Coal and other fossil fuels, which have taken three million years to form, are likely to deplete soon. In the last two hundred years, we have consumed 60% of all resources. For sustainable development, we need to adopt energy efficiency measures.
Today, 85% of primary energy comes from non-renewable, and fossil sources (coal, oil, etc.). These reserves are continually diminishing with increasing consumption and will not exist for future generations (see Figure 1.13).
Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency are separate, but related concepts. Energy conservation is achieved when growth of energy consumption is reduced, measured in physical terms. Energy Conservation can, therefore, be the result of several processes or developments, such as productivity increase or technological progress. On the other hand Energy efficiency is achieved when energy intensity in a specific product, process or area of production or consumption is reduced without affecting output, consumption or comfort levels. Promotion of energy efficiency will contribute to energy conservation and is therefore an integral part of energy conservation promotional policies.
Energy efficiency is often viewed as a resource option like coal, oil or natural gas. It provides additional economic value by preserving the resource base and reducing pollution. For example, replacing traditional light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) means you will use only 1/4th of the energy to light a room. Pollution levels also reduce by the same amount (refer Figure 1.14).
Nature sets some basic limits on how efficiently energy can be used, but in most cases our products and manufacturing processes are still a long way from operating at this theoretical limit. Very simply, energy efficiency means using less energy to perform the same function.
Although, energy efficiency has been in practice ever since the first oil crisis in 1973, it has today assumed even more importance because of being the most cost-effective and reliable means of mitigating the global climatic change. Recognition of that potential has led to high expectations for the control of future CO2emissions through even more energy efficiency improvements than have occurred in the past. The industrial sector accounts for some 41 per cent of global primary energy demand and approximately the same share of CO2 emissions. The benefits of Energy conservation for various players are given in Figure 1.15.
