by Shane Henson — July 12, 2013—Most Americans would be surprised if they knew just how much energy the products they use every day at home and work waste annually. A new analysis of devices and equipment commonly found in U.S. commercial and residential buildings concludes that these products, with more than 2 billion in use, consume more energy each year than many large countries use to power their entire economies—some $70 billion of energy.
According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), household devices, such as TVs, computers, and ceiling fans, and commercial equipment, such as elevators, icemakers, and MRI machines, use 7.8 quadrillion Btus each year—which is more than the primary energy use of either Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, or 200 other countries, and is more than the amount of oil that the U.S. imports from the Persian Gulf and Venezuela each year. The findings come from a report released this month by ACEEE titled Miscellaneous Energy Loads in Buildings.
The good news is that these devices could be made to use 40 to 50 percent less energy with existing technology, according to the report lead author Sameer Kwatra. “If consumers upgraded to the most efficient products on the market today, we could save as much energy as Argentina uses in an entire year,” said Kwatra.
All together, these devices are referred to as miscellaneous energy loads, or MELs, because they do not fit into traditional energy-use categories such as refrigeration; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC); or lighting. This diversity has also meant that attempts to increase MELs’ energy efficiency have varied, with some products having very little or any efficiency measures in place.
While some of the devices, like ceiling fans and ice makers, are covered by federal energy efficiency standards, and others like TVs and computer monitors are covered under voluntary efficiency specifications like ENERGY STAR, many more products in the MEL category continue to waste energy, notes ACEEE.
In addition to establishing standards, the report recommends approaches including encouraging manufacturers to upgrade their products so that the best-performing ones now on the market become common. Utilities and other program administrators can also include MELs in their energy efficiency portfolios, and behavioral initiatives can be developed to raise awareness and modify consumption habits, says ACEEE.
“Just because a device doesn’t fit neatly into a product category is no excuse to waste a nation’s worth of energy,” said Jennifer Amann, ACEEE’s buildings program director. “Acting on the recommendations of this report will help energy consumers like businesses and residents put money back in their balance sheets and pocket books.”
