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Sustainability tip of the week: Slaying energy vampires
When you walk through your home at night with the lights off, chances are your path will still be lit by the glow of "standby" lights and digital displays on various appliances and electronic devices.
Because these devices are ready to operate or receive signals at all times, they act like vampires, silently sucking away energy even when they are turned "off." This wasted energy, known as phantom energy loss, represents a relatively small but growing percentage of a home's electricity use (about 5 percent), but taken across all U.S. households, adds up to an estimated 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.
This extra electricity costs consumers more than $5.8 billion annually and sends more than 87 billion pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.
Some of the biggest energy wasters in most homes are the adapters that come with rechargeable battery-powered devices.
Most draw power whenever they're plugged into an outlet, regardless of whether the device battery is fully charged -- or even connected. Follow these tips at home and work to reduce phantom energy loss:
Unplug it
-- Unplugging devices when they are not being used eliminate any potential energy loss.
To save the time and hassle of unplugging use a power strip or surge suppresser that can be turned off with a single switch. Unfortunately, some devices such as battery backup systems and computer network servers must be left on at all times to ensure proper functioning.
Keep it simple
-- Avoid buying products that include "bells and whistles" you don't need. Some of these extra features might waste energy.
Check the label
-- When buying an appliance or electronic device, choose the model that uses the least standby power. Energy Star-labeled models are a good choice because they use less energy for both regular and standby operation.
For more energy saving tips visit www.flagstaff.az.gov/sustainable.
Source: Nicole A. Woodman, city of Flagstaff sustainability manager
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Most commented stories
Web site comments suspended:
JK wrote on Nov 9, 2009 2:09 PM:
" The biggest energy hog in most houses is the refrigerator. It is the biggest energy hog and also the biggest hog of standby resources. The little ones to chill wines even more so.
Energy Star labels are almost meaningless. See the news stories from the last two weeks. "
Energy Star labels are almost meaningless. See the news stories from the last two weeks. "
redraven wrote on Nov 9, 2009 12:50 PM:
" I find it very interesting that the advice given to us about the vamping of energy is always directed to us, and not the many factories, office buildings, and corporations are never brought into the circle for wasting energy, and so much more. Let us point the finger at the real culprits of phantom energy loss. "
The Daily Sun’s Web site is in the process of migrating to a completely new platform. It is a complex move, and one of the first steps requires us to turn off story comments. We hope to make the switchover in mid-December, when the comments will be reactivated. We welcome your story comments, so please watch for updates on our home page for news of their return.
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The Arizona Daily Sun, Copyright 2009 © 1751 S. Thompson, Flagstaff, AZ
The Arizona Daily Sun, Copyright 2009 © 1751 S. Thompson, Flagstaff, AZ
BrandX wrote on Nov 10, 2009 12:17 PM: