‘Vampire Energy’ Is Sucking the Life Out of Our Planet

We all know that vampires only exist in the fictional realms of literature and TV—right? Vampire energy, also called standby power or phantom loads, is power that certain electronics and electrical appliances consume even after they are placed in standby mode or switched off. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that more than 100 billion KWh are wasted every year because of vampire energy, costing American consumers over $19 billion. Compared to residential, industrial vampire energy consumption is a much bigger emissions problem. Life sciences is even larger. For them, unsustainability begins in the drug development stage and continues into the manufacturing process, where laboratories refrigerators and freezers, run nonstop to maintain pharmaceuticals and supplies. Addressing the problem can mean tougher regulation or investing in technology—either way, it’s time for industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Want to discuss about how you might improve your sustainability efforts? Please reach out to me.