UNIT 8 Energy Conservation
Energy conservation is the practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used while achieving a similar outcome. This procedure may result in an increase of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic, political and environmental sustainability. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and as a result this maximizes their profit.
Energy conservation is an important element of energy policy. In general, energy conservation reduces the energy consumption and energy demand per capita, and as a result, offsets the growth in energy supply needed to keep up with population growth. This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can reduce the need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production.
By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important part of lessening climate change. Energy conservation facilitates the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production. For example, a form of energy conservation can be simply just recycling. Recycling reuses and renews resources; it also reduces landfill deposition and conserves natural resources.