Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 20:46, 18 August 2005

For the physical concept, see conservation of energy.

Energy conservation is the idealistic or economic practice of using energy resources in a sustainable way by considering which processes are wasteful, and addressing those inefficiencies. It is an important issue in manufacturing, primarily for reasons of cost-effectiveness.

As the clearly-finite quantities of non-renewable resources like coal, crude oil and natural gas are reduced further, the matter of conserving the remaining stocks until potential alternatives (like fusion power) may be found viable will become more and more pressing. This can be addressed through decreased use of energy, or increased production by other means. The latter process does not consider other environmental consequences of increasing energy production.

In the United States, Energy Star is a government program to promote energy-efficient consumer products. The EU energy label is a similar European Union program.

Tips for consumers

Easy tips that save electricity and money

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of regular incandescent light bulbs. CFLs produce the same amount of light using 1/4 of the electricity, and they last 8,000 to 10,000 hours. The savings in electricity amounts to over $30 per replaced bulb.
• Turn down the temperature on the water heater. The lowest setting on most modern waterheaters in the United States is 110 F or 120 F.
• Use the "light" cycle when using a dishwasher on dishes that aren't extremely dirty. Try the same when using a washing machine.
• Use products with the Energy Star logo (or similar). In particular, recycling and replacing old refrigerators with an Energy Star-approved one can save a few hundred kilowatt-hours a year.
• Turn off all electric appliances (lights, computers, televisions) when they are not in use.

Other Tips

• Use toilet paper and paper towels made of recycled paper.
• Insulate your home properly. Insulated glazing, for example, is a great idea. Avoid active air conditioning, or in the very least maximize its effectiveness by properly keeping doors and windows closed.
• Walk or use a bicycle, or a means of public transportation instead of driving a car.

Issues with energy conservation

The most effective way of energy conservation is not to use any, of course. An idealistic person may also prefer to refuse using appliances that have been costly in terms of natural resources to make, and usually any new appliance with an increased technological complexity has been much less energy-saving to manufacture than its predecessor. It is an important point to consider, if the consumer has more than his personal finances in mind.

See also

• alternative fuel
• economics
• environmentalism
• fossil fuels
• future energy development
• greenpeace
• list of environment topics
• peak oil
• recycling
• thermal depolymerization
• waste management

External links

• Kilowatt Ours
• Reducing your electricity consumption with these energy conservation tips

• Energy
• Environment
• Peak oil