Power Hungry Set Top Boxes to be Regulated?

The Energy Department is considering to place new restrictions on the energy consumption of set top cable boxes and digital recorders. This would be similar to regulations that dramatically improved the efficiency of refrigerators. The announcement comes after the National Resource Defense Council published a new study of the usage of set top boxes. Their results are fairly staggering, and it shows how targeting set top boxes can make a big impact to both our energy costs and the environment.

Like a refrigerator, the television set top box is generally running at full power 24 hours a day. When the television is off and nothing is recording, these devices will still operate at a similar energy demand. Two-thirds of their demand for power comes when the consumer is not using the device. Since the companies who are supplying these boxes do not pay for the electricity, there is little incentive for them to invest in changing their products.

According to the NRDC study:

In 2010, set-top boxes in the United States consumed approximately 27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is equivalent to the annual output of nine average (500 MW) coal-fired power plants. The electricity required to operate all U.S. boxes is equal to the annual household electricity consumption of the entire state of Maryland, results in 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and costs households more than $3 billion each year.

The NRDC study has also proposed some solutions and picked out the worst types of set top boxes. In some cases they have a greater energy demand than a new energy efficient refrigerators and 42" LCD HDTVs.

Check out the very informative, 5-page study here: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/settopboxes.pdf

October is Energy Awareness Month

Considering the Power Smart Pricing website has the current price of electricity on its homepage, you would think that we would know all about Energy Awareness Month. Apparently through presidential proclamation in 1991, October has since been known as Energy Awareness Month. This tradition continues today:

 NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2010 as National Energy Awareness Month.  I call upon the citizens of the United States to recognize this month by making clean energy choices that will help build a stronger Nation, a more robust economy, and a healthier environment for our children.

Well, there you have it. It is, in fact, Energy Awareness Month. Maybe we need an Energy Awareness Month Awareness Month. To be honest, October doesn't seem to be the best month for something like this. At least out here in the midwest this is the time of year that the outdoor temperatures are pretty close to most people's ideal indoor preference. Therefore, people's bills are low and energy usage is not to high on the priority scale. For example, the highest price for today is 3.8 cents, or roughly 2 cents below the Ameren Illinois' flat rate.

The message however is great. Saving energy saves money. The more that our friends and neighbors can learn about the best way to do this better all our communities will be. So speak up and share the savings. The Power Smart Pricing Blog proclaims this month to be Power Smart Pricing Awareness Month!

Click here to learn more about what you can do for Energy Awareness Month.

A Guide to Free Electricity

Everyone loves the idea of free electricity. Well, here's a quick guide to build your own small wind generator. All you need is a do-it-yourself attitude and a some sophisticated tools in the garage. Just a quick note: it won't be the easiest of undertakings...

If you're not up for the challenge, the video below will at least provide a neat lesson in how wind turbines work.

Inhabitat Earth Day special: seven gadgets that help you save energy -- Engadget

The Power Smart Pricing Price Light, better known as the Energy Orb, got some recent press on an influential technology and gadget blog. It may have had more to do with Earth Day, but it was still nice to come across this simple gadget that has accomplished a lot. When most manufacturers are packing as many features and gizmos into our lives as possible (see cell phones), the Price Light has been so effective by being so simple.

The Energy Orb changes color based on the price of electricity. When the price is low, it's blue. As the price goes up, it changes from green to yellow to red. This offers, for lack of a better word, glancibility. Meaning you can just glance at it, and in the blink of an eye you have some useful information. It can be both effectively ignored, and effectively responsive.

The Power Smart Pricing program used to offer a discounted version of the Energy Orb for participants that would help customers quickly get a sense of the price of electricity. While we always do our best to alert our customers about high prices, those participants that had a price light would reduce their usage an extra 10% during the same time period.

As you can see from the picture above, it doesn't have any switches, modes or fancy touch screens. It is just a light that changes color, and in this case its saves energy and, of course, money.

To learn more about the Energy Orb and 7 other energy saving gadgets including something called the UFO Powercenter click here.

CNT Energy also wrote a detailed report about the effects of the Price Light on Power Smart Pricing customers that you can download here (pdf).

5 Energy Saving Lightbulbs Coming Soon

According to the US EPA, lighting accounts for roughly 20 % of the a household electric bills. Federal policy is fostering the development of more energy efficient lighting to outshine (pun intended) bulbs that haven't seen much improvement in the past 100 years. First to knock the incandescents of its mantle was the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb, or CFL. Now Light Emitting Diodes, or more commonly LEDs, are gaining traction.

Light most emerging technologies the prices are high. Greater competition within the industry has forced the price of these light bulbs to drop fairly dramatically over the past couple years. However the prices are still too high to break through just yet. The current round of offerings cost between $40 and $50 a bulb.

However, the even at that price they are cost effective against your old incandescent bulb. The new bulbs deliver the same amount of light while using just 25% of the electricity, and they last 25 times longer. For more on the cost effectiveness of LEDs click here.

The market for these bulbs will be people who are looking to lower their electric bill and ease their burden on the environment. Many of these customers have probably recently outfitted their house with CFLs. LEDs still offer significant advantages over CFLs. They last 10 times longer, no hazardous materials, do not emit ambient heat (which contributes to your cooling costs) and are more energy efficient.

5 LED Bulbs You Can (Soon) Buy To Replace Incandescents

Instant Rebates on Appliances in IL

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (commonly known as the "stimulus"), the US Department of Energy has provided the State of Illinois $12,379,000 for a Cash for Appliances program. The money is available as an instant rebate for ENERGY STAR rated appliances from participating vendors for:

• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers
• Room air conditioners
• Gas storage water heaters
• Gas tankless water heaters
• Heat pump water heaters
• Gas and propane furnaces
• Gas boilers
• Central air conditioners
• Air source heat pumps

It's hard to imagine a vendor not participating in this offer because their customers will receive a discount with the US Government footing the rest of the bill. You can also receive an additional mail-in rebate with proof that your old appliance was hauled away when the new one was delivered.

The first phase of the program began on January 31 and is available for for water heaters and heating and ventilation products. The second phase will launch around Earth Day and will last until there's money left.

For more information on qualifying appliances, click here (pdf).

Does the Smart Grid Need "Smart" Consumers?

As we get to watch the initial development and deployment of the smart grid, many people are trying to predict what it will ultimately look like. There are many eager stakeholders surrounding the issue from all sides. Entrepreneurs are looking for their niche, environmentalists are looking to reduce carbon emissions, and consumers are looking to make life a little cheaper to navigate.

While there is still much uncertainty, pilot projects and studies are setting some guidelines. Researchers have found that one of the keys to energy and cost savings comes from giving residential utility customers access to a dynamic pricing plan (real-time market based pricing, hourly day-ahead pricing, or time-of-use rates).  However within all the possibility of new economic development and efficiency, there are skeptics fearing that investment into a smart grid might not bear its potential due to consumers who would not be able to respond to the new dynamics. Power Smart Pricing customers are pivotal pioneers in proving that it does not take sophisticated technologies or a certain passion to achieve the milestones a complete smart grid offers.

We have used the Ambient Price Light and now twitter to get our customers price information, and we are actively seeking out new opportunities. Data from past summers has shown that energy consumption has been diverted away from peak times and lessens the need for electricity generation to come from the least efficient and dirtiest sources reserved for critical power peaks. Power Smart Pricing customers are now saving 17% since the beginning of the program in 2007 compared to what they would have paid had they stayed on the standard flat rate.

Power Smart Pricing customers have all made the decision on their own that this type of program is a better option for their household. They have used their own factors to weigh its benefits, but in the end they are just ordinary people doing as they always do. Our customers deserve all the credit, and they are shaping the expansion of the smart grid whether they know it or not.

Check out this interesting discussion on the topic of "Smart Consumers."

Team Illinois in 2nd Place at DOE Solar Decathlon

With two days left of the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC, Team Illinois is currently in second place behind Team California. As of this post, Team Germany narrowly sits behind them with just a couple categories remaining to be scored.

The Solar Decathlon brings teams from all over the world to the National Mall in Washington, DC to literally build a home on the Mall. The houses are scored in 10 contests: Architecture, Market Viability, Engineering, Lighting Design, Communications, Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment and Net Metering.

Team Illinois is made up of students from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. The Gable House is constructed using wood from a 100 year old barn that's outfitted with highly efficient solar panels. The combination of design and energy generation allows the house to generate 4 times as much energy as it consumes.

Take a tour of the home through its construction in the video below.

Check back to the DOE Solar Decathlon website for tons of media and up to the minute scoring.

Also check out UIUC's Gable Home page for more information on their house.

Google PowerMeter Annouces Partnership with TED

Google's online energy management software, PowerMeter, will now be compatible with The Energy Detective series of display devices to watch your real-time energy usage. The move shows that Google is continuing to expand their software in both platform availability and ability. It also gives TED devices a much needed boost in relevance.

Unfortunately the TED devices cannot be set up to display the price of a real-time pricing program (or one that uses day-ahead prices). Their office claims that the expanded service could be available "soon." However, the device would still be an excellent way to manage your household energy usage. If you continued to check prices through our already available channels while then using TED to get up to the second usage data, then you could be assured that the steps you are taking to conserve your usage are working.


Currently you have to wait until your billing period is up to examine your hour by hour usage through Ameren's Energy Saving Toolkit, but this product would be a dramatically more effective tool to make the most cost cutting changes. Some Power Smart Pricing customers have said they like the program because it's feels like a game to see how much they can save and how much they can shift. With a TED device you could get a high price notification or receive the Daily Price Report from twitter and know exactly which hours you should conserve and then get the immediate feedback that you are doing it properly.

The cost of the device ranges from $100 - $250. It has to be attached to your circuit breaker and wired into your home so unless you are comfortable with that kind of work you will probably want to hire an electrician. Ultimately the cost seems small enough that if you actively used the newly available information, along with the price signals from Power Smart Pricing, that you could make up that initial investment in a relatively short amount of time.

For more on the TED-Google Partnership.

For more information on a TED device.

The Ted Store.

Home Energy Savings Can be Confusing..

Many people choose to enroll in Power Smart Pricing because it gives them a way to save money off their monthly bills by using their electricity more wisely. In essence it gives customers another way to save. However it is important to not overlook the many ways households can lower their bills through more traditional approaches. In most cases, lowering overall energy consumption comes from incorporating methods that are specific to each households situation.

People have a tendency to leaves lights, tvs, and computers on while they are not being used. All of this extra cost comes from the same type of behavior. Fixing this issue first takes the recognition that you are in fact doing these things. Leaving something on is often due to forgetfulness, and therefore it can be difficult to keep track of something you are forgetting to do. No worries, just sit and think about it for a minute...

Other than personal behavior changes sometimes the extra energy used each month comes from inefficient system of household appliances and insulation. The new heating and air conditioning does not help much if the windows are left open. The washing machine's cool settings may provide the same cleaning power as the hot water setting, but if you cannot help but do it the same way you always have... well your bills will be more like they have always been too.

I recently found an article that can help clear up some of the common misconceptions about home energy solutions. Whether or not each of these improvements apply to work you are thinking of doing around your home or not, they provide a good lesson in how to think about savings and where they really come from.

Check out this recent article from Earth2Tech.

Potential of $1.2 Trillion in Energy Efficiency Savings

According to a report from McKinsey & Company the US could save $1.2 trillion by 2020 with an investment of $520 billion towards non-transportation energy efficiency. The reduction in energy use would prevent the output of 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. This would be the equivalent of taking all of the passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads.

A lot of people are fixated on new ways to generate electricity, but this study explores the arguably more reliable solution of new ways to lower the amount of energy we use. In many cases the investment is made in technology that we already have. Whether its weatherizing someone's home, or installing more efficient lighting and windows, the opportunities need expansion and not invention.

Energy efficiency must be treated as a fuel. If the same emphasis was placed on going after the hard to reach fuels throughout the world as it was to lower the energy required to run something, the existing resources we have already employed will become more powerful. If households required half the energy, the utility would require half the power plants (which end up getting paid for by the consumer) to match the demand.

"If we do nothing, we will waste $1.2 trillion of energy," McKinsey partner Ken Ostrowski said. "Over a decade, (the up-front investment) would be $50 billion a year, which is about five times what we invest today. That investment pays back--it's one of the few that generate environmental benefits and economic cost returns."

For more information check out CNET's Green Tech blog.
Read the entire report here (pdf).
Read the executive summary here (pdf).

Solar Powered Trash Can Saves Millions

In other news...

It's great to come across a story that seems so backwards, but in the end it makes complete sense. The image of a trash can with solar panels appears to be the symbol of excess in the name of "green." Enter BigBelly's solar powered trash compactor.

By July, Philadelphia will install 500 of these BigBelly trash cans throughout their downtown neighborhood Center City. Normal trash cans in this area have to be emptied 19 times a week compared to just 5 times with BigBelly. The lower removal rate will allow the city to employ just 8 workers rather than 33. The city insists that these jobs will be retained in other areas.

Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar, in Needham, Mass, looked through some city numbers, coming up with $12.9 million in savings over 10 years. The savings will quickly pay back the initial $2.2 million price tag for the bins.

It is not a coincidence that something that helps the environment can save a city government money. Efficiency is the tie that bonds these two entities together, and it will happen again and again. While your home may not need a BigBelly can, let this be an example of how to look at the true cost of the things you buy.

More on BigBelly Solar.
Article on BigBelly cans from Philly.com.

Passive House Turns Active

We previously wrote about an emerging household design in Europe called Passive House design. This concept incorporates a highly insulated building envelope around a home that is carefully sighted to use the sun for winter heat and year round lighting. The new Aktivhaus combines the substantially lower energy requirements with power generators that will enable the house to produce more heat and power than it needs.

The key to these highly insulated homes is their ability to take light and heat from the sun during winter months while blocking the extra heat in the summer. Proper sighting ensures that windows and skylights are oriented towards the south to receive the most sun. Placing simple overhangs over the windows prevents unwanted summer sun from heating your indoor space.

These houses are installed with a simple piece of equipment called a Heat Exchanger that ensures fresh air inside your home. The appliance takes in the fresh outdoor air and exchanges it with the warm indoor air. The heat is transferred to the incoming fresh air which fills your home while the stale indoor air escapes outdoors.

Passive and Active Homes have yet to catch on the United States, but the concepts and innovation of these designs will surely begin to integrate the market wherever possible. These homes are also a great example of the substantial amount of energy proper insulation can save. It would sure be nice to get a credit from the utility each month for the power your home is generating rather than a bill...

More on the Aktivhaus from treehugger.com.
Interactive guide from the New York Times on Passive House Design.

Walmart and Vatican Add Solar to Their Rooftops

Two different organizations announced they were adding more solar panels to their buildings on Earth Day: the Vatican and Walmart.

The Vatican is planning to build Europe's largest PV plant - a full 100 MW. This solar farm will be 740 acres and will produce roughly six times the amount of energy used in the small country of 108 acres. This will allow the Vatican to be a net energy exporter when the project is scheduled for completion in 2014.

German born Pope Benedict XVI has long been an advocate for the environment. In 2006 he said that "the destruction of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent hoarding of the Earth’s resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars, precisely because they are the consequences of an inhumane concept of development." This past November a smaller solar farm became operational atop the Paulo VI Papal audience hall (shown above).

There is a reason Walmart was number one on the Fortune 500 for such a long time (Exxon Mobil recently surpassed the retail giant). Walmart has constantly pushed for better business practice. They are now using their strong purchasing power to make investments in their energy future.

Walmart is doubling the amount of solar power used at their stores. This may sound like a lot, but really they are increasing their distribution by 20 stores, up from 18. Do not let the Earth Day press release fool you, this is a smart business decision. Making a one time investment to lower their operating costs will continue to allow Walmart sell their goods at lower and lower prices.

Energy costs pile up without a significant return. They take capital and investment opportunities away from businesses and homeowners alike. Generating one's own electricity are steps toward a leaner operating budget. In business, it provides room for more jobs and cheaper goods, and in the home it lowers the cost of living. All the meanwhile, allows us to be better stewards of our fragile planet.

For more information on the Vatican's solar project.
For more information on Walmart's solar project.

In Other News: Space-Based Solar Power

You read that correctly.

California based electric utility PG&E has reached a deal with solar energy company Solaren to purchase any power the company can produce from a proposed 200 MW solar plant to be launched into orbit. The project is scheduled to come online in 2016. On the surface, the deal looks as if PG&E's rate payers will be protected because the utility will only be obligated to pay for the electricity and not the construction.

As far as the technology is concerned, Solaren and its team of engineers have plans to launch their SSP (Space Solar Power) plant into geosynchonous orbit meaning it will travel around the earth at that same speed as the earth's rotation completing its cycle in one day. It will then obsorb power from the sun and direct it back to a receiving antenna on earth through microwaves.

So this all seems futuristic. It is, but the concept has been around for the past 30 years or so. The incentives for developing this technology are endless. In terms of energy, the solar power accumulated in space is 8 to 10 times more powerful than it is on earth because there is not any atmospheric interference. Also, the plant would constantly be in the sun so it would provide a steady base load of power.

If Solaren can pull this off for a reasonable price, then they deserve congratulations. Good luck!

To learn more check out PG&E's blog Next100.

Act On Energy - Home Audits

Ameren's Act On Energy program is now officially offering Home Energy Performance Audits for only $25. Many participants join Power Smart Pricing looking to save money on their electric bills. While shifting your usage to low priced times will help you save, making cost effective home improvements can ensure additional savings.

The advice the "trained Energy Advisor" will give and recommend will surely surpass the $25 initial fee. On top of that, some homes will be eligible to receive some energy efficient products.

To qualify for an audit, you will have to be an Ameren customer, your home must have been built before 1975, your bills average out to over $300, and you must be willing to spend some money for energy efficiency improvements.

Follow this link to begin!
http://www.actonenergy.com/home-home-energy-audits.asp

Product Feature: Kill A Watt

The Kill A Watt is a device that shines a light on exactly how much energy it takes to use your electrical appliances. It is an especially good weapon to combat those pesky nickels and dimes that get sucked away by vampire power.

Simply plug the Kill A Watt into a standard wall outlet and then plug your appliance into the Kill A Watt. Its LCD screen display will show the amounts of watts the appliance is pulling. To see the phantom power, turn off the device, and the Kill A Watt will continue to monitor its usage.

With a standard flat rate electricity pricing plan you can predict the cost of the appliance over the course of your billing cycle. Of course, Power Smart Pricing makes this calculation a little trickier, but you will still be able to see its relative cost burden.

You will be able to determine exactly why you should make sure that new big HD Plasma TV should be turned off, or why your kids needs to unplug their cell phone chargers. The Kill A Watt will run you about $15, but I guarantee that you will easily save that much on your bills. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way. To save on costs you can even get one to share between you and your neighbors.

The Kill A Watt by P3 International.

A Conversation with SolarJohn

SolarJohn is a Power Smart Pricing participant from Fairview Heights in the Metro East area. His home is equipped with solar panels, and he writes a blog that is a great resource for both homeowners looking to install renewable energy and for those who already have. He provides excellent insight into how to get the most out of your system with smart and simple solutions.

He is constantly looking for the next breakthrough on lowering his costs and improving his efficiency. Especially in the areas of integrating his system with Power Smart Pricing's hourly rate. I recently asked him a couple questions to expand on how and why he chose Power Smart Pricing.

Why did you choose to sign up for Power Smart Pricing?

1. To save money. I have solar panels on my roof. I can use solar-provided electricity when utility rates are high, and use electricity from the grid when rates are low.

2. I want to avoid using electricity from coal-fired power plants as much as possible. Doing so is harmful to the environment, and is not sustainable. I want to do my part to protect the planet, and to conserve natural resources for future generations.

What do you enjoy most about Power Smart Pricing?

I like knowing how much I'm going to be charged in advance so that I can adjust my energy use accordingly. I sometimes charge batteries when rates are low, and use electricity from those batteries when rates are high.

I not only monitor the amount I pay each month for electricity, I also carefully watch the amount (kwh) I use. I save money because I've signed up for Power Smart pricing, but by monitoring my actual use I can tell if my efforts benefit the environment.

Switching to CFL lights, and purchasing energy-efficient appliances, are some of the other things I've done recently to reduce my electricity usage. It's easier to stay motivated when I can see the results of my actions.

I also blog about my acitvities (http://solarjohn.blogspot.com), hoping to inspire others to do similar things. If we all do a little, it will help a lot.

I encourage everyone to go to SolarJohn's blog. Make sure to read through the archives to get some really interesting stuff. His ability to explain the steps he his taking is highly motivating for homeowners who are looking to save money and help preserve the environment's natural resources for future generations. John, thanks for the contribution.

IHC Lecture Series comes to So Illinois

The Illinois Humanities Council is giving a series of statewide free public programs examining key oil and water issues. All-Consuming: Conversations on Oil and Water has two lectures scheduled in Carbondale and one in Edwardsville this month.

On February 10th (Carbondale) and 17th (Edwardsville), the IHC will hold a panel discussion called Crosscurrents: Ethanol, Oil, and Water in Southern Illinois. The program will begin to answer some of the pressing questions about the Ethanol industry including:

What is the promise of ethanol and what are its limitations?

How does producing ethanol influence the supply and demand for water?

What are the environmental and ethical choices involved in the making of ethanol?

On February 24, the IHC discussion called We All Live Downstream: Whose water is it? will outline the implications of the choices we make within the Mississippi watershed and the Ohio River system on a regional, local and personal level.

Each of the events are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required.

For more information:

Illinois Humanities Council
Crosscurrents: Ethanol, Oil, and Water in Southern Illinois
We All Live Downstream: Whose water is it?

Evolution of Green Marketing

Green Inc is a new blog written by staff at the New York Times about "energy, the environment and the bottom line." A recent article written by Ciara O'Rourke outlines the effort the beer industry has made to show off their green credentials. Her specific example details the changes to marketing material New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO) has gone through over the past few years.

Starting in 1999, New Belgium began getting wind power through their local utility. In doing so the company began heavily marketing this fact on their products. As the ad campaign went on, claims of greenwashing began to get more vocal; peaking when a former employee went to the media showing the inaccuracies of New Belgium's marketing slogan, "100 percent wind powered."

Overall the energy consumed through their products stretch much further than the wind power credits they purchase. They burn natural gas, their trucks do not run on wind power, and the glass bottles and ingredients they use come from outside suppliers that do not follow the same sustainable strategies. Although New Belgium initially denied any falsehoods, it is clear that their operations were not "100 percent wind powered."

In 2007, the company modified their slogan. In doing so, New Belgium also issued its first sustainability report outlining all of its energy usage. The transparancy and record keeping will enable the company to follow the responsible business model they are looking to achieve.

Consumers are wising up. It is no longer acceptable from a marketing stand point to make extragavant claims without the transparancy of those actions.

Green Inc article.