Hmmm. Just what are we saying here! No, we are not talking about supersizing our fast food or drinks. We are talking about “ENERGY” people. To be specific Energy Efficiency. Now that I got your attention, stay with me.
We need energy sources to run the world. Whether it is oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, biomass, renewable energy sources like solar, geothermal, wind and hydro. Now, let us examine what being Energy Efficient and Energy Efficiency mean.
To be Energy Efficient is to use less energy period! Example: You may turn the lights off when you leave a room. You may keep the air conditioner off four extra hours per day or raise the set point on the thermostat to keep the unit from turning on as much. Conversely, you can do the same thing with the heating system by lowering the thermostat set point and wearing a sweater.
Energy Efficiency is to use less energy without sacrificing comfort. Example: You may still want to turn off the lights when you leave a room, always a good idea. However, If you install CFL or LED type lighting you will reduce the electricity used tremendously.
You may want to run your air conditioning system all day long and not raise the set point on the thermostat to where it is uncomfortable. So what do you do to make the system more energy efficient? Change the filters regularly, check the ductwork and the Air Handling Unit cabinet for air leakage, make sure the fan motor is a variable speed type, the Cooling Condenser should be 15 SEER or greater and numerous other things. We just touched the surface here.
Researchers have long understood that using energy more efficiently can be just as beneficial as finding new ways to produce energy more efficiently. It is not uncommon to reduce your energy use by 30%. I would be remiss not to say that it won’t cost some money to make those percentages work. However, there are many solutions which cost little or no $$$$ to save energy.
Getting back to the title of this article Is America Fat?
I say yes! Fat with energy! The percentages don’t lie. Energy Efficiency should be treated as an energy source and marketed it as such, not just a strategy.
