Groton Local Energy Seminar Series # 4:

Reducing Power Consumption of Lights,

Electronics, & Household Appliances

12-Dec-07
Lawrence Academy
Leo Laverdure

Presentation available at:

http://grotonlocal.org/seminar.shtml
Email: leolav123@charter.net
 Topics
• Why bother?
• Reducing electricity consumption
– Lights
– Electronics (including “Phantom Loads”)
– Household appliances
• Some thoughts for holiday gifts
 Why bother?
• Huge global challenges:
– Global warming: climate change/disruption/chaos
– Peaking of fossil fuels: oil & gas (coal, too)
• The response:
– Lower consumption of energy
• Conservation: use less
• Efficiency: do more with what we use
(but beware the efficiency paradox)
– Switch to renewable sources
• Additional benefit: save $$
• Is this just “rearranging deck chairs”?
 Climate change is a “real, rising, imminent and universal”
threat to the future of the Earth.
“Our world is spinning out of kilter. The very web of life
on which we depend is being ripped and frayed.
“We, the human species, are confronting a planetary
emergency — a threat to the survival of our civilization that
is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we
gather here.
“But, there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to
solve this crisis and avoid the worst — not all — of its
consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.”

Al Gore, Nobel Peace Prize lecture, 10-Dec-07, Oslo

Energy & Electricity Use in US
by Sector

Energy Use by Sector Electricity Use by Sector

Source: Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC)

 Energy Use in US
by Home Type

Energy Use for Single-Family Homes Energy Use for Multi-Family Homes

Source: Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC)

 Energy Sources
Mass Energy by Fuel Type Mass Renewable Electricity Sources

Source: Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC)

Groton Electric Energy Sources

??
Groton Electricity Consumption
Groton Electric Residential Customers
Average Min & Max Months Usage
1183 160
1200 $142.47
140
1000
120
800
674 100
600 Min 80 Min
$64.64
Max 60 Max
400
40
200
20
0 0
KWH $

Source: Groton Electric Light, Annual Report for 2005

 How much CO2 emissions?
Cohasset High School’s
1 (metric) Ton of CO2 Cube
• Average emission for each
US resident in 18.6 days,
or for each household (of
2.6 people) in 7.2 days!
• Includes our share of
total economy
• 27 ft. per side
• Domestic electricity use in
Groton emits about 6.6 mT
CO2 per year per residence
(~13% of total emissions)
• 1 KWH ~= 1.3 lbs CO2
1 metric ton ~= 1.1 US tons
 Time for Action:
Reducing our Consumption of Electricity
• Lighting
• Electronics
• Large electric appliances
 Where does this info come from?
• Own experience
– Measuring (& estimating) consumption
– Prioritizing & implementing changes
• Lifestyle
• Household systems
– Tracking reductions
• Local experience/expertise
• Published data/expertise
– Device specs/tags, books, magazines, online
 Useful tools
Electric Bills
 Lights
• 49% of residential electricity consumption!?
• Easy savings (CO2 & $), low investment, quick payback,
little or no inconvenience
• Huge improvements in CFLs
– Quality of light, sizes & shapes, start-up time, dimmability,
availability, cost
– 25% of wattage of equivalently bright incandescent
– Recycle because of (minor) mercury content
• LEDs have same efficiency of CFLs but cost
considerably more; a few good applications
• No-brainer savings: turn out the lights when not needed!
– Manual, light sensor, movement sensor, timer, control center
CFLs come of age

Incandescent vs. CFL

60 watts Power use 15 watts

25¢-$1 Average price $2

1,000 hours Life span 10,000 hours

Cost for five years

$262.80 $65.70
(at 10¢ per kW)
Time magazine, 17-Dec-2007
 Electronics
(including “Phantom Loads”)
Phantom Load: the continuation of an
appliance to draw power when switched “off ”
– Also called: energy vampires, standby power,
leaking electricity
– Caused by:
• inefficiencies in converting AC into DC electricity
• indicator lights, clocks, etc. on appliances
• standby power used for electronic memory or a remote …
– Always a small amount per device (<1 to >20 watts), but multiplied
by 24 hrs/day for many devices (in many homes)
• Example: Cable box = 20 watts x 24 hours = 480 watt-hours/day or
175.2 kwh/yr =$22.43 /yr at $0.128/kwh
– For Groton average rate payer = ~ 2.5% of electric bill!
• 1 watt-year = 24 x 365 / 1000 = 8.76 KWH = $1.12/yr
 Phantom Loads: Examples
• Anything with a “wall wart” (AC/DC transformer)
– Laptops, phones, chargers, toys, radios, keyboards, cable
modem, routers/wireless access, printers, fax machines, …
• Anything with a clock or always-on power indicator light
– Cable box, kitchen appliances, …
• Anything with a remote control
– TV, cable box, audio system, air conditioner, fan, …
• Anything you turn “off” that has a “standby” mode
– PCs!
– TVs, cable boxes, …
– Motion-sensitive light switches, …
– Light-sensitive switches
 Key Test for AC/DC Adapters:
Are they warm when not in use?
Visible Light Image Infrared Image
 Diagnosing & Eliminating
Phantom Loads
Diagnosing: Eliminating:
• Visible LED, warm to • Unplug
touch, instant on, … • Power-strips
• Find appliance on a list of • Switched outlets
Phantom loads, e.g.: • Timers
http://
• Open circuit breaker
standby.lbl.gov/Data/SummaryChart.html
• Good PC power mgt.
• Kill-a-watt meter • Make standby power part
of purchase decisions
– EnergyStar
– Efficient AC/DC adapters
Standby Power (watts):
Min, Average, Max

http://standby.lbl.gov/Data/SummaryChart.html
Standby Power (watts) (continued):
Min, Average, Max

http://standby.lbl.gov/Data/SummaryChart.html
 Some Global & National Estimates
for Phantom Loads (1999)
OECD United States Japan France

Fraction of
residential electricity 5-10% 5% 12% 7%
use (%)

50- 50
Watts per home 60 38
100 (=438 KWH/yr)

45
National (TWh/year)
(=$4.5B)

Total CO2 emissions

27
(MT/year)

http://standby.lbl.gov/DATA/International.html
 EnergyStar.gov
Home Electronics
• Consumer electronics > 25%
of household electricity use.
Save Energy, Save Money
• These products use energy • An adapter that has earned the
when they're off for features ENERGY STAR meets strict
like clock displays and remote energy-efficiency guidelines
controls. ENERGY STAR • Average 30% more efficient
products use as much as 60% than conventional models.
less energy for these • Often lighter and smaller in
functions, while providing the size
same performance at the
same price as less-efficient
models.
PC Power Consumption Examples
Laptop Deskside, w/ 17” CRT
• Operating: 22-35W • Operating: 150W
• Screen off: 14W • Screen off: 80W
• Sleeping: < 1W • Sleeping: 7W
• Hibernating/turned off: • Hibernating/turned off:
< 0.5W < 1W
• Unplugged: 0W • Unplugged: 0W
• Potential savings using • Potential savings using
after-hours power mgt: after-hours power mgt:
~$15/yr ~$150/yr
Set power
management
options on
Windows/XP using:
- Start /
- Control Panel /
- Performance and
Maintenance /
- Power Options
 Household Appliances
Save Energy, Save Money
• Two price tags for an appliance:
1. what you pay to take it home
2. what you pay for the energy and water it uses.
ENERGY STAR appliances use 10–50% less energy and water.
The money saved on utility bills can more than make up for any
extra cost of a more efficient ENERGY STAR model.

Help Protect the Environment

• Simple actions can make a big difference. One in 10 homes using
ENERGY STAR qualified appliances would be equivalent to planting
1.7 million acres of trees.
• For top performance, premium features, and energy savings, look
for energy-efficient clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers,
room air conditioners and dehumidifiers that have earned the
ENERGY STAR.
http://www.grotonelectric.org/calculate.php
 Clothes Washer
• An ENERGY STAR qualified clothes
washer can save you
– $550 in operating costs and
– 5,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions
over its lifetime
• Much more important to get an efficient
washer than a dryer
– the high-speed spin cycle greatly shortens the Save big:
drying time use cold
– easier to dry manually than wash water!
• Washer must also perform well, else your
savings will disappear in extra wash and
rinse cycles
 Refrigerator/Freezers
• ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators require about half
as much energy as models manufactured before 1993.
• They use high-efficiency compressors, improved
insulation, and better temperature and defrost
mechanisms to improve energy efficiency.
• For best performance: place away from heat, keep coils
clean, seals intact, air circulating underneath & around,
close the door!

Current EnergyStar
(’93) model: model:
$108/yr. $56/yr.

http://energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator
 Other EnergyStar Appliances
Typical Typical
Appliance EnergyStar Annual Notes
Efficiency Savings
Dehumidifier 10 – 20% $30 Humidistat
Full loads,
Dishwasher > 40% $15
air dry
Freezer > 10% $10 Chest best
Prefer natural
Room A/C > 10% $5
ventilation, fans
Room Typically 800
35% $16
Air Cleaner KWH/yr
 Typical Wattages of Various Appliances
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/appliances/index.cfm/mytopic=10040

• Aquarium = 50–1210 Watts • Personal computer

• Clock radio = 10 – CPU - awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or
less
• Coffee maker = 900–1200
– Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or
• Clothes washer = 350–500 less
• Clothes dryer = 1800–5000 – Laptop = 50
• Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the • Radio (stereo) = 70–400
drying feature greatly increases energy • Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) =
consumption) 725
• Dehumidifier = 785 • Televisions (color)
• Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / – 19" = 65–110
100 – 27" = 113
• Fans – 36" = 133
– Ceiling = 65–175 – 53"-61" Projection = 170
– Window = 55–250 – Flat screen = 120
– Furnace = 750 • Toaster = 800–1400
– Whole house = 240–750 • Toaster oven = 1225
• Hair dryer = 1200–1875 • VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
• Heater (portable) = 750–1500 • Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
• Clothes iron = 1000–1800 • Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
• Microwave oven = 750–1100 • Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
• Water bed (with heater, no cover) =
120–380
 Other Thoughts on Appliances
• Avoid energy conversions. Examples:
– Gas range and clothes dryer have 1/3 the operational
cost of electric versions at today’s prices
– Keeping heat in or out of your thermal envelope is
much less expensive than adding or removing it
– Ground-source heat pumps use refrigeration
technology to extract heat from the ground (heating)
or transfer it to the ground (cooling)
• Much less expensive than electric heating
– Least-expensive light is daylight
 Low-energy Appliances
Lighting:

Infotainment:

Appliances:
Decreasing electricity consumption
is possible
 Some energy-saving holiday gifts
• CFL 4-pack, < $10, many sources
• Power strip, $5, may sources
• Timer/outlet, $15, many sources
• The Carbon Buster’s Home Energy Handbook, $10.36,
amazon.com
• Clothes drying rack, $10-$80+, many sources http://
www.abundantearth.com/store/WoodenDryingRacks.html
• Kill-a-watt: pluggable electricity monitor, $25, killawatt.com
• TED: The Energy Detective, whole-house energy monitor
& display, $140, theenergydetective.com
• Durotherm Thermal Cookware, $169,
http://www.kuhnrikon.com/products/duro/group.php3?id=3
• Energy-efficient refrigerator, $250-$2500+, many sources
• Energy audit, $0 - $$$, a few sources, including GELD
• “The Story of Stuff” DVD, $10, storyofstuff.com
Our global food system faces a crisis of unprecedented scope. This crisis,
which threatens to imperil the lives of hundreds of millions and possibly billions,
consists of four colliding dilemmas, all arising from our dependence on
depleting fossil fuels:
1. The direct impacts on agriculture of higher oil prices: increased costs for
agricultural fuels & chemicals, and the transport of farm inputs and outputs.
2. An indirect consequence of high oil prices - the increased demand for
biofuels, switching farmland from food production to fuel production.
3. The impacts of climate change and extreme weather caused by fuel-based
greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change – the greatest environmental
crisis of our time – is enormously complicated by fossil fuel depletion.
4. The degradation or loss of basic natural resources (principally, topsoil and
fresh water) as a result of unsustainable rates and methods of production
enabled by decades of cheap energy.
Each of these problems is developing at a different pace regionally,
exacerbated by the continually expanding size of the human population. The
resulting overall food crisis is likely to be profound and unprecedented in scope.
The primary solution to the overall crisis of the world food system must be a
planned rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels in the growing and delivery of
food. The organic movement is uniquely positioned to guide this inevitable
transition of the world's food systems.

Richard Heinberg, “What Will We Eat as the Oil Runs Out?”

The Lady Eve Balfour Lecture, November 22, 2007