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USB LED slot would be great. Tight enough to hold light bulbs, thoroughly time tested. USB power adaptors are super cheap and durable and the existing designs

USB LED slot would be great. Tight enough to hold light bulbs, thoroughly time tested. USB power adaptors are super cheap and durable and the existing designs may be used.

xattt 4y ago
How realistic is whole-home Thunderbolt for lighting and smaller appliances?
- JohnFen 4y ago
  Whole-house 12/24VDC power wiring has been a thing for at least 50 years, specifically intended for lighting. It's never proven widely popular, but it's certainly a realistic option. Probably more so in new construction than retrofitting into existing buildings, though.
- CapstanRoller 4y ago
  Whole-home PoE for lighting might be another interesting approach! In either case, you'd need a very beefy DC power supply somewhere to get enough current, or individual power supplies scattered inside walls, etc. which sounds like a maintenance nightmare.
  - nippoo 4y ago
    Or keep the voltage high and step down with a buck converter in each socket as needed and negotiated with the device: there's a good argument to use ~300VDC as a future home electrics design. High-power devices (water heaters etc) will work better and more efficiently with DC, and low-power devices can deal with 48VDC with a lightweight step-down converter (5A buck converters are tiny)
    - CapstanRoller 4y ago
      From a purely technical standpoint, I agree completely. However, given the debacle around USB-C cables & PD, I'd be very worried about a world where I have to trust devices to properly handle such high voltages.
    - aidenn0 4y ago
      How safe is working with 300VDC?
      - xattt 4y ago
        Half-way there to 600 VDC traction power!
vidarh 4y ago
The LED strip behind my TV is powered by the USB port on my TV. Most longer strips (5m-20m) use one of a small number of form factor strips and 12V or 24V supply. There are also quite a few USB powered lamps, but a bulb form factor would be interesting.

USB LED slot would be great. Tight enough to hold light bulbs, thoroughly time tested. USB power adaptors are super cheap and durable and the existing designs may be used.

xattt 4y ago

How realistic is whole-home Thunderbolt for lighting and smaller appliances?

JohnFen 4y ago
Whole-house 12/24VDC power wiring has been a thing for at least 50 years, specifically intended for lighting. It's never proven widely popular, but it's certainly a realistic option. Probably more so in new construction than retrofitting into existing buildings, though.
CapstanRoller 4y ago
Whole-home PoE for lighting might be another interesting approach! In either case, you'd need a very beefy DC power supply somewhere to get enough current, or individual power supplies scattered inside walls, etc. which sounds like a maintenance nightmare.
- nippoo 4y ago
  Or keep the voltage high and step down with a buck converter in each socket as needed and negotiated with the device: there's a good argument to use ~300VDC as a future home electrics design. High-power devices (water heaters etc) will work better and more efficiently with DC, and low-power devices can deal with 48VDC with a lightweight step-down converter (5A buck converters are tiny)
  - CapstanRoller 4y ago
    From a purely technical standpoint, I agree completely. However, given the debacle around USB-C cables & PD, I'd be very worried about a world where I have to trust devices to properly handle such high voltages.
  - aidenn0 4y ago
    How safe is working with 300VDC?
    - xattt 4y ago
      Half-way there to 600 VDC traction power!

vidarh 4y ago

The LED strip behind my TV is powered by the USB port on my TV. Most longer strips (5m-20m) use one of a small number of form factor strips and 12V or 24V supply. There are also quite a few USB powered lamps, but a bulb form factor would be interesting.