wirelessly using a little outlet? As far as I know, A/C draws a lot of power and would require a suitable relay to interrupt it, probably larger than what would fit inside the outlet. Perhaps a modified 1-plug outlet which fits into a standard box?

Several things to consider.