Saving Electricity in a Hurry: Dealing with Temporary Shortfalls on Electricity Suppliers (Tema Nord 2005)

Saving Electricity in a Hurry describes some of the recent power blackouts - from Norway to New Zealand and from Tokyo to Arizona - and the policies these regions used to quickly reduce their power consumption. It shows that countries can quickly reduce electricity consumption without harming the economy as much as blackouts or unplanned curtailments. The strategies are diverse, unique and often surprisingly cheap. They include mass media campaigns - where a good joke can save a Megawatt - improvements in equipment efficiency, and adjusting electricity prices to cut electricity demand in a hur. Read more... FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Figure ES-1 Summary of Estimated Savings Achieved in Regions through Programmes Designed to Save Electricity in a Hurry Figure ES-2 Electricity Demand in Brazil Before and After its Shortfall in 2001 Figure ES-3 Example of Advertisement During New Zealand's 2003 Electricity Shortfall 1. WHO NEEDS THIS BOOK AND WHEN? What Kind of Shortfalls are Covered in this Book? Security Applications of Saving Electricity in a Hurry Developing Countries and Saving Electricity in Hurry Introduction to the Vignettes. 2. VIGNETTES OF POWER SHORTFALLSA Transformer Fire in Arizona Table 2-1 Incidents of Short-term Supply Shortages Drought in Brazil Table 2-2 Energy Saving Targets in Brazil by Sector Table 2-3 Major Electricity Measures and Programmes in Brazil Table 2.4 Savings by Region in Brazil Figure 2-1 Evolution of Electricity Demand in Brazil California's "Perfect Storm" Table 2-5 State of California Appropriations for Major Demand-side Programmes and Projected Savings in First and Second Years. Table 2-6 California Appropriations (and Estimated Power Savings) for Programmes Operated by California Energy CommissionTable 2-7 Most Important Motivations for Conserving Table 2-8 Participation, Savings, and Costs of the 20/20 Rebate Programme Figure 2-2 Observed and Adjusted Savings in California's Monthly Peak Electricity Use Between 2000 and 2001 Europe's Hot Summer Figure 2-3 Conservation Measures Taken by California Households New Zealand's Three Electricity Crises Figure 2-4 Average Monthly Wholesale Electricity Prices in New Zealand, 1999-2003. Figure 2-5 Advertisements from New Zealand's Target 10% CampaignNorway's Drought and Early, Cold Winter Figure 2-6 Average Electricity Prices (Excluding Taxes) for Major Sectors in Norway Figure 2-7 Composition of Household Electricity Prices in Norway Figure 2-8 Norway: Production, Consumption and Export Ontario Recovers from a Blackout Figure 2-9 Capacity Factors of Nuclear Plants in Ontario and the United States after the 14 August Blackout Figure 2-10 Actual and Forecast Load after the 14 August Blackout A Flood-damaged Power Plant at Presque Isle A Cold Monday in Sweden. Nuclear Plants Shut Down in TokyoFigure 2-11 A TEPCO Spokesperson Explains the Electricity Situation Figure 2-12 Supply and Demand for Tokyo Electric Power Company during Summer 2003 Vignettes Conclusions Table 2-9 Summary of Estimated Electricity Savings 3. A STRATEGY TO SAVE ELECTRICITY QUICKLY Identify the Kind of Electricity Shortfall Estimate the Probable Duration of the Shortfall Establish a Breakdown of Energy Consumption by End-use During the Shortfall Period Can Electricity Prices Rise Quickly and for whom? Develop a Ranked List of Measures The Next Steps. Blackouts are normally the result of imbalances in electricity supply and demand. A brief blackout is mostly an inconvenience, but persistent shortfalls--those lasting days, weeks, or months--can cause economic disruption and danger to human life in our technology-rich societies. This publication describes some of the recent power shortfalls, from Norway to New Zealand, from Tokyo to Arizona and the policies these regions used to quickly reduce their power consumption. How did the whole country of Sweden cut its power consumption by 4% in only three days? How did California save 14% in only a few months? While the temporary shortfalls in electricity supplies described in this book are relatively rare events, they disproportionately shape future energy policies. This publication shows that countries can quickly reduce electricity consumption without harming the economy as much as blackouts or unplanned curtailments. The strategies are diverse, unique and often surprisingly cheap. They include mass media campaigns--where a good joke can save a Megawatt--improvements in equipment efficiency and quickly adjusting electricity prices. This book explains how California replaced a million traffic signals with energy-saving models, how millions of Tokyo residents raised their thermostat settings, and how New Zealanders took shorter showers, all quickly enough to help avoid imminent blackouts. Finally, it connects these policies to the traditional goal of "saving electricity slowly."--publisher description Who needs this book and when? Vignettes of power shortfalls A strategy to save electricity quickly Measures to save electricity quickly Mobilising consumers to save electricity Higher electricity prices as a tool to reduce demand quickly.