Something is missing on the way to zero-energy buildings. There’s one thing standards organizations, building codes, building engineers and energy-efficient designs cannot control — how people use power inside buildings. They can wring the last bit of wasted energy out of home and office construction. But, no matter how exacting their calculations, how extensive their testing and how carefully they select materials and technologies, one variable remains — the ongoing flow of electricity out of the sockets inside.
Electrical engineers call this continual pull of electricity from appliances, electronics, charging devices and other gadgets a phantom load. Reducing it depends on humans changing their behavior to halt the energy waste. Sometimes turning an item off won’t do the trick. Whenever you can see a red or blue light on any electronic device, it’s carrying a phantom load — even if it’s shutdown. And any device operated by a remote control has phantom load even if it does not have an indicator light on it.
As homeowners, you choose what goes into your home. You fill the space with all sorts of electronic, computing and media devices. On average, homes have about 24 of these types of devices — from clocks and coffee makers to smartphone and tablet chargers, and everything in between. If you allow these appliances to run or sit on standby when not in use, or leave chargers plugged in when not charging a device, it means they constantly suck up electricity and increase your electric costs.
Businesses can help bring down electric bills by looking at phantom loads, too. In the office, computers, copiers, monitors, printers, scanners and cellphone chargers all load up outlets.
Smart power strips
One way to reduce phantom load easily, especially for computer and office equipment, is to plug all the separate components into a single smart power strip that automatically turns off everything when the main piece of equipment is turned off, and eliminates wasted energy. These work well for entertainment systems as well. Set it up so that when the TV goes off, so will the rest of the media equipment such as the cable box, gaming system, sound bar and DVD player. Big-box stores sell smart power strips for about $30. When used to cut phantom load for big energy users, a smart strip can reduce your electric bill enough to pay for itself in a couple of years.
Office managers should consider enabling power management features on all equipment. This tactic costs nothing and can reduce office electrical waste substantially. The General Services Administration says an average desktop PC uses about 500 kilowatt-hours a year. Arming its power management features can cut that down. Other office products have power management features too, including copiers and laser printers. Taking advantage of the feature can eliminate up to 90 percent of the energy they consume during non-business hours. Smart power strips can help even more.
In the end, it’s about our behavior. It might not make sense to unplug everything all the time, but paying attention and making sure things that aren’t in use aren’t still sucking energy can make a difference. At home and at work, the answer is the same. If it’s not in use, turn it (all the way) off.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
