South Florida Energy Consumption and You

We in (ordinarily) sunny South Florida have been experiencing a rash of brown- and black-outs as of late. The current cold snap has brought record temperatures touching the high 30s in Miami; snow further north, and even dive-bombing iguanas.

The brown-outs are primarily being caused by the electric grid being overwhelmed by the use of electric heaters, which is typically unheard of in the Sunshine State. According to Reuters, electric consumption levels in Florida have reached all-time record levels. FPL set their all-time hourly record Monday with a stunning 24,354 megawatts, which is about 2,000 MW higher than the previous record demand. For reference, 1 megawatt can power ten thousand 100 watt bulbs. This is truly a startling surge in electrical consumption for the state.

While this raises larger Al Gore-esque questions of what resources should be used to create energy, ordinary people can do their part on a day-to-day basis by reducing their power consumption. It isn't hard, and usually saves you money. Some great methods to do so include:

1. Switching to energy efficient light bulbs
The two main types of energy efficient light bulbs and lamps are LEDs and CFLs. Both have slightly higher purchase prices than traditional incandescent bulbs, which is handedly off-set by their increases life and reduced power consumption. The case of every American home switching just one light bulb to an ENERGY STAR rated CFL shows how all stakeholders would gain. Homeowners save $600 million in annual energy costs. Greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions produced by 800,000 cars are not be sent into the atmosphere, and we have enough "extra" energy to light 3 million homes for a year. Seems like a win all the way around. New LED lights show similar gains, with tremendously longer usable lives compared to incandescent bulbs.

2. Going the solar route.
Reducing energy consumption is easy and shows immediate results, but equally vital is where this energy comes from. Solar and wind generated power are energy sources that are both plentiful and renewable. Switching to them not only makes fiscal and environmental sense, but gives home and business owners a (legitimate) feeling of independence. In speaking with Solaxiom International, Miami's solar and wind energy experts, it came to this author's attention just how important these technologies are. Further, they are much easier to install and operate then I originally thought. From partial applications, such as heating the pool, to full-fledged energy independence for business from warehouses to resorts look to see solar and wind energy generation become commonplace in the (very) near future.

3. Transportation
In 2007 transportation accounted for 28.5% of U.S. energy consumption. Granted, much of this is used by industrial vehicles (e.g. trucking or construction), but ordinary people can make a major dent into this figure. Switching to energy-efficient vehicles, using public transportation, and not minding putting the good 'ol fashioned shoe leather to use are all ways to reduce your personal energy consumption.

While this cold snap is sure to pass (I hope!), we must remember the lessons learned. Our energy usage has a tremendous impact on ourselves, those around us, and our children. Easy methods of reducing energy consumption, such as switching to energy efficient CFLs for your Florida business should become second nature to us. Everyone doing their small part will make the overall picture much prettier.

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Superior Lighting, Fort Lauderdale’s leader in energy efficient lighting is always happy to talk. They can be reached online at http://www.superiorlighting.com or via telephone at (800) 432-7995.