View source for Home idle load

{{lead extra info|date=June 2023}}
{{UDP|date=July 2017}}
'''Home idle load''' is the continuous residential electric [[energy consumption]] as measured by [[smart meters]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Kwatra |first1= S. |last2= Amann |first2= J. |date= 2013 |title= Miscellaneous Energy Loads in Buildings |url= https://www.aceee.org/research-report/a133 |journal= American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy |access-date= 2017-03-01 |archive-date= 2017-01-29 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170129161700/http://aceee.org/research-report/a133 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=R. Rajagopal|display-authors=etal |date= 2015 |title=VISDOM: Data Analytics Architecture for Load Management |journal= Stanford Sustainable Systems and Smart Grid Labs at Stanford University }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-IP.pdf |title=Home Idle Load |website=NRDC |access-date=2017-03-01 |archive-date=2016-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201101818/https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-IP.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> It differs from [[standby power]] (loads) in that it includes energy consumption by devices that cycle on and off within the hourly period of standard smart meters (such as [[fridge]]s, [[aquarium]] [[heater]]s, [[Wine accessory#Coolers|wine coolers]], etc.).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Borgeson |first1= S. |last2= Tan |first2= S.|date= 2015 |title=Learning from Hourly Household Energy Consumption: Extracting, Visualizing, and Interpreting Household Smart Meter Data |journal= Proceedings of the 2015 Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Conference, Los Angeles }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=B.A. |last2= Wong|first2=J. |date= 2012 |title=Simple Way to Use Interval Data to Segment Residential Customers for Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Program Targeting |journal= ACEEE Summer Study Proceedings |pages= 5–374–386}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nrdc.org/resources/home-idle-load-devices-wasting-huge-amounts-electricity-when-not-active-use |title=Home Idle Load: Devices Wasting Huge Amounts of Electricity When Not in Active Use |website=NRDC |date=14 July 2015 |access-date=2017-03-01 |archive-date=2017-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302025532/https://www.nrdc.org/resources/home-idle-load-devices-wasting-huge-amounts-electricity-when-not-active-use |url-status=live }}</ref> As such, home idle loads can be measured accurately by smart meters. According to Stanford Sustainable Systems Lab, home idle load constitutes an average of 32% of household electricity consumption in the U.S.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kwac |first1= J. |last2= Flora |first2= J.|date= 2014 |title= Household Energy Consumption Segmentation Using Hourly Data |journal= IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid |volume= 5|issue= 1|pages= 420–430|doi= 10.1109/TSG.2013.2278477|s2cid= 33661350 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last= Meier |first= Alan |date= 2015 |title= Standby Power|journal=  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory}}</ref>

==Type of devices==

The primary categories of devices that contribute to Home Idle Load include:
* [[Electronic device]]s that consume electricity while not being actively used (including televisions, [[game console]]s, [[digital picture frame]]s, etc.)
* Home infrastructure devices (including analog [[thermostat]]s, [[doorbell]]s, telephones, [[clock]]s, [[GFCI]] [[Electrical outlet|outlet]]s, [[smoke alarm]]s, continuous hot water recirculation pumps, etc.).
* Any type of device used to maintain a continuous temperature differential (including [[freezer]]s, [[icemaker]]s, [[refrigerator]]s, [[Wine accessory#Coolers|wine cooler]]s, [[terrarium]] [[heater]]s, heated floors, [[instant hot water dispenser]]s, etc.). Although such devices may need to stay on continuously, more recent models have proven to be more efficient and can result in considerably lower home idle loads.<ref>{{cite web |work = NRDC |title = Home Idle Load Action Guide |url = https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-action-guide.pdf |access-date = 2017-03-05 |archive-date = 2017-03-06 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170306032941/https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-action-guide.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work = Unplug Stuff |title = Home Idle Load |url = http://www.unplugstuff.com/learn.html |access-date = 2017-03-01 |archive-date = 2017-07-08 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170708110719/http://unplugstuff.com/learn.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

==Reducing home idle load==

Approaches to reduce home idle loads include:
* Disabling electronic devices with [[standby power]] loads either manually (unplugging) or by managing [[power strip]]s (including smart [[power socket]] types)
* Using a [[timer]] switch that stops electric consumption from devices when not in use
* Using a smart power strip with a master outlet that manages electricity for multiple devices
* Replacing older (or malfunctioning) devices with more efficient options<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Bensch |first1= I. |last2= Pigg |first2= S. |date= 2010 |title= Electricity Savings Opportunities for Home Electronics and Other Plug-In Devices in Minnesota Homes: A Technical and Behavioral Field Assessment |journal= Energy Center of Wisconsin }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Chetty |first1= M. |last2= Tran |first2= D |title= Proceedings of the 10th international conference on Ubiquitous computing |chapter= Getting to green: Understanding resource consumption in the home |date= 2008 |pages= 242–251 |doi= 10.1145/1409635.1409668 |isbn= 9781605581361 |s2cid= 22189106 }}</ref>

==Measuring home idle load==

Home idle load may be measured differently depending on the [[electric meter]] and local utility used. A smart meter with a local utility that supports "green button" data is the most accurate option to measure home idle load. Another option involves using the user's utility website to access consumption charts showing hourly electric use.  If green button data is not available, the user may measure home idle load by analysing the home's [[electric meter]] while all home electronic devices are in inactive mode. This may involve using a timer to track the time for a single revolution of the spinning dial of an [[analog device|analog]] electric meter.<ref name="auto"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Electricity grid modernization}}

[[Category:Electricity]]
[[Category:Energy conservation]]
[[Category:Environmental impact of the energy industry]]
[[Category:Electronics and the environment]]
[[Category:Electric power]]