Tech gadgets & your carbon footprint

The following is reprinted from the December online edition of "Northwest Reporter" published by Seattle-King County Association of Realtors:

The amount of energy consumed by gadgets is rising rapidly at a time when consumption by refrigerators, air-conditioning units and other household appliances is dropping.

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Energy reported the average U.S. household used about 778 kilowatt-hours per year, with about 7 percent of total electricity use attributed to powering tech gadgets. That rose from 663 kilowatt hours per year in 1997, up from about 6 percent of total home electricity use. Some analysts predict in-home tech gadgets will consume 18 percent of a household’s energy use by 2015.

Many consumers are willing to pay higher utility bills as a tradeoff for the benefits the newer gadgets offer, but environmental advocates emphasize it isn't just a matter of higher energy bills. Rising demand means increased generation of greenhouse gases.

Part of the increase reflects the proliferation of devices, notably from cell phones, multiple PCs at home, DVRs, MP3 players and wireless routers. Bigger and faster gadgets are replacing older counterparts, and these often consume more power. Much of the energy is consumed when the devices aren’t even being used. For example, a cell phone's power plug that remains plugged in even when disconnected from the device still suck down electricity.

Horowitz says consumers can take steps to curb their energy use. Shutting off devices when they are not in use, adjusting settings so they consumer less power and choosing gadgets with the government’s "Energy Star" rating are among tips he offers. He estimates consumers can lower their power bills by 5 percent just by doing things like turning off their gadgets when they’re not using them.

Electricity usage meters can reveal how much energy is consumed by particular devices when they are in use, on standby or simply plugged in. One such device, the P3 International Kill A Watt, retails for under $20.

SmartMoney.com, in a report published earlier this year, offered four tips for reducing gadgets’ energy consumption:

1. Invest in newer model power strips. Power strips can save time and money, allowing you to shut off multiple devices with the flick of a switch. "Smart" strips can know to power off peripherals when one component is shut down, such as a TV as part of an entertainment center or computer as part of a home office.

2. Consider smart-home upgrades. Special outlets, switches and sensors can communicate wireless with home computers or smart phones. Using home management software, consumers can access and control any connected device. A do-it-yourself starter kit starts at around $50.

3. Reconfigure gadget settings. Chose products with standby modes or other energy-saving settings. Free software from Edison PC Power Management enables you to select different energy-efficiency settings for work time and non-work time.

4. Buy energy-efficient models. Compare a model’s energy consumption. Look for Energy Star labels. (An Energy Star-certified external power adaptor for MP3 players, digital cameras or laptops tend to use 30 percent less energy than conventional models.)

More tips are available from the Consumer Electronics Association, an industry trade group that advocates voluntary, rather than government-imposed efficiency standards. Consumers can search for energy-efficient tech products and use an energy calculator to determine what it costs to power various electronics by visiting http://www.mygreenelectronics.org./