Energy efficient products

The recent drought once again highlighted the need to conserve power.

The power generating authorities published advertisements urging electricity consumers to save power. Now that the rains are on, this advice is likely to fade away from the minds of consumers.

Consumers are generally advised to save power by turning off bulbs and appliances which are not necessary, for example, a lit bulb in an empty room. They are also advised to switch off air conditioners and fans in empty rooms. But there’s one aspect that power authorities and even the media often neglect. It is that energy efficient appliances and renewable energy sources can make a great difference to your power bill.

The authorities should take the first step by categorising energy efficient products in descending order. For example, most countries categorise the most energy efficient (i.e power saving) refrigerators and washing machines as ‘A Plus’. The next most energy efficient ones are tagged A, B Plus and so on. This way, customers shopping for a new appliance can discern the most energy efficient models right away and make an informed decision.

Customers should also be informed of some of the latest advances in product design that help save power.

For example, inverter technology in refrigerators, air conditioners and microwave ovens can achieve a power saving of 50 percent over similar, non-inverter models. It is a technology that is rapidly gaining ground, so it pays look around for model with this feature.

Apart from the bulbs and the refrigerator, there is one other appliance that is on for five to six hours a day in most homes - the television. There have been vast advances in television technology, including on the power consumption front.

If you are in the market for a new television, chances are you can get a big screen that does not gobble up power especially if you opt for the LCD-LED route (So-called LED TVs use a LED backlight instead of a fluorescent backlight but the panel is still LCD). Research done by Sust-it, a UK-based energy efficiency site for electricals, shows that TVs are now, on average, sixty per cent more efficient than they were five years ago.

In fact, a 21” CRT TV and a 32” LED require approximately the same amount of power. Where ten years ago, a 32-inch TV would have consumed nearly 300 kWh (kilowatt-hours) per year, the same size LED TV now requires 80% less energy when on and an amazing 98 per cent less in standby mode.

When plasma and LCD TVs first arrived in the shops, we were dazzled by their stunning picture quality and screen size, and overlooked the fact that, compared with CRT televisions, these beasts were energy guzzlers. Sust-it used extensive energy usage data to compare the running costs of 1,800 televisions and found that since October 2006 and July 2011, there has been a decrease in the average amount of energy flat screen TV’s are using, and, in addition, the decrease in stand-by consumption is nearly 100 per cent.

This is better news for the environment, as TVs account for around 6-8 per cent of the global domestic electricity usage, and for the consumer by saving them money on electricity bills.

And remember that many latest TVs have a presence sensor, which switches the set off if there is no one around. They also have ambient light sensors which optimize display contrast and hence power consumption. You can also opt for a low power consumption mode in most models. If you can wait some more years to buy a TV, you will be able to buy an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) set which does not require a backlight and thus promises even lower power consumption.

Talking of LED, the time may have come to replace even your CFL bulbs with LED bulbs. They are finally available at an affordable price point, albeit more expensive than CFLs (A 17 W LED bulb costs around Rs.2,000 as opposed to Rs.500 for a CFL). They require even less power for a similar lumens output. And a LED bulb can last as long as 50,000 hours (that’s an incredible 34 years at four-five hours of daily use). You might not need to replace a LED bulb, after all.

The new white light LEDs are also ideal for reading, as they do not have the flicker associated with CFLs. They also do not contain any hazardous chemicals (no lead or mercury), give off little or no heat (they are cool to the touch), are dimmable and fit standard light sockets.

In a related development, many countries are banning the good old incandescent light bulb from 2013-2014 and only CFL and LED bulbs will be permitted thereafter. By the way, if you want to buy a new torch, why not buy a rechargeable LED torch whose bulb will last a lifetime?

Also think of solar lights, especially for gardens. Why spend a few rupees every day to keep lights burning in your garden? Solar lights are not all that expensive and once installed, are maintenance and cost-free. And if you can afford it, ditch that electric hot water heater in your bathroom and install a solar rig. You will save a lot as there is no mains electricity involved. Solar power will not run out (at least for the next four billion years), so it is a very worthwhile investment.

There are many other technologies that help us save power. Have you heard of wind-up radios ? Yes, you literally crank the radio and it gives you 30 minutes of listening pleasure. Crank again to extend the listening period. There really is no need for batteries (although they can run on batteries too) or AC power. There are wind-up emergency lights too. If you look around, many more power saving devices are available.

Lower power consumption and energy efficiency have become the top factors for consumers looking to buy new products. Sri Lankan authorities too should have a ratings system in place for categorizing products on the basis of energy efficiency. This will help consumers to make better choices that could collectively bring down the country’s power bill.