Daylight Savings Time & The Environment
As we all know, probably due to how we are still feeling tired after losing an hour of sleep, Daylight Savings Time started up again this past Sunday. For many people, this particular day is a beacon of hope as it is one of the many first signs of Spring. The days are finally getting longer, the sun seems to shine just a little bit brighter, and we’re not driving in complete darkness on our way home from work.
For others, it might spark their inner environmentalist. The opportunities to spend time outside are arising, and the increasing amount of greenery reminds them how beautiful nature really is. They rejoice in the idea that by having more sunlight in the evening, we can conserve energy because the lights don’t have come on as early at night. After all, the US Department of Energy reported in 2008 that Daylight Savings Time saved about 0.5% of the nation’s energy per day. To put that into perspective, that amount could power up to 100,000 households for a year.
Despite that awesome-sounding statistic, there is speculation that Daylight Savings Time doesn’t actually help conserve as much energy as we may think. In fact, recent studies are starting to report that Daylight Savings actually requires homeowners to consume more energy.
Don’t worry, we were originally baffled too. How could extending sunlight further into the evening not help save energy?
According to an article written in Live Science, although Daylight Savings Time may help reduce our energy consumption in terms of lighting, it has a negative impact on electricity used for our heating and cooling systems. Due to the darker mornings, some households are more likely to keep their thermostats at a higher temperature to avoid a chilly house. On the flip side, having extended amounts of sunlight in the evening can lead home owners to keeping their air conditioners on for longer periods of time. A specific report that examined the effects of Daylight Savings Time for the state of Indiana found that the increased use of these systems led to a 1% increase in energy consumption. That’s double the amount of energy that was supposedly being saved.
Although Daylight Savings Time didn’t turn out to be as great as we originally hoped in terms of its role in benefiting the environment, CREEC is still dedicated to its mission of bringing people and nature together through educational opportunities. Therefore, here are a few tips on how to save on energy during the Spring and Summer months:
Clothes dryers are one of the most energy consuming appliances found in our homes. Think about hanging your clothes outside to dry - not only will this save on energy and keep your home cooler, they will also have that fresh, outside smell!
If you are someone who likes to turn on the air conditioning, don’t forget to turn on the ceiling fan as well. Doing so can allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4℉ without creating discomfort.
On the other side of things, make sure to turn the ceiling fan back off when leaving a room. Ceiling fans are meant to create a “breeze effect” to cool humans, not the room.
On warmer days, avoid using heat producing appliances, such as ovens. Rather, focus on cooking your meals on the stove or head outside to fire up the grill.
It is important to note that the statistics used in these reports are from studies conducted in multiple states across the country. Some states are going to be affected more by Daylight Savings Time than others, because of their differing climates. Therefore, they do not fully reflect the impact Daylight Savings Time has on the state of Minnesota. But because of the nature of CREEC as an organization, we still encourage taking these facts into consideration in order to best impact our surrounding environment.
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