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Finding ways to limit our greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to stopping human-induced climate change.
Energy conservation is one of several means to that end – it is especially powerful if each of us can change our individual habits. Below, we will explore what energy conservation is and how to practice it.
Why is energy savings and implementing the use of energy efficient appliances important?
In this article, we'll explain energy usage, energy efficient products, why energy savings is important, and how could reduce energy consumption as a whole to improve both energy efficiency standards and encourage the use of renewable energy sources.
👉 The definition of energy conservation is reducing the amount of energy consumed by limiting the use of an energy source.
Conserving of energy, such as when you purchase energy efficient appliances, is a great way to save energy, cut back on utility bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As our society slowly shifts towards using more green energy on the electrical grid, we can still help limit fossil fuel use by conserving energy – such as in our every day heating and cooling systems.
💡 Household energy consumption is one of the first thoughts the will come to people's minds when thinking on how to reduce their total energy consumption.
Energy conservation and energy efficiency can be easily confused, but they are two different approaches to meet the same end goal: using less energy.
An example of this comparison is how we use lights in our homes:
It is most useful to practice energy conservation and energy efficiency whenever possible. It is especially effective to use LED bulbs and turn them off when you don’t need them, because even though using less energy is helpful – energy can't be created nor destroyed.
💡 In fact, energy simply changes forms from potential energy, to kinetic energy, to thermal energy – which is why energy conservation measures are especially important even when using more energy efficient versions of modern day appliances.
📖 The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only be transformed from one form to another.
Also known as Newton’s first law of thermodynamics, the law of conservation of energy is helpful for remembering where our energy comes from in the first place. Our society, being powered in large part by fossil fuels, relies on ancient stores of organic material that once converted ultraviolet sunlight to chemical energy.
Recognising where our energy comes from can help us practice energy conservation and limit wastefulness. For as long as we rely on fossil fuels, turning up every day appliances such as the heat or blasting air conditioning units in the office (AC units) will use energy created from elsewhere that cannot be regenerated.
👉 Therefore, it is important to remember that even energy efficient alternatives remain as energy consuming devices and must make use of energy management and energy reduction tactics to moderate electricity consumption.
Energy conservation can have lasting positive impacts on your personal life and on the health of the environment.
👉 While transitioning to green energy sources is an important step in stopping human-induced global warming and climate change, so too is energy preservation. Our society has become accustomed to using (and wasting) large amounts of energy. As it turns out, about two-thirds of the annual energy we consume is wasted.
At our society’s current rate of energy use, it will be very difficult to reach carbon zero in time to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees celcius (2.7 or 3.6 degrees fahrenheit). However, if individuals and businesses collectively practice energy conservation with matters as simple as switching out traditional incandescent light bulbs for energy saving bulbs – we could make limiting our planet’s warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees will be much more achievable.
You might be asking yourself, “What can I do at home to conserve energy?”
Luckily, we've compiled a list of different methods to reduce your company's carbon dioxide emissions, natural gas usage, energy waste, and overall ideas to reduce energy usage.
Here are some examples that will improve the sustainability of your lifestyle and to reduce your everyday energy usage:
A simple way to conserve energy is to be smart with how you use both natural and man-made light sources. Especially when it’s sunny out or during summertime, simply opening the blinds and using natural light will make your space just as bright as would turning on the lights.
Turning off the lights whenever you leave a room is another good solution to excessive power use. Leaving notes around your house could be a helpful way to remind yourself of this habit.
Adjusting your sleep pattern can be impactful, too. If your schedule can accommodate it, waking up at sunrise and going to bed not long after sunset will save you a lot of energy you would otherwise spend on lighting your space after dark.
It will also sync your circadian rhythm with what feels best to our species. You will feel more awake when you wake up and sleepier when it’s time for bed if you sync up with the sun. If you have ever been on a backpacking trip or camping, it's probable you've already been exposed to this "energy saver" sleeping pattern before.
These days, heating and cooling account for 48% of the energy consumption of American households. An easy way to practice energy conservation is to let our homes be warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. This requires that the climate control settings in our homes do less work to bring the indoor conditions to a desired temperature.
Of course, this can be a challenging behavior change. To be comfortable grabbing a sweater or blanket when you get cold, rather than hiking up the thermostat, may take time. However, it will save you a lot of money and greenhouse gas emissions.
You can also let your home tech do some of the work for you by installing a programmable thermostat. It’s possible to set these gadgets to a different temperature while you sleep – to a lower temperature in cooler months and higher temperature in warmer months. And by the time you wake up, the thermostat will bring the air temperature back to a more comfortable level.
💡 If you adjust your thermostat to 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit closer to outdoor temperatures for 8 hours a day, you can get 10% of savings a year on your heating and cooling bills.
Another way to have an impact on the heating and cooling of your home is investing in a geothermal heat pump (GHP).
Instead of a typical air-to-air heat pump that uses outside air for an energy exchange, a GHP utilises the temperature underground for the same purpose. The ground beneath us has a more stable temperature the deeper you go. In fact, most of the earth’s deeper soil sits at 50 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.
GHPs involve placing a system of water tubes below a building to tap into the consistent temperature of the ground to better regulate the building’s climate and conserve energy. While first laying down a GHP can be expensive, it can pay itself back with energy saved within 5 to 10 years.
Placing solar panels on roofs is a popular practice to lower utility bills and limit greenhouse gas emissions. They allow buildings to rely partly or wholly on energy from the sun instead of paying for all of their electricity from the grid that often is mostly powered by fossil fuels.
When installing solar panels isn’t feasible for financial or other reasons, property owners can prioritise a cool roof to help conserve energy. A cool roof can reflect up to 90% of sunlight, depending on the color and material the roof. This keeps the building at a much lower temperature, decreasing the need for air conditioning.
Cool roofs are recommended for buildings located in warmer climates since they reduce heat conduction from the sun during the winter, too. Still, government programs offer rebates for homes with cool roofs installed, making them tax refundable.
Does your phone charger use electricity while it’s plugged into the wall even if it’s not attached to your phone? Unfortunately, yes.
👉 Standby power is the electricity consumed by plugged in devices when they are not in use. Some electronics use more power than others depending on design quality. Even though leaving a device plugged in might use only a marginal amount of power (about 0.25 to 4 watts depending on the device's charger), it is more than not having it plugged in at all.
Standby power in a typical American household accounts for 5-10% of a home’s electricity use. On a global scale, products on standby amount to 1% of earth’s carbon emissions.
Simply unplugging your devices when you aren’t using them could save you hundreds in annual electricity expenses.
Here are some other unique ways to conserve energy:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Alternative Heating Methods | Using energy-efficient space heaters, heat pumps, and proper insulation to maintain warmth in your home without relying heavily on traditional heating systems. |
| Ventilation for Windows | Opening windows to allow natural ventilation, which can reduce the need for air conditioning during mild weather conditions. This can be combined with ceiling fans to enhance air circulation. |
| Cooking with Your Oven | Using your oven for cooking can help heat your home in the winter. Conversely, using a microwave or slow cooker in the summer can reduce the heat load on your air conditioning system. |
| Solar-Powered Phone Chargers | Using solar-powered chargers for your electronic devices to reduce dependence on the electrical grid and utilise renewable energy. |
| Energy-Efficient Lighting | Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED or CFL bulbs, which use significantly less energy and have a longer lifespan. |
| Smart Thermostats | Installing smart thermostats that automatically adjust heating and cooling based on your schedule and preferences, optimising energy use. |
| Water Heating Efficiency | Using energy-efficient water heaters, insulating hot water pipes, and lowering the thermostat on your water heater to save energy. |
| Sealing Leaks | Identifying and sealing leaks around doors, windows, and ducts to prevent energy loss and improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. |
| Using Power Strips | Using smart power strips to prevent vampire power draw from electronics that consume energy even when turned off. |
| Regular Maintenance | Performing regular maintenance on HVAC systems, including replacing filters, to ensure they run efficiently and use less energy. |
We hope that this article has inspired you to try to conserve energy wherever possible in order to limit climate change. Other ways to have an impact on energy conservation include helping your friends change their habits and implementing strategies at your business.
Contact Greenly to assist your business in conserving energy. We will measure your greenhouse gas emissions and look for ways you can cut back on fossil fuel use. And where you can’t, we can set you up with certified carbon offset projects that can work with you to neutralise your business’s impact on the environment.
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