In the growing green market, distributors may consider plug load controls to help customers meet their energy management needs.

Plug loads account for 15 to 19% of residential energy use^[1] and about 20% of commercial energy use in the U.S.^[2] Plug loads grew by 12 to 14% in 2007 and it is safe to expect similar growth in the coming years.^[3] Most plugged-in devices use energy even when they are turned off. This type of energy use is often referred to as phantom load or vampire energy. Electronics draw power through two types of standby modes: passive and active. The clock on a microwave is an example of passive standby. An example of active standby is a DVD display when it is programmed to record something. Even cell phone chargers still draw power when they aren’t actively charging a cell phone battery. 22% of plug load electricity is used in standby mode.

There are several devices that can help reduce plug loads. GreenSwitch™ is an innovative device that can wirelessly control wall plugs and light switches, allowing users to control plug loads with one switch. Wattstopper/Legrand offers Isolé Plug Load Controls; surge protected power strips with occupancy sensors. When no one is present, peripheral office equipment is powered down to reduce energy consumption.

Controlling plug load growth is an important energy management strategy. Electrical distributors should consider offering plug load controls to all customers as a means of accessing the growing energy management market. For more information on plug load controls, please refer to NAED’s Going Green – Inside and Out white paper, How to Profit from Green Market Opportunities available at the NAED Learning Center.

[1] https://touchstoneenergy.cooperative.com/public/programs/EnergyEfficiency/documents/EnergyUseofHouseholdElectronics.pdfaccessed August 10, 2009.

[2] Sabo, Carol. “Plug-Load Energy-Efficiency on Campus”, a presentation given at the Advanced Design and Technologies for Higher Education Facilities Workshop in Lansing, MI September 23, 2005. PA Government Services, Inc.

[3] http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/articles/does-it-pay-to-pursue-plug-load-reductions.php accessed August 10, 2009.

Companies with strong sustainability plans need actionable strategies to ensure optimal business, environmental, and social performance. In May 2009, the Aberdeen Group released the results of a study that investigated how best practices in sustainability are linked to business return on investment (ROI). “The ROI of Sustainability: Making the Business Case” recommends a number of sustainability practices and shows how companies excelling at these see higher ROI for their efforts.

Practices that help companies excel in sustainability efforts include corporate leadership, developing metrics, setting policies and standards, improving stakeholder communications, educating staff, and formalized reporting. Using dashboards to deliver sustainability metrics in a user-friendly way is also a highly recommended practice. Dashboards provide a visual means of gauging how well a company is doing on various indicators, like energy and water use. They often come in the form of websites or “apps”.

The study used six key performance criteria to differentiate “Best-in-Class” companies. These companies achieved the following returns on their sustainability investments:

• 9% reduction in carbon footprint
• 6% reduction in energy costs
• 7% reduction in facilities costs
• 10% reduction in paper costs
• 7% reduction in transportation / logistics costs
• 16% increase in customer retention

For more information on sustainability practices tailored to the electrical distribution industry, please refer to NAED’s “Inside Going Green – Little Green Book of Corporate Sustainability.”

Source: Cindy Jutras and Jhana Senxian, “The ROI of Sustainability: Making the Business Case,” Aberdeen Group, May 2009.

Available at: http://www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/benchmark/5908-RA-sustainability-environmental-stewardship.asp