What are the different appliances that contribute to your household’s baseload power?
- Refrigerator
- Lights
- Air conditioning units
- Pool pumps
There’s a myth that renewable energy, like the one you gain from installing panels from solar systems in the Philippines, isn’t capable of providing baseload power. But before we can discuss said myth, we first have to understand what baseload power is and the different appliances that contribute to your home’s baseload.
In order to properly explain baseload power, we have to look at it in terms of electricity demand. Electricity demand can be classified into two categories – average and peak. Peak demand or peak load is achieved during times of high electricity demand. Often, this happens during hot days when you need to turn your A/Cs on for longer periods. It only happens in short burst and in even shorter periods.
Average demand, on the other hand, is the lowest level of electricity demand needed over a 24-hour period. In simpler terms, it is the amount of electricity needed to meet the demands of occupying your house—this is your baseload power. With that out of the way, we can now tackle the different appliances that contribute to your baseload power.
Refrigerators
Refrigerators are the single biggest contributor to your baseload power. In order to keep your food cold and fresh, your fridge has to be running 24/7. Even though refrigerators have been made more energy efficient, they still use a lot of energy.
For the people who have multiple fridges or freezers, it is recommended that you unplug unused ones in order to lower your baseload. You should also store food in as few appliances as possible.
Lights
Another contributor to your baseload is your home’s lighting. Though it doesn’t take up as much as your fridge and freezers, it doesn’t hurt to lower the cost to illuminate your home.
You can do this by replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs. They’re more available now than before and are quite affordable. You can also make use of sensors, timers, and occupancy based devices and adopt task lighting rather than whole-room lighting.
Air Conditioning Units
Air conditioners are usually considered peak load contributors, but not when you have a home office or when its summer and the kids are at home.
Admit it, you wouldn’t want your kids to suffer through the intense summer days, which for us Filipinos mean 40° degrees of heat, so you’d be more than happy to turn your A/Cs on. If this is the case and the unit is running from morning ‘till night, then it automatically becomes a baseload contributor.
The same thing can be said when you cool down your home office during the entirety of the day. Even if you turn it off after 8 hours of work, it is still part of your baseload and will cause your monthly bill to skyrocket.
Pool Pumps
Studies have actually found that homes with pools consume almost 50% more electricity per year. Although this is partly because these homes are usually bigger than average and have more occupants, it cannot be denied that a huge percentage of their electricity bill is because of the pool. On average, pool operation and management account for at least 17% of your bill.
Now, if you want this lowered, then you can set your pool pumps to function during the morning when your solar panels are in use. That way, they won’t be using up much energy and you can save a few extra pesos on your electricity.
Key Takeaway
The appliances listed above are the main contributors to your house’s baseload power. And though these tips may seem too simple, they are guaranteed to be effective.
As for the myth mentioned, you can just ignore it as it is not true. If you’re planning to install solar panels from solar systems in the Philippines, then go for it. Renewable energy can and will provide enough energy for your baseload and more!