WWW WHAT IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY?

Energy efficiency is "using less energy to provide the same service".

There are other definitions, but this is a good operational one.

The best way to understand this idea is through examples:

When you replace a single pane window in your house with an energy-efficient one, the new window prevents heat from escaping in the winter, so you save energy by using your furnace or electric heater less while still staying comfortable. In the summer, efficient windows keep the heat out, so the air conditioner does not run as often and you save electricity.

When you replace an appliance, such as a refrigerator or clothes washer, or office equipment, such as a computer or printer, with a more energy-efficient model, the new equipment provides the same service, but uses less energy. This saves you money on your energy bill, and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere.

Energy efficiency is not energy conservation.

Energy conservation is reducing or going without a service to save energy.

For example: Turning off a light is energy conservation. Replacing an incandescent lamp with a compact fluorescent lamp (which uses much less energy to produce the same amount of light) is energy efficiency. 

TAKE THE ENERGY SAVINGS HOME TOUR AND SEE HOW MUCH MONEY YOU CAN SAVE !

 CLICK ON HOUSE TO LAUNCH YOUR MONEY-SAVING TOUR

Curbing Plug Load Growth   December 2011 RE Magazine 

The fastest-growing category of household energy use is plug loads, those electronic items that are not hard-wired and not in traditional categories of appliances, lighting, or HVAC. These include the vast and increasing array of consumer electronics (games, phones, TVs, and computers) that plug into wall sockets for operation or charging.

At the moment, energy consumption from these devices adds up to about 10 percent of overall U.S. electricity use, but this is expected to climb to 29 percent by 2030. For households, plug loads currently comprise between 15 and 20 percent of electricity use, with annual growth rates ranging from1.8 percent for televisions to 3.2 percent for computers.

This exploding growth has caught the attention of electric utilities, regulators, and energy-efficiency organizations. Thus far – with the exception of a few smart grid pilot projects – efforts to address this demand have not been well aggregated or controlled. And ever-changing product designs and hard-to-measure savings from control devices like smart power strips and timers complicate the issue.

But industry observers agree that there will continue to be broad opportunities for power savings in this realm, and plug load control strategies are likely to be in every electric utility’s future.

For now, the best advice utilities can give to end-use consumers is to buy Energy Star-labeled appliances whenever possible and use power strips or smart strips that automatically shut down certain devices when not in use.