Saving Energy During the Summer and avoiding blackouts

Summertime to me means more free time, a respite from the usual humdrum, a chance to catch up with old friends and finish old tasks, and most importantly, a time to renew and rejuvenate. Blue skies, barbecues, and Nathan’s annual Hot Dog-Eating Contest are some of the most memorable parts of summer. But an alarming trend that has begun to accompany the summer smoothies, burgers and franks is the increasing number of power outages across the country.

Power outages can be due to natural disasters, damaged overhead lines and other electrical equipment but there's one contributing factor that we control: the overloading of household circuits. The heat wave in August 2006 resulted in a power outage in Queens, NY (the reason: there simply wasn’t enough power for the neighborhood despite importing 13,000 megawatts of energy), leaving over 25,000 people from both businesses and households in the dark or with substantially less energy than usual. In New York City, power failures often translate into huge commuting delays as entire subway lines do not function for hours on end and for businessmen this can mean millions in lost revenues. Without electricity, it’s a chore to take a hot shower and the water supply is rendered less than safe. In more rural areas, phone lines may be cut off making medical help difficult to access if the need arises (the hospitals are stretched as it is without electricity). << I don’t know if this is necessarily true but this is what I perceive from reading:

Even more serious are expansive blackouts. Who can forget The Great Blackout of 1965 (80,000 square miles, seven states and two Canadian provinces, 30 million people)? These experiences forced people to make do with what they had, resulting in the crime, rotting food, dark days, and memories that would not be soon forgotten.
During the last “great” blackout, August 2003, countless stores were compelled to throw out spoiled produce and other products—environmental resources going to waste—and more individuals took to their personal cars, instead of using public transportation. Trash and raw sewage accumulated in streets, some buildings were waterless due to the latent water pumps that run on electricity, and several fires erupted due to malfunctioning generators. Two generator failures at sewage treatment plants resulted in the dumping of waste in the Hudson River and New York harbor. In the Midwest, the blackouts caused similar environmental issues.

But why do these outages occur during the summer?

Face it, Americans waste a ton of energy. Whether it’s in the form of office lights that aren’t shut off at the end of the day or streetlights that go on in broad daylight we are using and abusing energy. Summertime is the opportune season for households to leave on air conditioning haphazardly in rooms they aren’t even in use—just to have an ice cold area to return to. It’s the season for school kids to watch television for several hours a day, while simultaneously having their computers and laptops on. But summer is also the opportune season for improvement and change. So here are some money-saving and energy-conscious tips help you enjoy your summer while also helping prevent blackouts:

Daylight Savings

Take advantage of the longer hours of sunlight. Turn off more lights, and turn them on later in the day.

Turn it off

Turn off all air conditioning and other appliances before heading out of the house.

Draw those curtains, turn those blinds

Lower your electric bill and cut down on air conditioning by simply staying away from the sun. A little shade goes a long way in cooling down living spaces. It’s the same reason we place that hammock beneath your favorite elm.

Dress smart

Wear shorts and light cottons to stay cool inside so your air conditioning units and electric fans aren’t doing all the work.

Stay active

Take the opportunity to maintain your health and stay in shape. Being active during the day can wear you out particularly quickly though, so instead, go out in the mornings or evenings when the sun is less harsh.

Fan It

There’s nothing wrong with turning on a good energy-saving fan instead of rushing to adjust your cooling thermostat.

Treat Yourself

Stay away from ovens, toasters and other appliances that will only raise the heat. Instead, turn to cooler alternatives. Try frozen grapes or strawberries—or another fruit—popsicles, and ice cream. Instead of using a blender to mix smoothies, go for fresh fruits or water (stay hydrated!).

Use public transportation or carpool

Not only will this reduce congestion, but it will also reduce fuel consumption—which is especially important during the summer, when gas-guzzling road trips are common. Think twice before heading for you car keys. Out visiting colleges? Go with friends!

Clean out your closet

Do an inventory of all electrical gadgets you have. Replace old, energy wasting appliances or throw them away (properly, of course). Investing in more efficient products instead such as EnergyStar products. They may be a bit more expensive initially but you’ll save on your bills for sure, not to mention the energy you’ll be saving.

Turn it Up

If you can manage to stay cool without air conditioning, try turning up the thermostat by 3 degrees. Doing so can save your household “over 900 kWh per year, over $100 annually and over 900 pounds of carbon dioxide each year”

In the Zone

If you have central air conditioning, use zone control to turn it on only in the areas in which you are living. If you have individual air conditioning units for rooms, check if it’s the proper size, the wrong fit equates to a less energy-efficient or ineffective unit. Heres a small chart to help you out:

The Alternative Lifestyle

Look to alternative energy sources for renewable energy. New Jersey’s SREC (Solar Renewable Energy Certificate) program already provides incentives to investors to install “renewable generation systems”: solar, electric, wind. See if your neighborhood has any alternative energy resources for residents. Texas has the most capability for generating wind-power capacity

Temper the Web surfing

Turn off computers when they won’t be in use for a long period of time, or put them in sleep mode when stepping away—even for a bite to eat.

Relight

Replace incandescent light bulbs with more efficient CFL lights. For more info, go to http://www.relightny.com/about.htm.

Sources:

http://www.grist.org/

http://worldchanging.com/

http://www.relightny.com/