Scoping study into standby energy use by domestic electronic appliances

Standby electricity use is the energy consumed by appliances when they are switched âoffâ and/or not performing their principal function but still drawing mains power. It is also known by the names âleaking electricityâ and âphantom loadsâ. Standby power levels have become an issue of concern in a number of other countries in recent years as the increasing number of appliances which are consuming electricity in the standby mode, often associated with remote control operation, has essentially created a new category of energy end use. It is estimated that the average household in the USA now constantly âleaksâ more than 50W. Rainer et al [1] found a selection of houses in the USA to be consuming between 53 and 115W with no appliances being used. Although this may sound like a small amount, when it is considered that most of these appliances are connected to the electricity supply continuously it amounts to an energy consumption level of about 450kWh per year. If standby levels are similar in Australia, and there is little reason to think they are not given lifestyles and the international nature of the market for these products, this represents 5-10% of the average householdâs electricity consumption. A recent for Energy Efficiency Victoria estimated loads of between 400 and 1500kWh per year [2]. NSW households are currently spending about $40m annually to keep TVs and VCRs in the standby mode. The majority of appliances with standby consumption at present fall into the categories of video, audio and communications equipment, such as TVs, VCRs, cable TV decoders, compact hi-fi systems and answer phones. Many of these appliances consume far more energy in standby than in actual use. For example, more than 80% of the energy consumption of a VCR is in standby and less than 20% when actually recording or playing back tapes [3]

Leichhardt solar water heater survey

In June 1994 Leichhardt Council adopted Development Control Plan 17 - Energy Efficient Housing (DCP17). With this plan and the slogan 'Leichhardt goes Solar', Leichhardt Council confirmed their intention to encourage renewable energy systems, in particular regulating for the installation of solar water heater systems (SWH) in most new dwellings and major renovations. Four years later, in winter 1998, this survey was developed to obtain knowledge about how these systems perform, user satisfaction with the systems, what householders think about DCP17 and, finally, what level of financial and energy savings are possible in the Sydney area. The survey utilised personal interviews and a mail survey. Letters were sent to 182 owners or users of solar hot water heaters, and 33 (20%) of them participated in the survey. The results are very informative. In general people are satisfied with their systems, and 73% of the participants would buy a solar hot water heater again. In Sydney, the solar contribution can reduce energy required for water heating by between 60 and 75%. However, the problems of SWH are essentially the high costs of purchase and installation and the low tariffs for off-peak electricity and gas. Because of these factors, solar hot water heaters are often not sufficiently competitive in the financial sense to provide the payback periods expected by many households. Nevertheless, a household with a solar system can save on average $250 per year compared to a standard continuous tariff storage system, and can reduce the yearly emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by 2,000 kg. In general, Leichhardtâs Development Control Plan 17 seems to be an effective tool for implementing renewable energy systems like solar hot water heaters. If the lack of user information, which a number of participants in the survey commented upon, can be remedied, the level of acceptance and satisfaction could be much higher

Market Research: Tenancy Fitout Material Procurement Attitudes and Practices

The Better Buildings partnership (BBP) has previously investigated the tenancy processes that generate waste successive cycles of fitout, de-fit, make good and re-fit. This research project has been commissioned to explore why waste occurs in commercial building fitouts and what can be done about it, with a particular focus on the materials that dominate the fitout waste stream. The characteristics of each material and aspects of its usage are explored to determine how to improve reuse and recycling rates. The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) conducted in-depth interviews with 15 industry participants for this study, ranging from architects and property managers through to contractors and manufacturers. We also reviewed literature to provide context, however we found the available literature somewhat limited in terms of its currency, depth and local relevance. It is the interview conversations that provide a rich picture of the myriad issues and day-to-day problems that make it hard to institute a less wasteful, circular economy. The study attempts to place the problems in the context of the whole system to highlight possible solutions

Urban water demand forecasting and demand management: Research needs review and recommendations

Urban Water Demand Forecasting and Demand Management - Research Needs Review and Recommendations This study undertook a preliminary investigation of current research into urban water demand. The objective was to conduct a preliminary review of this field, to provide the beginnings of a comprehensive database of industry knowledge in this area and to identify research gaps. It is anticipated that this will lead to a more considered approach to research funding by the Australian water industry and maximise the potential for transparency and collaboratio

Plasma Perturbations and Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy in the Linearly Expanding Milne-like Universe

We expose the scenarios of primordial baryon-photon plasma evolution within the framework of the Milne-like universe models. Recently, such models find a second wind and promise an inflation-free solution of a lot of cosmological puzzles including the cosmological constant one. Metric tensor perturbations are considered using the five-vectors theory of gravity admitting the Friedmann equation satisfied up to some constant. The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) spectrum is calculated qualitatively.Comment: 20 page