Over the Rainbow -- Colour and Conservation

Colour plays a vitally important role in the world in which we live. Colour is a silent language that has a profound effect on us and how we react to varying stimuli in our daily lives. It can sway thinking, change actions, and cause reactions. It can irritate or soothe your eyes, raise your blood pressure or suppress your appetite. It can reflect your mood, and affect your very soul.

But who could have foreseen that colour could also play a role in energy consumption?

Colour perception stems from the spectrum of light interacting with the eye. Our eyes are the input channels, if you will, for this light.

The human eye is a significant human sense organ. At least 80% of the data that reaches the brain is collected by the eye. The eye allows human beings vision which includes distance or depth, and has a 200° viewing angle. The human eye can see 2.7 million colours.

This ability to distinguish colours is based upon the varying sensitivity of different cells in the retina to light of different wavelengths.

Visible light is made of seven wavelength groups. These are the colours you see in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

When light hits objects, some of the wavelengths are absorbed and some are reflected, depending on the materials in the object. The reflected wavelengths are what we perceive as the object's colour.

But light, no matter how complex its composition of wavelengths, is reduced to three colour components by the eye. The reddish colours are the long wavelengths. The greenish colours are the mid-size wavelengths. The bluish colours are the short wavelengths.

The science of colour is sometimes called chromatics. It includes the understanding of colour by the human brain, the origin of colour in materials, and colour theory in art.

And, when used in the right ways, colour can save on energy consumption.

With regards to the traffic light, we all know from our everyday experience that a red light means “STOP“, a yellow ( or amber) light means “ SLOW DOWN” or approach with caution and prepare to stop, while a green light means “GO” when it is safe to do so.

The colours used by automobile traffic light systems were originally adopted from the colour code system used by railroad engineers as a traffic signal devised to control the trains on the railroad, and the world’s first four-way three-colour traffic light was installed in Detroit in 1920.

Red has more personal associations than any other colour. Recognized as a stimulant, red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element. The colour red can heighten our perception of danger just by seeing it, and it is known to increase enthusiasm while encouraging action and confidence.

Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow is mentally stimulating and can activate memory. It can instill optimism, spark creative thoughts, and encourage communication.

Green is second only to blue as a favorite colour. Green is the pervasive colour in the natural world, and is considered to be tranquil and refreshing. A soothing colour, it can help alleviate nervousness and anxiety, while offering a sense of self-control.

Thus, these three colours are used in Aztech’s In-Home Display.

Time-of-use periods are identified by three colours that sweep across Aztech’s exclusive patent-pending arched light bar. Red is used for the most expensive ($$$) Critical Peak rate period; Yellow is used for the mid-rate ($$) On-Peak period; and Green is used for the least expensive ($) Off-Peak period. And, as energy use within a specific period increases, so too does the speed of the flashing light. This provides concerned homeowners with at-a-glance warnings.

By providing them with such instant feedback about how they are using energy and how much it costs, consumers can teach themselves about energy consumption and conservation. Taking control of their energy needs can realize savings of 7-20%. Thus, encouraging people to change their behavior helps them to reduce their energy usage, their energy bills, and their carbon footprint, all at the same time.

The Aztech In-Home Display even plays a role in reducing the length and severity of blackouts.

Whether due to equipment failure or heavy strain, blackouts often occur due to our aging and outdated electric grid. As the world’s interest shifts toward building a more efficient electric system capable of handling growing demand and smoother incorporation of renewable energy sources, it will be possible to minimize the risk factors associated with blackouts. By continuously monitoring the state of the network to improve reliability and to balance stress, the Smart Grid’s automatic counter-measures will help to reduce the frequency of blackouts. This will also help to curb the devastating effects such calamities can have on the economy, and protect the health and safety of those affected. The massive blackout that rippled through the Northeast in 2003 resulted in a $1 billion loss for New York City alone, and contributed to the deaths of at least 11 people.

It is no coincidence, then, that the colour black is associated with darkness. But to many cultures it is symbolic of mystery, fear, aggression, evil, mourning, and death. It frequently has a negative connotation, and has been used to define calamitous historic events, including Black Tuesday (the 1929 Wall Street Crash) and the Black Death (a 14th century plague).

Thus, the information sent by the Aztech In-Home Display to electricity companies helps them to better track delivery and usage. As a result, utilities can manage energy demands more effectively when delivering this fundamental resource. This helps states and provinces to achieve conservation goals that much sooner.

Now, for homeowners who see the comforting glow of Aztech’s In-Home Display flashing red, yellow and green throughout the blackness of the night, “going green” will have a whole new meaning.