These last 5 months must have been very hard on Mauritians, who typically loathe change. & I'm sure most will rejoice as from tomorrow... because summer time will finally be over!
The aim behind the introduction of Daylight Saving Time was to reduce energy consumption. So how far was this successful?
To find out, I monitored my own energy usage, which can be considered to be slightly above the average consumed by Mauritian households.
Power hungry electric appliances include a 29" CRT TV, a refrigerator (as old as me), electric shower, washing machine, microwave & PC+CRT monitor (500-600VA). Here's the result:
Just as I was expecting - it has no effect! In fact, the trendline has an upwards slope: y = 2.6548x + 269.43
I'm sure many of you have had a higher bill for the month of Dec/Jan... As the CEB explained, it's because the meter reading started as from the 5th January, hence 5 more days' consumption. But that's only half the truth.
What they don't tell you is that the more you use, the more you pay. Don't forget that the CEB tariff is incremental, so with more kWh measured, your bill doubles. :S
Getting back to DST, it's obvious that with people waking up earlier & going to sleep much later, there can't be any savings.
I'm waiting for the final assessment of this pilot scheme, which should probably reveal that the savings were minimal. & if there were savings, it was due to another project. :)
I expect the energy-saving CFL bulbs to have a greater impact on consumption rather than DST. According to the CEB, they sold more than 800,000 bulbs. The 15W bulbs were meant to replace conventional 45-60W bulbs.
Estimating that at least 500,000 have been replaced, with an average savings of 35W, the total is... 17.5MWh!!! (BTW, Gamma-Covanta’s incinerator will generate around 20MW) :|
Unfortunately, CFL while being highly efficient isn't without disadvantages (read more on Wiki + Greeenpeace). However, we'll just have to make do with it, until LED prices fall.
How to save more energy
- Air Conditioning
AC accounts for 1/3 of your electricity bill. But the problem is that most people don't even know how to use them. Keeping windows & doors open while turning on the AC... & even worst, ACs must be chosen according to the size of the room. An AC with a low Btu in a large room will run continuously, draining power. & an AC with too high Btu will cycle on & off quickly, using more energy. Seriously, we need awareness campaigns on how to use ACs. o_O
- Solar Water heaters
If the government is giving you Rs 10k, what are you waiting for to get one? (I'm getting one soon, except can't find plumbers...)
- Power Factor Correction
Instead of launching into an endless explanation, better check the Wiki page for power factor correction. Typically PFCs are usually used in industries on 3-phase machines, where efficiency is crucial. However, why not at home? The cost of PFCs are currently out of reach, but as soon as the world starts running out of energy, efficiency of systems will take topmost priority... Keep an eye on PFCs on the future... :)
Link: Is Power Factor Correction Justified in the Home?
HowStuffWorks - How to Save Money on Home Energy
The last word... well, enjoy your return to normalcy!! :D
Summer time has been pwned!! xD
Update:
As Yudz suggested, I updated the graph for a better comparison…
It certainly seems that summer time did not have any consequence on energy consumption. Compared to summer 2007, my average consumption has increased from 274kWh to 286kWh. That can be partly due to the fact that summer 2008 was the 3rd hottest in Mauritius after 1998 & 2003.