Energy Committee

You can help curb San Francisco's winter-evening electricity peak

Each winter San Francisco experiences a surge in electricity usage, especially in the evenings, when businesses still have lights and heat on, but residents are also turning on lights and heat at home - roughly doubling the power load for lights and heating. The city's two aging power plants, at Hunters Point and Potrero Hill, then churn out more electricity to meet this demand, bringing a corresponding "surge" in air pollution in San Francisco and surrounding areas.

The way to limit this surge is for both businesses and residents to take extra steps to conserve electricity.

For residents, heating and lighting are the biggest electrical loads. For example, Cal Broomhead of San Francisco's Department of the Environment ("SF Environment") estimates that 10% of the winter peak load can be attributed to home use of electric resistance (space) heaters. We can reduce our use of space heaters by wearing an extra sweater, cuddling up with a few more blankets, or sealing drafty windows.

For lighting, compact fluorescent bulbs continue to offer substantial energy savings and longer life, and new models can produce a more natural light spectrum. In addition, shelf prices have dropped because PG&E now distributes rebates to retailers, so that consumers don't have to wait for rebate checks. Even if you have compact fluorescents, please turn off electric lights and the TV when you leave the room, even for just a few minutes. On movie nights, turn off the overhead light. Get creative; plan some candle-lit dinners, or go for a walk on a clear night rather than staying at home. Each of these may seem inconsequential, or even silly, but if we each cut down our electricity usage even a little, our cumulative impact could keep Hunter's Point from having to start up.

(You may have read that it saves overall energy use to leave lights on when you leave the room for short periods. The current general rule of thumb is to turn off incandescent bulbs for any period of absence. With fluorescents, you should always turn them off if you'll be gone more than 15 minutes, or during peak-use periods for even five minutes.)

For more tips on reducing power usage in your home this winter, see the web sites of the Alliance to Save Energy - www.ase.org or PG&E's www.pge.com/res

Business owners can also monitor and cut down on power usage and costs. SF Environment has a dedicated staff that can help you tailor a conservation program for your needs. For more i nformation, please contact SF Environment's Peak Energy Program ("PEP") office at (415) 355-3769.

Nancy M. Wang, Chapter Energy Committee