Technology has brought many benefits to our lives including a project spearheaded by Boothbay Harbor resident and energy engineer Michael Mayhew of Heliotropic Technologies. Several years ago, the Boothbay peninsula was suffering from an electrical power shortfall especially in the summer months, Mayhew said Aug. 22.

“It was close to capacity.”

In conjunction with Efficiency Maine, Mayhew proposed a way to ease the situation without a $19 million expansion of the Central Maine Power transmission grid: Provide energy-saving LED light bulbs to businesses, including shops and motels, downtown. “It saved ratepayers $6.5 million,” said Mayhew.

Mayhew handed out thousands of bulbs free of charge to downtown business owners.

“It was a huge win,” said Mayhew. The supply problem appeared solved. Store owners saved money on their electric bills.

“They gave everybody lights,” said Karen Vander of Gold/Smith Gallery on Townsend Avenue.

Karen and John Vander saw their monthly bill go from $130 to $30. The Vanders use over a dozen LED spotlights for their exhibits.

The shop owners were pleased, except for one glitch. It became clear something about the LED network was causing parked cars outside the stores to have trouble with their remote locking systems. Drivers who locked their cars remotely were unable to unlock them with their devices when they returned. If they used the mechanical key, the car alarm was triggered. Those with push button starters were unable to turn off the alarm by placing the key in the ignition, and the cars would not start.

When the motorists were unable to figure out the problem, they were sometimes forced to have the car towed, Karen Vander said. She discovered that if she shut off the LEDs in the gallery, the situation would return to normal.

Vander said it does not happen to all models or cars of different ages.

“It is mostly SUVs and pickups,” she said.

Although alarms going off is annoying, often several times a day, Vander goes out and volunteers to shut off the gallery lights. On occasion, the grateful motorist comes in to the gallery and buys something, she said.

Down the street at The Ritz, owner Rick Ullis said he has had a few such incidents, mostly with those who found that the remote key would not unlock the car’s door. “It was mostly Toyotas and Jeeps,” he said.

Most often the driver thinks it is the battery in the remote fob and will head for the hardware store, he said.

Ullis said turning off the store LEDs always works. “Nobody should have to be towed,” he said.

Ullis said the problem goes away in the late afternoon when the stores close and the lights are shut off.

“It is the first I have heard of it,” said Mayhew.

Mayhew said the problem is not likely to be with the LED bulbs, but the dimmers which were not supplied with the bulbs.

Reductionrevolution.com.au states that with electromagnetic interference, the whole system must be considered. Interference can impact radios, televisions and computers, according to the website.

“At least it has nothing to do with Trump,” quipped Vander.