Dropcam is focused on making a product that is friendly to both your wallet and the environment.  Lots of devices that save on energy tend to be more costly to your wallet.  Dropcam alleviates this by being both affordable and environmentally friendly!

How Dropcam helps the environment

Other Wi-Fi camera solutions require extra equipment running simultaneously. A television set, a computer, and a DVR are examples of typical devices that these Wi-Fi camera setups need.  Constantly running these electronics is not only expensive, but also environmentally unfriendly. The CNET Energy Efficiency Guide and US Department of Energy report the following power consumption statistics:

• DVR setup
  • DVR = 35 watts
  • Television Set = 130 watts
• Computer setup
  • CPU = 120 watts
  • Monitor = 150 watts
• Dropcam setup: 2 watts

If you do the math, a Wi-Fi camera setup involving all of the above electronics can use between 165-270 watts of power to watch and record video.  That’s a lot of power, especially for camera setups running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How Dropcam saves you money

We can estimate how much this hurts our wallets by doing a little math.  Energy suppliers measure consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh). We can use the following formula to estimate cost, based on an average price per kWh of 18¢ :

(wattage) x (number of hours set up is turned on) ÷ (1000) x (price per kWh)

It costs approximately $1.17 to run a typical Wi-Fi camera set up each day.  This is almost $35 per month and $425 per year.  These setups tax our environment and our wallets!

Dropcams are computer-less webcams.  The only device you need to monitor a location and record video is… a Dropcam! So how much energy does a Dropcam need to record video securely?  The answer is 2 watts.  This equates to about:

• 1/5 of the power needed to run a clock radio
• 1/10 of the power needed to run a DVD player
• 1/100 of the power needed to run a window fan

Given the same conditions as a typical IP camera set up, a Dropcam’s power costs when recording video is less than a penny a day, allowing you to allocate money to what matters like a Dropcam recording plan or a trip to Las Vegas!

By using your Dropcam, you are a part of the movement helping to keep our planet green.  Go ahead, pat yourself on the back!