Conservation plays a vital role in a sustainable energy society.
Even though the people of Samsø saw the importance of investing in sustainable energy, they realized that one of the best ways to help achieve energy independence would be to simply use less of it. As energy advisors like to say, the greenest kilowatt is the one you never use. Luckily, there are lots of ways to reduce electricity use right now. TABLE 23.2
SAVING ENERGY
Which of the suggestions for saving energy could be done by a student living in a dormitory or rental apartment?
If you do not own your home you may be restricted to some of the no-cost ways to save energy. You could also encourage your school or landlord to invest in some of the steps that have a quick payback time.
KEY CONCEPT 23.8
Meeting our energy needs with renewable sources becomes more likely when we pair renewables with energy conservation measures.
Conservation—making choices that result in less energy consumption—is a vital part of our quest to become sustainable users of energy. Conservation means simply not using energy at certain times, as well as using energy more efficiently when we do use it.
conservation
Efforts that reduce waste and increase efficient use of resources.
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Much of conservation involves changing behavior. For example, lighting typically accounts for about 25% of the average home’s electric bill, and simply turning off the lights when you leave a room can make a big difference. Other options include studying in a room with ample natural light instead of a dark corner that requires artificial light and lighting your home with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which consume less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs. INFOGRAPHIC 23.6
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Lighting accounts for about 25% of the electricity use in the average U.S. home, so efficient lighting can significantly reduce your energy use. There are a variety of lighting options for the home, and lighting technology is still improving.
Though the price is decreasing, LED bulbs are much more expensive than CFLs. In 2013 there was no real cost difference to buy and burn one LED bulb compared to five CFL bulbs. Why is it still enviromentally advantageous to use LEDs bulbs rather then CFLs if your electricity comes from a coal power plant?
Over the course of its life, the LED bulb will use less electricity and thus generate less air pollution.
For the residents of Samsø, because the island has such a cold climate, one of the first conservation efforts revolved around heating homes, mainly by transitioning away from electric heaters. Home energy audits pinpointed other steps individuals could take, such as installing more home insulation or using straw, wood chips, and other sources of biomass for heat. Older gas stoves were replaced with more efficient electric stoves; people began heating water using electricity generated by the wind turbines or solar energy. Residents were encouraged to apply for grants toward upgrades that made their homes more energy efficient. Similar programs exist in the United States. (See Chapter 25 for more ways consumers can cut energy use.)
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KEY CONCEPT 23.9
Samsø became energy positive by using a variety of renewable technologies that fit its locale and reducing overall energy needs through conservation.
In their quest to become an energy-neutral or even an energy-positive island, the people of Samsø focused their efforts on a variety of renewable technologies and conservation measures. In just a few years, the island of Samsø has transformed itself, capturing the attention of the other countries, such as the United States and Japan, that are impressed by how a small farming community became the most energy-efficient place on Earth. By 2005, the island was producing more energy from renewable resources than it was using. This transition has the added benefit of cleaner air: Samsø has reduced its nitrogen and sulfur air pollution by 71% and 41%, respectively, and its CO2 emissions have fallen to below zero, thanks to the fact that the windmills offset more CO2 than the islanders’ vehicles emit. INFOGRAPHIC 23.7
SAMSØ: THE ENERGY-POSITIVE ISLAND
Samsø is pursuing several methods to help it produce enough renewable energy to meet all its needs.
Explain the importance of energy conservation in the overall plan to make Soms0 energy neutral (or even energy positive).
By conserving energy through energy efficiency and making conservation choices that use less energy, the people of Samsø require less energy per person than they might otherwise need. This allows the renewable energy sources they have to meet all their needs. Without this conservation, more energy production would be needed and the renewables on hand might not be able to produce enough for higher levels of consumption.
Much of Samsø’s success stems from community members working together to solve their own local problems, says Hermansen. As he told Time magazine in 2008, “People say: ‘Think globally and act locally.’ But I say you have to think locally and act locally, and the rest will take care of itself.”
Select References:
Birol, F. (2013). World Energy Outlook. Paris: International Energy Agency. doi: 10.1787/weo-2 013-en.
Geothermal Energy Association. (2014). Annual U.S. and Global Geothermal Power Production Report. http://geo-energy.org/reports.aspx.
Smallwood, K. S. (2013). Comparing bird and bat fatality rate estimates among North American wind energy projects. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 37(1): 19–33.
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PERSONAL CHOICES THAT HELP
A key component to developing a sustainable society is using renewable energy. Use of renewable energy decreases harmful impacts of mining associated with nonrenewable energy, and it also reduces the amount of air and water pollution produced when the fuel is processed, transported, and burned. The efficiency and availability of renewable energy are rapidly increasing because of the development of new trends and technologies.
Individual Steps
Contact your energy provider to see if you can purchase a percentage of your energy from a renewable source.
Regardless of your home’s energy source, make sure you are using energy efficiently. Review Table 23.2 and visit http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver for more ideas.
If you have a smart phone, download the PVme app to see how many solar panels you would need to meet your household energy needs.
A major barrier to using solar energy for many people is the cost. For information on tax incentives, rebates, and other programs that make using renewable energy easier, check out www.dsireusa.org or look into the growing trend of leasing solar panels.
Group Action
Learn about opportunities to invest in solar energy projects for lower-income communities or start one in your own community from the nonprofit Community Power Network, at www.communitypowernetwork.com.
Policy Change
Contact your state and federal legislators and ask them to support or sponsor legislation that provides financial incentives for the purchase of renewable technologies.
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