To conserve electricity, kill the ‘vampires’

There really are vampires – just not the blood-sucking undead we know from fiction.

Instead, these real-life threats to human existence suck electricity off the power grid, wasting natural resources as well as consumers’ money.

Consumer carelessness with electricity does more than endanger the supply of power. There is a domino effect that heaps even more stress on an already stressed-out environment, especially when it comes to power generated by burning fossil fuels. Even the use of “clean” or renewable energy such as solar comes with an environmental impact, though nowhere near the scale of fossil fuels, according to numerous published reports.

The use of renewable energy has been steadily rising in this country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, which says sources such as solar, hydro, wind and others, accounted for 13 percent of the electricity generated in 2015.

We encourage customers throughout the year to be aware of what we call “energy vampires,” said Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier.

He defined energy vampires as devices that use electricity even when they are turned off and said they can account for up to 20 percent of a customer’s electric bill. Consumers can save money, conserve energy and lessen the environmental impact of the power grid by identifying and de-fanging energy vampires.

Chris Johnson, sustainability coordinator for Winthrop University, surveyed electricity use on campus to root out waste and find opportunities for conservation.

“I walked around campus and surveyed buildings, seeing what lights were left on, what monitors were left on and you’d be surprised,” he said. “If you leave on Friday at 5 o’clock and come in Monday morning it might not seem like a lot (of waste), but if you don’t have to generate that electricity, those resources are saved in the long-run.”

In terms of cost savings, Johnson said Winthrop can save an average of $36 a year per monitor that’s turned off when not in use. In the context of a university, that’s thousands of dollars – and kilowatts – saved annually.

Mosier of Duke Energy said consumers should be aware of “wall warts” – devices such as cellphone chargers that have a large plug – and “bricks” such as laptops, cable boxes, TVs and DVRs.

“All consume energy even when the device to be charged is not attached,” Mosier said.

Other examples are:

▪  Video game consoles

▪  Standby coffee makers

▪  Devices that turn on instantly via remote control

▪  Devices with a standby light or clock

Victoria Klein, author of “48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living,” says consumers can conserve energy and save, on average, $350 a year in utility bills by finding and sealing air leaks in their homes. Most leaks can be found in heating and cooling ducts and fireplaces, she reports.

Other sources of leaks are windows, doors, fans vents and electrical outlets and Klein points out in her book that, “Supplies for stopping air leaks, things like insulation, caulk and weatherstripping are widely available and affordable at hardware and home improvement stores.”

Klein estimates that home lighting can consume up to 20 percent of a typical utility bill and trading incandescent light bulbs for energy efficient and longer lasting CFL and LED bulbs – both of which have drastically come down in price over the past decade – is a quick and easy path to conservation and savings.

Going solar

The two electric utilities serving York and Lancaster counties, York Electric Cooperative, which is building a community solar farm in Rock Hill, and Duke Energy, are both stepping up their renewable game.

YEC is working on a 50 kilowatt system it hopes to have up and running by summer.

“This is an investment in the future of our community,” says Paul Basha, YEC’s president and CEO.

Co-op members can subscribe to the program for an initial fee of $130, plus $12 a month per kilowatt and receive a solar credit of 10 cents per kilowatt hour “based upon the amount of energy the farm produces proportional to (a member’s) kW subscription,” according to a news release from YEC.

“Investing in clean, renewable energy is important as we grow into the future,” Basha said, “and this gives our members an opportunity to participate without changing the appearance of their homes, upkeep, and costs of installing their own panels.”

Duke Energy, which sent customers who installed solar systems more than $1 million in rebates since October 2015, also has been reaching out to customers.

Mosier credits a unique collaborative effort of stakeholders from across South Carolina in coming together to set the stage for the expansion of renewables in the state.

Gov. Nikki Haley signed the Distributed Energy Resource Program Act – also known as Act 236 – into law in 2014.

Mosier explained that Act 236 “is designed to promote a diversified portfolio of distributed energy resources in the state” and said, “the law opens up the state for solar leasing with appropriate consumer protection regulations, which will make rooftop solar more accessible for homeowners. It allows utilities to build solar in the state and recoup those costs – just like it does with other power plants. It also mandates that utilities craft programs for nonprofits and educational facilities to expand their solar presence."

Among its initiatives, Duke is rolling out a new program next year called “Shared Solar” that is similar to the one YEC plans to offer. Subscribers, who pay $50/kW fee ($100/kW for non-residential and tax-exempt groups) get access to a solar facility and receive a bill credit of approximately 6 cents per kilowatt hour produced.

“The program is designed to be attractive to residential customers, such as apartment dwellers, who may not have the ability to install solar, as well as nonprofit organizations like churches, community centers and schools,” Mosier said.

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 11:08 AM with the headline "To conserve electricity, kill the ‘vampires’."