When seeing some of the Elaborate Christmas lights people are putting on their homes, and noticing more people doing this, I'm wondering what precentage of the population would have to decirate to the extreme, before they caused power failures?
I realize this is a vague question, because it depends on the electrical distribution system, pole transformers, and the capacity of the generators. It also depends on the actual amperage of the lights, whereas the older C7 and C9 bulbs consumed a lot more power than the newer LED lights.
But still, there has to be a limit!!! Add to this, the fact that there are a lot more energy consuming devices used in winter, than in warmer weather, such as heat tapes, electric space heaters, furnace blowers, and more use of regular lighting due to short daylight hours.
I also wonder if the power companies have a reserve, to assist times of very high demand?
For example, I know of a house that has so many lights, their house glows almost as bright as daylight (at night). Someone who knows the owner, said he estimated there are around 250,000 bulbs. And a nearby park is decorated every year. It takes over 200 volunteers to put them all up, and they claim they have over 7 million bulbs. I've seen both of them, and they are awesome, but I'm glad I dont have to pay their electric bills.
This park has five sections, all fed by it's own transformer and massive panels. It takes a guy on a golf cart 1/2 hour to drive around and shut everything down at closing time every night. The reason it takes so long, is because they have to flip many individual breakers, because certain lights are left on for security, and they have live reindeers who need lights left on and their water tank heater has to stay on. Plus some of this is computer controlled so the lights "dance" to the music, and that alone takes a lot of time to shut down.