In fact, all of these devices together can account for up to 20 percent of your monthly energy costs. But you can fight back with smart energy use. Check out these videos starring Sir Purr, the Carolina Panthers’ mascot, as he learns about energy vampires and then fights them in an effort to reduce his energy use and save money.

If you like the video, feel free to share it with others. Fighting energy vampires is easy – you’ve just got to know where to start.

Intelligent switches work together to identify problems and then can reroute power during an outage to minimize the number of customers affected. In this video shot in Hendersonville, N.C., Duke Energy Distribution Automation Manager Tony Adcock shares more details about how the switches work together to reduce outages; you’ll also catch an up close glimpse of what the equipment looks like AND, if you listen closely, you’ll learn where our next self-healing team will be installed.

The system was put to the test on June 23 when a tree on Lower Ridge Blvd. fell across some power lines. When the lines came down, the network kicked in immediately to diagnose and reroute power. The self-healing network saved over 1,500 customers from experiencing a sustained power outage. Customers served by this self-healing network may have experienced a few blinks or a brief outage as the devices activated to reroute power. Only the immediate customers served by the affected lines remained without power.  

See for yourself how it works.

The solar panels, battery and energy management systems together create a virtual power plant capable of generating enough energy for 55 homes for one year.

Here’s how it works.