[This is one of many reasons why I have argued that ICT energy efficiency is not sufficient. The growth in usage of computer gadgets will dwarf any gains in energy efficiency.
The problem facing this planet is not energy consumption but CO2 emissions. Let us focus on the real problem and power all this electronic gear with renewable energy. The advantage of most ICT equipment is that it can be easily powered by small roof top solar panels or micro windmills. Power over Ethernet (PoE) or 400 HZ multiplex power can easily power these devices and get them off the grid – BSA]
http://goo.gl/sht0V
Americans are using energy more efficiently in their households with better windows, insulation and products that meet Energy Star standards, such refrigerators and clothes washers.
Yet those gains are being canceled out by the proliferation of electronic devices now used in homes, including a growing number of personal computers, DVRs and rechargeable gadgets, according to new data released Monday by the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
"You've got everything becoming more efficient, but there is just more of everything," said Bill McNary, a DOE statistician working on the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
For example, nearly 60 percent of homes had energy efficient windows in 2009, compared to 36 percent in 1993. But the number of televisions per household has soared, with 50.5 percent of households in 2009 having three or more TVs. Forty-six percent of respondents to the survey indicated that their most-used TV is 37 inches or larger. Nearly 43 percent of households use their TVs for three to six hours a day.
Meanwhile, nearly 47 percent of households have one computer; 39.4 percent have two or more. Most households (57.9 percent) have between one and three rechargeable electronic devices; 44.3 percent have four or more.
Use of digital video recorders (DVRs) has soared. According to the EIA, DVRs first entered the market in 1999, but are now used in 43 percent of U.S. households.
"For something to go from not being on our survey in 2005, to being in 43 percent of households (in 2009) is pretty impressive," McNary said.
The EIA will release data on space heating, air conditioning and water heating use in next month or so, McNary said. Next year, the agency will also release information on residential energy consumption. Previous EIA surveys have shown that overall household energy consumption decreased slightly from 10.58 quads in 1978 to 10.55 quads in 2005, while energy use per household declined by 31 percent.
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Green Internet Consultant. Practical solutions to reducing GHG emissions such as free broadband and electric highways. http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/
email: Bill.St.Arnaud@gmail.com
Bill@St-arnaud.org
twitter: BillStArnaud
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This blog is about using ICTs to develop climate change preparedness solutions built around Energy Internet and autonomous eVehicles
Energy Internet and eVehicles Overview
Governments around the world are wrestling with the challenge of how to prepare society for inevitable climate change. To date most people have been focused on how to reduce Green House Gas emissions, but now there is growing recognition that regardless of what we do to mitigate against climate change the planet is going to be significantly warmer in the coming years with all the attendant problems of more frequent droughts, flooding, sever storms, etc. As such we need to invest in solutions that provide a more robust and resilient infrastructure to withstand this environmental onslaught especially for our electrical and telecommunications systems and at the same time reduce our carbon footprint.
Using autonomous eVehicles for Renewable Energy Transportation and Distribution: http://goo.gl/bXO6x and http://goo.gl/UDz37
Free High Speed Internet to the Home or School Integrated with solar roof top: http://goo.gl/wGjVG
High level architecture of Internet Networks to survive Climate Change: https://goo.gl/24SiUP
Architecture and routing protocols for Energy Internet: http://goo.gl/niWy1g
How to use Green Bond Funds to underwrite costs of new network and energy infrastructure: https://goo.gl/74Bptd