Comment

Comment by Eric A. Tuttle on August 27, 2015 at 9:02am

There are a lot of devices that most all of us on the grid utilize each day that we give no thought to, as they serve only as a convenience item. These devices are often hidden from our thoughts but clearly in view. One example of the past was that electric kitchen clock, with 99% of its energy consumed was only dissipated in the form of heat. Though an addition slightly to winter needs and a burden equally in summer, the intent of use was a waste. The more modern clocks often use a single 1.5 volt battery and generally lasts upward of 2 years. Less than 1 watt of power vs several hundred for the same service. Remotes though battery operated, require that the receiver of the command I.E. TV requires that it be powered and ready to receive. Another hidden power usage, consuming power for that instant on convenience. One that I discovered recently, not so much that it did, but how much was a motion sensor activated light switch. Only having converted the light to a single LED bulb replacement from 2 40W to a single 11W LED with more lumen output was it apparent. (not apparent with 2 bulbs) When placing it in sensor mode, at night, the LED remained partially lit at about 1% brightness. 2.64 watts per day. Not seemingly much, but wasted energy use if left in that mode for 24 hours per day for a year 963.6 Watts, just under 1 kW per year. Now we have replaced a 5w nightlight which consumed 21.9 kw (12 hr avg use annually) with this hidden usage of power. Power that had been wasted invisibly through the circuit when standard or even dual LED bulbs were used. In one case, standby convenience usage is unneeded, in the second that standby usage became a more efficient usage. This is known as the power leakage principal, or Leaching of power.

Chargers that run beyond the required charging time to keep a battery at top performance when needed is a large consumer with the many devices that now require them. Unfortunately they do not all contain auto shutdown switches (though they could) and sometimes overcharging leads to premature battery failures, causing the need for a replacement which in turn demands more energy and toxin creation in their production, transportation, packaging and up the line. Yes the utilities will whine about rate increases for our conservation as they did in the early 80's but it is up to us to educate the PUC's and legislators and each other, that the true green, is to use only what is needed, not because it serves to anticipate our desires. 

Comment by Kathy Sherman on August 26, 2015 at 10:22pm

urbanites not only drive to work, but on average use twice as much energy for their two cars per household as they use electricity-related energy. None of that counts how urbanites are dependent on supplies that are transported to those stores that they walk to, or take Mass transit to, consuming a great deal of electricity, and causing a great deal of noise pollution. urbanites are not inclined to think of the energy that it costs to pump water from the rural areas that provide it to them, or the energy that it costs to clean up their waste a bit and dump it out into the ocean or onto poorly filtering land. No, urbanites think they have very efficient and sustainable vision and have no clue how dependent it all is on the resources of non-urban areas, and the chemical and acoustic pollution dumped along the way to provide them with the utilities they depend on, their food and consumer goods and disposal of their waste products. That ignores the long route of consumer goods and where fossil fuels are really burning to provide them. Eric has it right - unplug

Comment by Eric A. Tuttle on August 26, 2015 at 5:59pm

Pump all that Green Energy to the Cities, and they can still fail to become Green.