Posted on 12/15/2004 8:25:41 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Phone rechargers, TVs, CD players, VCRs, and all those other appliances you plug into the wall and forget were called "energy vampires" Wednesday by state regulators, who voted to make them more efficient.
Proponents hope the world's first such regulations force others to the follow the lead of the most populous state. The new standards adopted by the California Energy Commission will be phased in starting in 2006.
Televisions, videocassette recorders and digital video disc players use two- to 10 watts even when they're turned off. California is requiring them to use one- to three watts.
Power adapters, also known as external power supplies - those little black boxes that power phones, razors, toothbrushes, computer components and a host of other ubiquitous appliances - often are warm to the touch, a sign they're wasting electricity by generating heat.
Even when they're not in use, they're drawing power. The California standards will require them to draw a half-watt or less.
The average California household has 10 to 20 of the devices that cost consumers up to $75 a year in wasted electricity, the commission calculated. It projects the regulations will save commercial and residential users more than $3 billion over 15 years.
Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, who chairs the commission's efficiency committee, said the standards mean the state can avoid building the equivalent of three new power plants in the next decade.
Once the standards are fully phased in by 2008, they'll save more electricity than is used by the 350,000-plus households in San Francisco, calculated the Natural Resources Defense Council, which promoted the regulations. The reduced demand on power plants, and a corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, is the equivalent of pulling 320,000 cars off California's crowded highways.
Commissioners adopted the regulations on a 5-0 vote after extensive negotiations with manufacturers in the U.S. and major supplier nations like China and Australia, said commission spokesman Rob Schlichting. The commission granted manufacturers' requests for delays in phasing in the requirements on some appliances, largely muting the opposition.
Pacific Gas & Electric backed the regulations on behalf of the utility industry, citing the savings to consumers, the environment and the power supply.
Among the appliances affected: incandescent lamps; audio and video equipment; residential pool pumps and portable electric spas; evaporative coolers; ceiling fans, exhaust fans and whole house fans; commercial ice makers, refrigerators and freezers; vending machines; commercial hot food holding cabinets and water dispensers.
"Consumers don't have to sacrifice anything. The soda will still be cold from the vending machine, the swimming pool pump will still circulate the water," said NRDC scientist Noah Horowitz. "We're substituting new, more efficient technologies ... rather than building new power plants."
The federal government already has adopted energy efficiency standards for different appliances, including residential refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers and other appliances. None of those is affected by the new state regulations.
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On the Net:
California Energy Commission: http://www.energy.ca.gov
Unless you're actually spinning it down, it's always spinning, not just when the light is on. The light is on when it's actually reading or writing, but the platters always spin. XP is still semi-buggy with spinning the platters down, causing the occasional crash. For that matter, the rest of XP's power management routines are buggy as well.
rather than building new power plants........
Section 666 of the Mandatory Conservation Act of 2006 prohibits Christmas lights too!
Do I have to plug them into a socket?
>>My payback is a more robust system that doesn't continually wipe out batteries. <<
Have you heard about the gel-batteries?
Thanx for the info.
A "top loader" literally BEATS the load through the washing solution (water soap and bleach if added).
A front loader, "tumbles" (drops, for those in Rio Linda) the laundry through the washing solution (water and soap and bleach, again, for those in Rio Linda).
This is FAR easier on the fabric, and far cheaper to utilize in that far less water (hot or cold) is needed for the same load of laundry.
BTW, did ANYONE here know that the "COLD" rating used by detergent mfr's actually means using the "WARM" cycle on your washer, unless your cold water is over 50 degrees ?
California can't balance it's budget worth a damn but always has time time to noodle around with these pie in the sky feel good projects. BTW buying all these slick new appliances and gadgets increases our trade deficit since most come from Asia. (China)
I personally use a Gilette "ATRA" razor and find it quite adequate to its task, though refills for same are becoming somewhat difficult to find.
And to think that we all laughed at the SNL skit that parodied the 3 bladed shaving tool.........
Reveal light bulbs can be found on and off at Wal Mart and Home Depot. Lowe's too maybe. $2.50 for 4.
I'm using one right now in my computer room.
BTTT!!!!!!
There is nothing wrong with frugality but I suspect you shave more often than I do. I don't think my razor budget is anywhere near substantial.
Ever drive through a city at night and wonder why all of those empty office buildings have every light turned on?
I already unplug chargers when not in use. I had the learning experience of a small fire when one overheated. My Computer, TV and stereo are plugged into outlets that are controlled by a wall switch. When not in use the outlets are dead.
When I leave the room I turn out the lights – and everything else in the room.
I’m not in favor of more government regulation, but do favor public education – now if the public can differentiate between “education” and “BS” a lot of problems will be solved.
Then all the people will move out and they will save even more energy.
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