Understanding Unnecessary Electricity Consumption

This blog is a continuation of my earlier piece — "Turn the Hell Off the Light!" It also connects to a series of related blogs that you can find structured with brief descriptions.

If you're someone who thrives on buzzwords, this might not be for you. I avoid producing cluttered content and do not plagiarize others' work to enhance readability. However, if you seek insightful reading backed by data (not just newspaper articles), you're in the right place. Knowledge is power.

What You Will Discover in This Blog:

• It is possible to maintain our lifestyle comfort while drastically cutting down on electricity production.
• This reduction will lead to a significant drop in emissions.
• We won't need to create excessive replacement energy generation sources.
• We can avoid extensive ecological damage caused by searching for unnecessary raw materials to replace the energy we've conserved.

Throughout your reading, you may ponder various questions about my assertions. I invite you to engage in discussion.

Previously, I analyzed how much electricity could be conserved in London by turning off lights in office buildings after hours and on weekends. In a rather pessimistic scenario, I estimated that this could reduce the UK's electricity production by 4% of the household consumption in 2021. However, during discussions, I was told that my figures underestimated the energy savings because I was overly generous with the share of LED bulbs in my calculations.

This prompted me to think more broadly about how many devices we leave powered on unnecessarily in homes around the globe. Unfortunately, comprehensive data on this topic is scarce. To conduct my analysis, I categorized the world into three groups based on countries:

A. Selected Countries (36):

Australia, Canada, EU27 (broken down by country), Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, UK, US

B. China + India

C. Rest of the World

Rationale Behind This Segmentation:

The Selected Countries group boasts a high standard of living, which often translates into a preference for greater comfort. Although there are impoverished areas, they constitute a small fraction of this discussion. This group comprises only 13% of the global population (UN World Population Prospects, 2022) but accounts for 23% of CO2 emissions from electricity generation (JRC/EDGAR v7, 2021). Notably, just six of these countries contributed to 80% of the global emissions in 2021, but all have shown a long-term downward trend in emissions from 2010 to 2021.

Conversely, the China + India group represents 36% of the global population and contributes to 48% of CO2 emissions in power production, with both nations continuously increasing their coal-fired power plants. The global energy landscape is shifting, and the numbers indicate a worrying trend.

The Rest of the World comprises other nations that I chose not to explore in-depth for simplicity's sake. They collectively have 947.8 million households according to UN data.

The Basis for Research on Unnecessary Electrical Appliances:

I define unnecessary usage as any operation that does not enhance the comfort of the appliance user. While some might argue that such usage brings enjoyment, it does not contribute to the user's overall comfort. Many solutions aiming to address the real causes of climate change often focus on reducing comfort, but I prefer to frame them differently.

Examples of Unnecessary Usage:

• Lights illuminating a terrace at night when no one is present.
• Leaving a router on when no devices require internet access.

Illuminating the Issue:

I began by examining lighting as it is one of the most prevalent sources of unnecessary electricity use. Our comfort levels have increased significantly since the early 1900s, and we utilize electric lighting more than ever. However, the impact of one light bulb on a household bill is negligible, especially when viewed globally.

Scenario: Author's Research

In this scenario, I considered different numbers of light bulbs across the three groups. I used 12W for LED bulbs in the Selected Countries and 40W (a mix of LED, CFL, halogen, and incandescent) for the China + India group. The result showed that the latter group accounts for up to 65% of electricity consumption.

While I could have created a detailed profile for each country, this serves as an initial analysis to test future hypotheses.

Unnecessarily Operating Computers:

Consider how often you leave your computer running while away. Many users neglect to configure energy-saving settings, leading to wasted electricity. My research indicates that leaving two computers on for three hours can consume more power than the previously analyzed light bulbs.

Unnecessarily Operating TVs:

TVs are another focal point of unnecessary energy consumption. While usage is declining, many still keep their TVs running for entertainment, contributing to excess energy use.

Unnecessarily Operating Network Attached Storage (NAS) Devices:

As a data science enthusiast, I recognize the growing trend of home NAS systems. Many users fail to manage their power settings, leaving these devices running unnecessarily. The result is a significant energy drain that impacts global power generation.

Unnecessarily Running Routers:

Every internet-connected household uses a router, often running continuously even when no one is home. The advent of smart home technology has not alleviated this issue.

Unnecessarily Charging Smartphones:

With the constant release of new smartphones, the energy demands for charging have surged. This trend leads to more significant electricity consumption without any corresponding increase in quality of life.

Conclusion:

This analysis illustrates how we waste electricity without enhancing our lives. The goal isn't to vilify wealth but to find sustainable solutions for our future.

By examining unnecessary electrical consumption, can we effectively reduce CO2 emissions? Reflect on this as we summarize the key points:

• We can sustain our lifestyle while significantly cutting electricity production.
• This reduction will lead to a notable decrease in emissions.
• We can avoid the need for excessive energy generation replacements.
• Reducing unnecessary energy consumption can prevent environmental degradation.

Ultimately, this might mean less profit for some companies, but it is vital for a sustainable future.

Engage with the discussion and explore these insights further.

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