29-05-2012, 04:02 PM
Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency.pdf (Size: 675.61 KB / Downloads: 33)
Energy Consumption
The United States uses a lot of energy—nearly a million dollars worth
each minute, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. With less than
five percent of the world’s population, we consume about one-fifth
(20 percent) of its energy production. People in Europe and Japan
also use a large amount of energy. The average American consumes
four and a half times more energy than the world average.
Efficiency and Conservation
Energy is more than numbers on a utility bill; it is the foundation of
everything we do. All of us use energy every day—for transportation,
cooking, heating and cooling rooms, manufacturing, lighting, and
entertainment. We rely on energy to make our lives comfortable,
productive, and enjoyable. To maintain our quality of life, we must
use our energy resources wisely.
The choices we make about how we use energy—turning machines
off when we’re not using them or choosing to buy energy efficient
appliances—impact our environment and our lives. There are
many things we can do to use less energy and use it more wisely.
These things involve energy conservation and energy efficiency.
Many people think these terms mean the same thing, but they are
different.
Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less
energy. Energy efficiency is the use of technology that requires less
energy to perform the same function. A compact fluorescent light
bulb that uses less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce
the same amount of light is an example of energy efficiency. The
decision to replace an incandescent light bulb with a compact
fluorescent is an example of energy conservation.
As consumers, our energy choices and actions can result in reductions
in the amount of energy used in all four sectors of the economy—
residential and commercial, industrial, and transportation.
Residential/Commercial
Households use about one-fifth of the total energy consumed in
the United States each year. The typical U.S. family spends $1,900 a
year on utility bills.
Much of this energy is not put to use. Heat pours out of homes
through drafty doors and windows, as well as through ceilings and
walls that aren’t insulated. Some appliances use energy 24 hours a
day, even when they are turned off. Energy efficient improvements
can make a home more comfortable and save money. Many utility
companies provide energy audits to identify areas where homes are
wasting energy. These audits may be free or low cost.
Insulation and Weatherization
You can reduce heating and cooling needs by investing in insulation
and weatherization products. Warm air leaking into your home in
summer and out of your home in winter can waste a lot of energy.
Insulation wraps your house in a nice warm blanket, but air can still
leak in or out through small cracks. Often the effect of small leaks is
the same as keeping a door wide open. One of the easiest moneysaving
measures you can do is caulk, seal, and weather-strip all
the cracks to the outside. You can save 10 percent or more on your
energy bill by stopping the air leaks in your home.
Doors and Windows
About one-third of a typical home’s heat loss occurs through the
doors and windows. Energy efficient doors are insulated and seal
tightly to prevent air from leaking through or around them. If your
doors are in good shape and you don’t want to replace them, make
sure they seal tightly and have door sweeps at the bottom to prevent
air leaks.
Installing insulated storm doors provides an additional barrier
to leaking air. Most homes have many more windows than doors.
Replacing older windows with new energy efficient ones can reduce
air leaks and utility bills. The best windows are constructed of two or
more pieces of glass separated by a gas that does not conduct heat
well.