UK power consumption

[Asbo Zaprudder]

You see on the graph where the power consumption is dropping? well that's because i've built my machine and hooked it up to the national grid without anyone knowing so it looks like less power is being used when really everyone is just using mine.

About 100MW then -- unless your energy-generating machine is 100% efficient, I guess your house is now getting uncomfortably warm.

 

[Jadzia]

Just think... If we made a proper effort on Earth Hour, and had all the energy from the National Grid at our disposal because it was doing nothing else, we could send 35 DeLoreans through time simultaneously.

 

[mirandafave]

Thanks I'll check back on what you discover.

Well this is the graph. I don't know how much of that drop is due to natural decline in demand as the evening develops, but it looks very smooth with no sharp drops, suggesting the our combined efforts were pitifully small. Hopefully the political message will be more substantial.

Notice the hump early in the evening -- which would include human activity around dinner time as well as switching most domestic and street lighting on at night fall. That should help put the numbers into perspective.

That is somewhat disappointing. The levelling off would probably imply a normal shut down than a mass turn off at the start of the hour. Gees I sat in the dark all too! Huddled beside the fire - which is not exactly carbon friendly either - but no lights and no heating I had to have something.

My other contribution to the energy saving hour was to get a take away so that I did not need to use any electric in my kitchen. How very noble of me!

Thanks for the graph Jadzia.

 

[Rosalind]

^ you need to compare it with the demand from the previous Saturdays. In NSW, at 2030 on 28th, the total demand was 7729.56 (which isn't a large drop from the 7939.56 at 2000); but at 2030 on 21st, the total demand was 8303.05 (drop from 8481.66 at 2000); on 14th it was 8087.35 (from 8271.29); on 7th it was 8293.29 (from 8486.93). (source) If you check the data for the large two years (Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007), you'll see a similar trend.

 

[MANT!]

I thought that hour thing was only happening in the US?

It's international.

In our hour of darkness, our town is having torchlight processions, to recycle all our old brush handles, use up our old tea towels, and use up all of our spare petrol and diesel oil.

All recycling.

Don't forget the pitchforks..amd a good old windmill to burn..

 

[Jadzia]

and a hay barn... and letting all the horses loose to run around wildly..

 

[JoeZhang]

You might want to download the book here:

http://www.withouthotair.com/

Lots of interesting facts and figures about this matter.

 

[Jim Steele]

My wife wanted to do earth hour, I didn't, so we ended up coming to a compromise which led to me editing a podcast in almost complete darkness.