[jedwards]

The cooler will ramp down to match heat leak into the cooled space. If you have zero heat leak (nigh impossible) the cooler can ramp to zero power. if the internal temperature is below the set point ('cause it's cooold out there!) then the unit will essentially turn off with the exception of the monitoring electronics (You don't want it to get to warm do you?). this is common when using the SC-DF25 as a refrigerator in room temperature type ambients because the heat leak is so low that the internal temperature can overshoot a little and the cooler will essentially shut off (sort of like a compressor will) until the temperature rises up above the set point and then it will start to ramp back up to match the new load. It will usually settle at some low power level but a times (like in my office keeping my lunch cold) the unit will be off for about 45 minutes and then ramp up for 5 minutes then shut back off (aint VIP's awsome!) but I hesitate to quote a number because it will vary widely depending on insulation, ambient temperature and set point. At a minimum, the electronics consume about a watt.