Comments on: Could the U.S. Cut Household Electricity Use by Two-Thirds? http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/ Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Sun, 28 Dec 2014 17:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 By: Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-128202 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:01:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-128202 They have a relatively simple system. They require that utilities pay a certain price for electricity generated from solar.

Goes a long way….

]]> By: Will Poundstone http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-128126 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:59:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-128126 when i went to Germany, I noticed how many homes had solar panels on their roofs, that’s obviously because of bigger subsidies for alternative energy and much higher electricity costs

]]> By: Anne http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126992 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:39:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126992 No Bob, that can’t be true. A 250 l refrigerator cramped for one person?

You do know that a fridge is the same as an attic as a hard drive as a boot as a garage? Having a bigger one just invites you to keep more unused sh*t.

]]> By: Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126988 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:19:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126988 Completely agree. I now live in neighboring Poland and AC is basically not needed almost anywhere. (And not in place almost anywhere.) I imagine there’s more AC in Germany, but still very little use for it and a lot less than in the US. I’m from FL — that’s a diff planet. The state wouldn’t be NEARLY as populated as it is if it weren’t for AC … too many people would die from heat stroke :P (ok, more importantly, almost no one would move there). And AC sucks a ton of energy. Of course, FL isn’t the only hot state in the US. Much of the US lives on AC. But anyway…

]]> By: Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126987 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:16:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126987 not to mention that US houses are generally much larger… hard to cut energy to such a level with the house is much bigger. the big house trend seems to be waning, but no way the avg size is coming down to that of Germany anytime soon.

]]> By: Bob_Wallace http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126957 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:46:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126957 Thanks. That’s a small refer for the American market (300l, 10.6 cu ft). I don’t think it would get much play in the market as the main house refer (as if anyone needs more than one). I lived for some years with a 9 cu ft and it was cramped, even for one person.

Just for comparison, I’m currently using an 18 cu ft (510l), ten year old Energy Star that uses a bit less than 1kW per day. On a volume : volume basis the one you linked is more efficient.

]]> By: ThomasGerke http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126943 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:27:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126943 Ah, I will buy a rather small one (1m height), should have added that.
A big full size A+++ fridge consumes about 140-190 kWh per year it seems. (A+++ is currently the best category on the european energy efficency scale for home appliances)

For example this is one uses 149 kWh/year:
http://www.siemens-home.de/produktsuche/k%C3%BChlen-und-gefrieren/k%C3%BChl-gefrier-kombinationen/standger%C3%A4te/KG36EAW40.html

]]> By: Bob_Wallace http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126931 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:40:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126931 Thomas – tell us more about that fridge.

]]> By: ThomasGerke http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126921 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:14:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126921 Wow, that furnance is quite a nasty little energy hog.

We are looking forward to replace our fridge this year. We “inherited” a model from the mid-90s when we moved in our current appartment. 
I guess it’s the second biggest consumer (after the water heater) in our household. 
A new “A+++”-rated fridge consumes just 60-90 kWh per year (less than your furnance ;-) ). 

]]> By: Matthew Rose http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126914 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:58:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126914 No electric water heater, thankfully. I also turned the breaker for my furnace off, when not using it for heat nor for it circulating the central air, due to determining it was drawing nearly a kWh daily when not being used.

]]> By: Steven Bloomfield http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126913 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:52:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126913 Woops…didn’t read…lol…please delete this comment

]]> By: ThomasGerke http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126912 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:39:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126912 Congratulations great efficency! :D
I guess you are not stuck with an electric water heater are you? ;) That thing seriously pushes our electricity demand up.

Imagine the possibilities of today:
Plus energy home at passiv house standard…
1600 sq. ft. house and producing a surpluss of 1500-2500 kWh electric per year. (Including heating/cooling, light and all the funk)
1500 kWh are enough to drive 7500 km with an electric vehicle. ;)

Awesome world we life in…

]]> By: Matthew Rose http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/17/could-the-u-s-cut-household-electricity-use-by-two-thirds/#comment-126901 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:04:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=40298#comment-126901 Living in a 1400 sq. ft. house my average electricity use is less than 200 kWh per month, however I don’t have a TV nor do I ever have more than a single light on and I use central air sparingly. Two-thirds below the present average would be quite difficult for most Americans.

That said, off-grid site sourcing of electricity could easily reduce the average American household grid consumption to this lower level, so long as in-situ sourced power can cheaply be integrated into a home’s power system.

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