Your Guide to Understanding Energy Conservation

Energy conservation means reducing the consumption of energy by producing or using less of it. This could be in the form of using fewer energy services or ... BlogYourGuidetoUnderstandingEnergyConservation YourGuidetoUnderstandingEnergyConservationbyTaraEnergy|Educational,Energy,EnergyConservation Intoday’sworld,energyisnotonlythefuture—itdriveseverythinginthepresent.Asaglobalsociety,wegenerateandusemoreenergythaneverbefore,andthedemandforenergyiscontinuallyincreasing.Whilewehavebeenabletoexpandenergyproductiontokeepupwithdemand,therearephysical,geographical,andeconomiclimitstohowmuchcanbeproduced.    What’smore,greenhousegasemissionsthataccompanymanyformsofenergygeneration(suchasusingfossilfuelsforelectricity)areaccumulatingintheatmosphere,bringingthepotentialforclimate-relatedconsequences.Thisisespeciallytrueforfossilfuels,includingnaturalgas.   Oneofthewaystodealwiththeconstantlyexpandingneedforenergyandtheissuesitbringsistofocusonenergyconservation.Thisisatermthathasbeendiscussedatgreatlengthrecentlyinthenews,onsocialmedia,andinacademiccircles.Butwhatisenergyconservationandhowcanyouhelp?Readontolearnmoreaboutenergyconservationandhowitcanimpacttheworld.   WhatIsEnergyConservation?  Energyconservationmeansreducingtheconsumptionofenergybyproducingorusinglessofit.Thiscouldbeintheformofusingfewerenergyservicesorusingdevicesthatrequirelessenergy.Refrainingfromusingservicesorproductsisonewaytoconserveenergy,butthiscanalsobedonebyusingmoreenergyefficientproductsdesignedtoconsumelessenergythantheirstandardcounterparts.Energyconservationisabigpartofsustainabilityandsustainabledevelopment.   Therearecountlessexamplesofenergyconservationthatweknow.Theseincludeflickingoffthelightswhenleavingaroom,unpluggingdevicesorapplianceswhenthey’renotactivelybeingused,andcyclinginsteadofdrivingwheneverpossible.  EnergyConservationDefinitionandMeaning  Energyconservationis“thepreventionofthewastefuluseofenergy,especiallyinordertoensureitscontinuingavailability,”accordingtotheofficialCollinsdefinition.Thisisimportanttonotebecausethereisanotherdefinitionoftheterm.Inphysics,energyconservationisdefinedas“theprinciplebywhichthetotalenergyremainsconstantinasystemthatisnotsubjecttoexternalinfluence.”   Thefactthatthegeneralusedefinitionprecedesthedescriptionofenergyconservationinphysicsshowshowimportanttheconcepthasbecomeineverydaylife.Duetothecurrentissuesfacingenergyconsumptionanditsassociatedlimits,themeaningofenergyconservationtodaymainlyencompasseswaystopreventwastefuluseofenergyintheenvironment.   WhatAreSomeMethodsofEnergyConservation?  Therearemanymethodstosaveenergy.Mostoftheseinvolverefrainingfromusingenergy-consumingdeviceswheneverpossible,whilesomerelyonenergyefficientproductsandpractices.Herearesomesimplewaysyoucanconserveenergyandbecomemoreenergyefficient.  TurnThingsDown  Giventhatenergycannotbecreatedordestroyed,energyconservationisaboutconservingitratherthaneliminatingit.Oneofthemosteffectivemethodstoconserveenergyistoturnthingsdownthatrequirealotofheatorenergy.    Heatingahomeorofficetakesalotofenergy,andeventurningthethermostatdownbyadegreeortwocancreateenergysavingsequivalenttotakingseveralcarsofftheroad.Thesamegoesforwaterheating:usingcoldwaterforregulartasks,fromwashingdishestowashingclothes,willconservealotofenergyovertime.    Turningdowntheheatonyourshowerisanotherwaytohelpconserveenergy.No,thatdoesn’tmeanyouhavetotakeacoldshower.Eventurningahotwatershowerdowntoanicewarmonereducestheamountofenergyneededtoheatthewater.Toconserveevenmoreenergy,tryshorteningthelengthoftimeyouspendintheshowerbyjusttwominutes.Doingsocancutyourwaterconsumptionby10gallonsconsideringtheaverageshowerusesfivegallonsofwaterperminute.  TurnOffandUnplug   Somethingsarebettertoturnoffcompletely,astheyuseenergyevenwhennotbeingactivelyused.Whileit’sbettertoturntheheatdownratherthanoff(becausespacesneedtobeheatedtoatleastsomedegree),manyappliancesanddevicesshouldbeunpluggedorswitchedoffwhennotinuse.Turningoffaceilingfanorairconditionerwhenleavingaroomhelpsagreatdealtoconserveenergy,asdoesshuttingoffthetelevisionwhennobodyiswatchingit.    Appliancessuchastelevisions,stereos,computers,andmorealsodrawenergyfromthepowergridwhenpluggedintoawallevenwhentheyareshutoff.Toreduceenergyusage,makesurethesedevicesarecompletelyunpluggedandnotconnectedtoapowersourcewhennotinuse.  SubstituteandBeMoreEfficient  Substitutingcertaindevicesforothersisonewayofpracticingenergyefficiencytoachieveenergyconservation.Someitemsanddevicesyouneedtouseonadailybasis,butswappingthemformoreenergyefficientversionscouldresultinvaluableenergysavings.Forexample,youcouldbuymoreenergy-efficientappliances,suchasanEnergyStar-approvedwasheranddryer,orchangearegularshowerheadtoalow-flowversionthatreducestheamountofheatedwateryouneed.    Ifyou’relookingforanewcar,consideranelectriccarormoreenergyefficientvehicle,suchasahybridorsmalleconomycar.Youcanalsothinkaboutinstallingsolarenergywaterheatersandheatpumpsinyourhome.Fromsmallchangestomoresubstantialsubstitutes,everynewenergy-savinghabityouadoptcanmakebigdifferencesinthelongrunfortheenvironmentandyourbankaccount.   DoItYourself  Usinghumanpowerinsteadofadevicetodothesamejobwillhelpconserveenergy.Thiscouldincludewalkingorbikinginsteadofdrivingwheneverpossible,usingahandsawinsteadofanelectricone,orapushmowerinsteadofagaslawnmower.Doingthingsyourselfcanadduptoalotofenergyconservationovertime—thinkabouthowmuchgasandassociatedenergyyouwouldsavewalkingorridingyourbiketoworkoryourlocalgrocerystoreinsteadofdriving.  WhyIsEnergyConservationImportant?  source Energyconservationisincrediblyimportantforseveralreasons.Alongwithreducingourrelianceonnon-renewableenergyresources(likefossilfuels),italsohelpssaveyoumoneyonenergycosts,includingutilitybillsandotherenergybills.Conservingenergyalsocutsdownonexpandingdevelopmentwherenaturalresourceextraction(suchasoilorevenlithium)isimpactingnaturalareas.Whenweconserveenergyanduseitmoreefficiently,wedirectlyreducetheamountofgreenhousegasemissionsenteringtheEarth’satmosphere.  WhyDoesEnergyConservationMatterToConsumers?  Energyconservationmatterstoconsumersbecauseoftheeconomicandenvironmentalbenefitsitoffers.Conservingenergyresultsinlowerlivingexpensesasenergysavingsleadstomonetarysavings.Alongwithhelpingconsumerskeepmorecashintheirpockets,italsohelpsprotecttheenvironmentfromexcessresourceuseandcarbondioxideemissions.    Energyconservationalsobenefitswildlifeandnaturalareasbylesseningthedemandfornewpowerplants.Thisiseventruewithcarbon-freeandrenewableenergysources.Forexample,hydroelectricdamscandamageaquaticareas,windfarmsarepotentiallydangerousforbirds,andnuclearwastecancausedevastatingharmifleakedintotheecosystem.   Otherreasonstoembraceenergyconservationincludeitsroleinpromotinggeneralcardiovascular,lung,andbrainhealthasitreducestheamountofpollutantsintheenvironmentthatstemfromusingfossilfuels.Becominglessreliantonfiniteresourcesalsomovesustowardslarge-scaleenergyindependence—themoreenergythatisconserved,themoreenergyindependenttheentirenationcanbecome.Conservingenergyalsocangiveyoupotentialrebatesortaxcreditsforadoptingbetterenergymanagementpractices.Giventhefinitenatureofenergyresources,evensmallformsofconservationcanhaveapositiveimpact.  What’stheDifferenceBetweenEnergyEfficiencyandEnergyConservation?   source Althoughweoftenusethephrasesinterchangeably,there’sasubtlebutimportantdifferencebetweenenergyefficiencyandenergyconservation.Energyefficiencyreferstousingtechnologythatrequireslessenergytoperformthesamedesiredtaskorfunctionasotherhigh-energyusingtools.Meanwhile,energyconservationisanybehaviorordeliberateactionthatresultsintheuseoflessenergy.   Thesemayberelatedterms,buttheirdefinitionsareverydistinctintheenergyworld.Energyconservationdictatesusingmeasurablylessenergybyadjustinghabitsandbehaviors.Incontrast,energyefficiencyreliesontechnologythatutilizeslessenergytodothesameorsimilarthingasacomparabledevice.    Themaindifferenceisthatenergyconservationisaconsciouseffortthatrequiresachangeinhowapersonbehavesoracts,whileenergyefficiencydoesnotrequireanyofthesechanges—itonlyrequireschangingthetechnologythatisusedonadailybasis.   WhatAreSomeTypesofEnergyConservationDevices?  Whileenergyconservationisaboutusinglessenergy,itstillhasanaspectofenergyefficiencybuiltin—afterall,almosteverythinginliferequiresenergyinsomeformoranother.Energysavingdevicescomeinallshapes,sizes,andpriceranges.    Someofthemostnotabletypesofenergyconservationdevicesaresmartsockets,ecochargers,andEnergyStarappliancessuchaswashersanddryers,refrigerators,dishwashers,airconditioningunits,and“smart”programmablethermostats.Therearecountlessothers,butthesearesomeofthemostpopulartypesofdevicestomakeconservingenergythatmucheasier.   WhatAreSomeWaysToHelpWithEnergyConservation?  Therearemanywaystohelpwithenergyconservation.Alongwithusingprovenmethodsofenergyconservation—suchasutilizinghumanpoweroverinternalcombustionmotors—peoplecandoalotofsmallthingsthatadduptobigchangesovertime.    Forexample,turningoffunnecessarylightsandmakingthemostofnaturallightwillconserveenergy.Takingshortershowersandturningoffwaterwhenbrushingyourteethorshavingcanalsohelp.Likewise,usinglaptopcomputersinsteadofdesktopversionscanreduceenergyconsumption.  YouCanHelpWithEnergyConservation  Energyconservationandefficiencycanseemlikeadauntingtask,butitdoesn’thavetobe.Youcanhelpbyadoptingnewhabitsandchoosingenergy-efficientdevicesinyourdailylifeandmonitoringyourenergyuse.Regularhomeandvehiclemaintenancecangoalongwayinconservingenergy.    Forinstance,fixingleakyfaucetsortoiletscanbeanenergysaver,whilemakingsurefurnacesareoptimizedandkeepingairfilterscleancanalsoresultinagreatdealofenergysavings.SwapincandescentlightbulbsforLEDlightbulbsandalwaysunplugunusedappliancesandelectronicdevices.    It’salsoimportanttomakesureyougetyourelectricityfromareliableandefficientsource.Bymakingsmallchangeseveryday,youcanmakeabigdifferencetodayandtomorrow.  Broughttoyoubytaranergy.com AllimageslicensedfromAdobeStock. 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