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Banning light bulbs is nothing new to Ralf Lindenlaub. As a child in East Germany, the government restricted residential lighting to 2 hours a day. Every house. No exceptions. In those days, power plants in the hinterland were few, electricity in short supply. “The Stasi (German Secret Police) walked the streets, looking to pounce on anyone who dared to light up after hours. We got them excited a couple of times, until they realized that our family was completely off the grid. My father wired light bulbs to car batteries, so we had light whenever we wanted,” he said proudly. “Now it’s my turn … “ Recently, the Lindenlaubs installed a 3-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system in their home. As long as they sweep the snow off the panels in the winter, they generate enough electricity for almost everything: the fridge, the lights (CFLs, of course), the TV, the oven, clocks and radios. Price tag: $30,000. “There they are.” Ralf pointed to the panels atop his roof. “Quite a spread,” I mused, forgetting for a moment that I was performing an energy audit, trying to help him conserve even more electricity. “It’s for the grandkids, really. We just want to do the right thing for the environment … and we want to SELL you electricity, not buy it from you.” The new outdoor hot tub was a problem: It used more power in the winter months than the PV system generated. That, he could live with. But his beloved wife, Marlene, the Austrian, was not helping matters. She grew up in the hotel industry. She left the lights on. “It’s a bad habit. When I was a kid, I always turned lights on at the hotel to make customers happy,” she said. “She turns them on. I turn them off,” he said, sighing, then suddenly sprang to life. “Look at me, Schatzi." (German for “sweetheart”) He exchanged smiles with his wife and something more – a look that said, “I love you, quirks and all.” “One recommendation,” I said. “See the red lights on your TV, DVD player and satellite receiver? Those “off” lights mean that your appliances are using electricity even when you turn them off. Just plug them all into a power strip and turn off the power strip when you are finished watching TV. It will make a small dent in your electric bill.” “Yes! I never thought of that.” Minutes later, he shook my hand vigorously, and we said goodbye. No other words were necessary. His not-for-profit electric cooperative had just helped him become more energy savvy. He had an extra power strip somewhere in the garage, and now, he knew just how to use it. |
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