Energy Vampires Will Bleed You Dry

Suzanne Grant, APR, Spokesperson/Lead Communications Specialist,  

Progress Energy Florida

Everyone knows a leaky faucet requires immediate attention because a leak wastes water and costs money. Yet lurking undetected in nearly every home, there are other leaks – energy vampires – that constantly drink from your electrical outlets, wasting energy and running up your power bill. These tiny gremlins with the glowing green eyes that peek out at us in the dark of night from every corner of your house need immediate attention, too.

Vampire loads, also called phantom loads or standby power, refer to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode.

Here’s a scary thought: U.S. households spend rough $100 per year to power home electronics like clock displays and remote controls left in standby mode. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), vampire loads are ghoulishly responsible for approximately five percent of the energy consumed in the United States, costing more than $3 billion each year.

“Energy vampires haunt every room in your house,” said Malcolm Barnes, energy efficiency manager for Progress Energy Florida. “Unlike fictional vampires, they don’t sleep during the day. They draw power 24 hours a day, which quickly adds dollars to your power bill.”

Vampire loads on electronic equipment generally fall into three categories:

• Clocks and other always-on components. Devices that use internal clocks or other modules that remain operational even in off mode. For example, a desktop computer keeps a clock and other functions operating even when it’s off. 
• Direct-current (DC) power: Pick your poison here; laptop and cell phone chargers, cordless phones, electric toothbrushes, etc., all rely on DC power and draws electricity all the time. If you leave your cell phone charger plugged in, it will still draw power even if fully charged or the phone is disconnected from the charger. 
• Electronic Controls: Appliances with remote controls or electronic power switches require a sensor to remain alert all the time – ready for someone to hit the on button. 

Vampires are everywhere: microwaves; wireless power tools; coffee makers; DVR, DVD, and VCR players; cable and satellite boxes; MP3 players; digital TV converters and video game consoles. The DOE reports that in a typical U.S. home, eliminating energy vampires could save you two percent on your electric bill each month.

“There are a few tricks to kill energy vampires,” said Barnes. “The easiest way is to plug electronics into a power strip; then turn the strip off when not in use. Smart power strips do the work for you by automatically cutting off power when devices are not in use.”

Other ways to reduce phantom load include:

• Turning off the computer monitor when it is not in use for more than 20 minutes, and turning off both the CPU and monitor if the computer will not be used for more than 2 hours. 
• Looking for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing new appliances. ENERGY STAR® appliances use less energy, sometimes half as much, to perform their normal duties. 
• Keeping it simple—avoid buying products that include ―bells and whistles‖ you don’t need. Some of these extra features might waste energy. 
• Watching out for the cube shaped- transformers that plug into the wall. These vampires are 60-80% inefficient when plugged in, so it is especially important that these are on power strips. 

You can use an energy monitor to detect which devices are consuming this phantom energy in your home.  Your local library may have these devices to check-out.  Join Pinellas County Extension for classes on how to use these monitors, and borrow a monitor that day.  We will be in libraries throughout the county in the coming months.

For a more thorough assessment, contact Progress Energy Florida for a no-cost Home Energy Check. Through the Progress Energy service – which can be performed online, over the phone or in person – a highly-trained Energy Advisor will provide customized, energy-saving advice and determine your eligibility for company rebates toward energy-efficient home improvements. A Home Energy Check is a prerequisite to all Progress Energy rebates for energy-efficient home improvements.
To sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Check or to learn more than 100 energy-saving tips, visit progress-energy.com/save or call 1.877.364.9003.

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. Click here for more information about Progress Energy.

First Annual Pinellas Home Energy Symposium September 24th

On September 24th UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension will host the first annual Pinellas Home Energy Symposium. This year’s theme is retro-fitting your older Pinellas County home.

Pinellas County was developed most extensively in the 50s-70s and the homes built then did not have the energy efficient components that today’s homes have. As a result, most residents live in homes that can waste electricity— creating higher power bills and putting a greater demand on the power company to produce more energy. Register today for this free, 3-hour symposium online at pinellascountyextension.org.

A keynote address and a panel discussion will answer participants’ questions on what the best retro-fits are for Pinellas County homes, and what incentives/financing is available for making those improvements.

The keynote address will be from Dr. Jennifer Languell, Founder and President of Trifecta Construction Solutions. Dr. Languell has been a champion for green building and sustainable design for nearly two decades. Dr. Languell is one of the country’s leading sustainability consultants and is currently on the National Governors Association Policy Academy on Advanced Energy Solutions. Dr. Languell is based in Ft. Meyers Florida, and certainly knows the challenges of energy efficiency in a hot, humid climate.

Confirmed panelists include:

Dr. Randall Cantrell, University of Florida Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Housing and Community Development. Dr. Cantrell has recently completed a 7-year stint at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center where he served as Manager of Innovation Research. His appointment at UF is 60 percent extension education and 40 percent research. His main area of focus is on educating homeowners about how to increase the performance of their home.

John Ferrari, LEED AP, BD+C, Vice President of Business Development at EcoAsset Solutions, a subsidiary of Lykes Bros. With over 20 years of global business development experience, John most recently served as a co-founder and CEO of DwellGreen, a leading franchisor in the building performance management sector. John is also a LEED Accredited Professional and a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker. John currently serves on the boards of DwellGreen, the US Green Building Council’s Gulf Coast Chapter, Myakka River Branch, and the Florida House Institute.

Gary Cook, Account Executive for Progress Energy-Florida. Gary oversees Progress Energy’s “Home Advantage” program in the Pinellas County area. The “Home Advantage” program is an incentive program designed to encourage builders to build up to the ENERGYSTAR level. After serving twenty-one years in the United States Marine Corps, Gary began his career with Progress Energy in 1997. He worked in the Energy Management department until 2002. Gary transferred into the “Energy Efficiency” department where he works today with several builders in the Tampa Bay area.

Jeremiah Rohr, Lead Instructor, Solar Source Institute, Largo. Jeremiah took his background in industrial technology and construction management and married that with his interest in solar technology and today provides education in solar thermal and photo-voltaic principles at the Solar Source Institute. Jeremiah’s interest in solar dates back to the energy crisis in the ‘70s. Jeremiah’s vast knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, construction and project management makes him a valuable “one-stop-shop” for questions about solar devices for saving energy.

Richard Duncan, Pinellas homeowner, recent Sustainable Floridian Graduate and alternative energy practitioner. Richard has installed both solar water heating and solar photovoltaic energy production systems at his home. Richard will be able to address the ins-and-outs of pursuing and obtaining alternative energy upgrades to the home. Would he do it all over again? Ask him on the 24th!

Other panelists will cover financing for energy efficiency upgrades.

Registration for this free symposium is available online www.pinellascountyextension.org. Space is limited, so sign-up today. Registered participants will receive a free LED replacement light bulb. This lighting-for-the-future today replaces a traditional 60 watt incandescent light bulb, but uses 80% less energy and lasts 50 times longer. These LEDs were made in Florida, and are being provided by a grant from the US Department of Energy.

Refreshments will be provided by Solar Source Institute.

What: Pinellas Home Energy Symposium

When: Saturday, September 24, 9:00 am – noon

Where: UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, 33774

How register: visit pinellascountyextension.org and select the Extension Service under the Registration tab on the main page. Follow the easy instructions and you are in!

See you on the 24th.

Fall into Knowledge!

Attend Pinellas County Extension’s September Classes

Pinellas County Extension offers residents a wide variety of classes to help them make sustainable decisions. Be sure to check out our lunch break on-line classes, Solutions in 30.

The classes being offered in September are:

Solutions in 30:
September 2nd - Incentives for Saving Energy
September 9th - Healthy Home, Healthy Family
September 16th - Don’t get Scammed!
September 23rd - Saving Money by Going Green
September 30th - Green Office


Lawn & Garden:
September 9th @ 2:00pm and 6:15pm - Exploring the World of Bromeliads
September 9th - Landscaping for Wildlife
September 16th - Hurricane Preparedness for the Landscape
September 23rd - Gardening with Wildlife
September 24th - Drought Tolerant Plants
September 26th - Compost Happens
September 30th - Managing Common Landscape Problems


Sustainable Living:
September 12th - Healthy Home, Healthy Family



4-H Youth Development:
Starting September 17th – Embryology 101

You can register for classes on-line at http://www.pinellascountyextension.org Please look for the “Online Class Registration” button on the right hand side near the top of the page.

Solar Power in the Sunshine State

By Mary Campbell, Extension Director, Urban Sustainability Agent

Florida is called the “Sunshine State”. The sun bathes us with over 200 sunny days per year in the Tampa Bay area. Many people say they have heard that solar energy applications only work well in the clear skies of the desert southwest and won’t be as effective in Florida’s weather conditions. While it is true that the desert southwest has the largest solar resource in the continental U.S., this does not mean that Florida can’t provide substantial solar energy. Florida receives 85% of the maximum solar resource available in the U.S., making it ideal for using solar energy. The power of the sun is considerable - each hour, enough sunlight reaches the Earth to meet the world’s energy needs for a year.

How much of that sunshine are we using to power our homes and businesses in Florida? Not much it turns out. Like most states in the South, Florida is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for energy; with 80% of its electrical generating capacity based on non-renewable sources. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida gets 37% of its power from coal, 21% from natural gas, and 22% from petroleum. Clean, renewable sources (wind, geothermal, biomass, and solar) represent only about 3% of Florida's power generating capacity, and the rest (18%) comes from nuclear power plants. With the concerns about carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and our dependence on foreign oil, the push for renewable energy sources has gained momentum.

Why has it taken so long to get renewable sources of energy like solar power into our everyday world? Photovoltaic (PV) systems, which convert sunlight directly to electricity, consume no fuel, use no water, and produce no waste. One of the big issues with solar power has been that it costs more than electricity generated by conventional means. Conventionally generated electricity ranges between 5 and 18 cents per kilowatt hour (the amount of money to get a kilowatt of power for an hour) but in most places it's below 10 cents, according to the Energy Information Agency. Solar energy costs around 15 to 17 cents a kilowatt hour. To install solar panels to power an average home with electricity could cost over $20,000. As the cost of conventional power resources increases and the technology improves for photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar energy will become more and more cost effective.

There are substantial federal income tax credits (30% of the cost of a solar hot water system) and State of Florida rebates ($500 for a system) for the installation of solar systems in Florida. In addition, one Florida utility, Progress Energy Florida (PEF), recently implemented a new program that offers additional utility incentives of $450 for the installation of solar water heating systems. For PV systems, there is a federal income tax credit of up to $2,000 plus a State of Florida rebate of up to $20,000 for home applications and up to $100,000 for commercial applications.

Additional information on these solar energy tax credits, state rebate and utility incentive programs can be found by clicking on the following links:

• Federal tax credits: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/media/enews/2005/2005-03_EPAct2005.htm
  
• State of Florida tax rebates: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/media/enews/2006/2006-04-R1_Energy-act.htm

• Progress Energy incentives: http://www.progress-energy.com/custservice/flares/save/solarheater.asp

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is one of the leaders in the nation in renewable energy resources. FPL has received approval from the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to begin construction on three solar energy centers that will make Florida the second largest supplier of utility-generated solar power in the nation. Florida’s SunSmart Schools Program, is installing 29 solar electric systems in schools throughout the state. The program combines state funding with private partnerships to provide clean energy and science education. Unlike fossil fuels, the energy created by the solar unit emits no noise or pollution. The electric power generated by the system will be used to power the school’s classrooms, with excess energy returned to the local power grid. The system will also provide an onsite classroom for students to learn more about solar power and the benefits of energy conservation.

This is an exciting time for solar energy. PV systems are being installed in unprecedented numbers in the United States and worldwide. The first new U.S. concentrating solar power plant in nearly 15 years was completed in 2005, and more plants are planned for the coming years. Solar energy is on the verge of becoming a viable part of our nation’s energy supply, but challenges must still be overcome before it is competitive with conventional energy sources.















This image comes from a study from the Florida Solar Energy Center. The map clearly shows that the desert southwest has the largest solar resource in the continental U.S., but Florida is not very far behind with 85% of the maximum PV resource of any location in the country, making Florida a very cost-effective location for using solar energy. You can view the complete study at: www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC-PF-380-04/.

Resources:
Florida Solar Energy Center http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/

Florida Dept of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.fl.us/energy/sources/solar.htm
Department of Energy http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy06osti/39081.pdf

Florida’s Energy Act http://www.dep.state.fl.us/energy/energyact/default.htm

Solar Energy Incentives Program http://www.dep.state.fl.us/energy/energyact/solar.htm