Increasing Efficiency in Energy Use

Description:

Driven by economical and environmental reasons the use of energy is becoming increasingly more efficient. For example the amount of diesel required per km driven is reducing through improved engine technology and the power consumption of electrical appliances is continuously improved. Current energy efficient refrigerators, for example, use 40 percent less energy than conventional models did in 2001 [1].

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficient_energy_use

Enablers:

- Affordable Turbo Charged Engines (e.g. VW's TSFI)
- LCD television
- Hybrid cars (storing energy for restart during braking)
- Improving Housing Isolation
- Intelligent Thermostats
- Energy Efficiency Tax labels (A,B,C) on cars, appliances and houses
- Gas Power
- Improving Aerodynamics modelling (e.g.planes, cars)
- Electronic car driving assists
- LED lighting

Inhibitors:

- cheaper Low Cost Country appliances
- new gas fields
- lower oil price
- new energy supplies (wind parks, nuclear plants, solar panels)
- consumer disinterestness (is reducing)

Paradigms:

The average household is still requiring an increasing amount of energy due to the increasing number (and size) of appliances and cars. As a result of a worsening environment the consumer's awareness to reduce energy consumption is increasing. This is being enhanced through energy consumption related tax programs (e.g. higher tax for less efficient cars, higher price for energy inefficient appliances).

Producers of appliances, cars and even houses are aware of the rising consumers' demand for energy friendly products. The fact that the energy efficiency now explicitely has to be labeled on the product, prevents producers to be indifferent.

The rate at which new energy friendly solutions are being developed is increasing due to the increased environmental awareness of the consumers and the economical stimulation. Also solutions are more and more transferred to other applications (e.g. LED lighting went from appliances to cars and now to TV's and lighting). A low energy consumption is becoming a key differentiator and decission criteria for new products.

Timing:

2002 - deregulation of the electricity markets, problems with licensing new high-voltage transmission lines, increasing demand for a highly reliable power supply and, in particular, the problems associated with climate change (http://www.fz-juelich.de/inb/inb-mut//publikationen/preprints/rensustenrev.pdf)
2009 - Home owners are installing solar panels on their roofs, aided by government tax benefits.

Web Resources:

Efficient energy use
[1]