They break down proteins to generate energy, and do not produce much heat. They also produce some very smelly byproducts that can make a compost pile stink like rotten eggs or sour milk. These smells often attract scavengers. Compost that contains meat can attract mice, skunks, buzzards, and even bears.
The power conditioner provides protection against surges in power just as a surge protector does, but a power conditioner also maintains a continuous voltage fed to the computer during temporary voltage reductions, such as a brownout.
A transformer is an electrical device that transfers electrical energy between two or more circuits through electromagnetic induction. A varying current in one coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic field, which in turn induces a voltage in a second coil. Power can be transferred between the two coils through the magnetic field, without a metallic connection between the two circuits.