Energy vampires

Most people believe that once an electronic item is switched off, it's off. But a blinking red light or a digital clock means circuits within are still using power.

For example, studies have shown microwaves consume more electricity powering the digital clock face than they ever do heating food. Other items, like televisions, may be dark most of the time but actually are in standby mode, sitting idle with certain circuits active and ready for a signal from the remote control.

This makes the items easier to use, but experts say it is also wasteful. Dr. Alan Meier, staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, says society is moving into an electronic world that's never off.

"People used to think of appliances as being either on or off. This distinction is increasingly obsolete because the TVs, computers, dishwashers and dozens of other products increasingly spend most of their time somewhere in between these states. The consequences for energy use are potentially enormous," he said in a written statement.

Those consequences could be amplified in Missouri because AmerenUE is proposing a rate increase of 11 percent for homeowners and significantly more for retail and industrial customers.

The biggest "energy vampire," as these devices are tagged, is the personal computer. In 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 70 million American households had one or more computers. Worldwide, the number of personal computers is expected to rise to 1.3 billion by 2010 or roughly double the total in 2004.

The energy impact, say officials, will be significant.

"It's huge. For instance in our building we have 1,000 PCs and we've estimated that 20 percent of workers leave them on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So if you put those figures together with how much we're spending on energy while we're not using them, that number is really big," said Frank Cunningham, energy engineer for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR composed a stat sheet in March to quantify some of the wasted energy. Engineers calculated that a computer with a 17-inch CRT monitor that is neither turned off nor put into an energy conservation mode costs the user $91 to power over the course of a year. This is nearly $70 more than a computer that only is turned on for nine hours per day, five days per week.

The department also found that users often leave computer speakers on all the time even though most rarely use the devices. This costs the owner $2.28 annually. Printers, also generally left in the on position, cost owners $2.85 while in standby mode.

"All of these little costs become much larger when you think about how many computers are being used out there," Cunningham said.

Televisions are another interesting test case. Meier conducted a study several years ago of the energy drain caused by televisions.

He showed that the average television consumes 4.5 watts of power per hour while switched off. This power is used for memory of channel settings and other automated remote control features.

This standby drain amounts to an average $2.56 annually -- or 23 percent of the total money spent by the average TV owner over the course of the year to power the set.

Meier also determined that a person who watches one hour of television per day is likely spending equal amounts powering the device while it's on and while it's off. He found VCRs to be even less efficient, using 54 percent of consumed power while in standby mode.

But it's not just the flashy devices that drain the juice. Answering machines, garage door openers, ovens, even cordless telephones do, too.

A study conducted by the California Energy Commission in 2004 concluded that standby energy consumption was costing the state's residential customers $3 billion annually or about $200 per home. The figure per home in Missouri is likely about half that due to lower electric rates.

Over the last 10 years retail energy sales to homeowners have increased by 31 percent. Experts say the sizes of homes have increased but so have the number of electronics filling them up.

"Yes, people's bills are higher, but they have so many more gadgets than they used to. I mean, in the late '80s I didn't have a home computer or a printer or a lot of other things I have today," said AmerenUE spokesman Mike Cleary.

In 2001, President George W. Bush issued an executive order stating that whenever possible, governmental agencies should purchase products with no more than one watt of standby power. He said this action was designed to "slay energy vampires," defined as any device that uses four to seven watts per hour while not in use.

At the time, the Department of Energy calculated that 26 power plants nationwide were running solely to power items on standby. Bush gave manufacturers of digital televisions, DVRs and other devices until 2007 to comply with the one-watt standard.

In Missouri, the DNR promotes Energy Star office equipment and appliances which they say can reduce the operating cost of one computer by as much as $76 per year when the power-save mode is activated.

Energy Star is a government-sponsored designation given to products. DNR officials said they have sought to study what percentage of items sold are Energy Star fitted, but cannot come up with a satisfactory figure.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245