Energy Efficiency and its Importance.
Many systems and appliances consume more energy than they need to do work. Thereby, leading to high energy bills. This is where energy efficiency comes in to help.
Electrical appliances with good energy efficiency can save you some energy, and in turn some money. And there are more benefits energy efficiency has to offer.
First off, understand energy efficiency.
What is Efficiency?
Efficiency is the measure of how much input can deliver an output. It is the measure of the ability to do work without wasting anything.
Take yourself as an example: In a day, you have 24 hours to do anything you want. In this example, the 24 hours is your input and what you do with it is your output.
If you don’t do anything worthwhile with that 24 hours, you are being inefficient with your time. This is because you have wasted the majority of the 24 hours (if not all). But if you happen to make the majority of your 24 hours useful, you are being efficient with your time.
So, efficiency is all about utilising the input to deliver maximum output.
Mathematically, Efficiency = Output/input *100
What is Energy Efficiency?
Energy efficiency can be defined as the ability of a system to use less energy whilst delivering quality work. In other words, energy efficiency measures how much work is done from the energy used.
In many systems, energy is lost due to heat, vibration, and so on. The more the energy is lost, the less efficient the systems are. And the less the energy losses, the more efficient the systems are.
A system that has good energy efficiency is said to be energy efficient. That is, an energy-efficient appliance or system would use less energy to deliver the same work as a non-energy efficient appliance.
For example, incandescent bulbs and led bulbs use energy on a different level. Incandescent bulbs use less of its energy to produce light and lose most of its energy to heat. So, they are energy inefficient. But, led bulbs, which make use of most of its energy to produce light, are energy efficient.
In essence, when a system or appliance uses most of its energy to do work, it is termed to be energy efficient. But, when a system or appliance uses less of its energy (wasting the remaining energy) to do work, it is termed to be energy inefficient.
Note: When we say energy, we are not just referring to electrical energy. Energy can also be in the form of heat, solar, mechanical, etc. Read more about energy and its types
Energy Efficiency Formula
The formula for energy efficiency is: Output energy/Input energy * 100
Where input energy = Output energy + Energy lost
So, efficiency can be in percentage. It could also come as a fraction.
From the formula, the more the output energy, the more the efficiency. This is because less energy is wasted.
Note: The output and input energy could be of different types. I mean, a motor has an input of electrical energy but an output of mechanical energy.
Since output and input energy could be different, various appliances have their ways of calculating energy efficiency. However, they still follow the general energy formula.
Why Energy Efficiency is Important
From the definition, it is obvious that energy efficiency is about using less energy to do work. So, less energy demand. The reduction in energy demand is the major importance of energy efficiency.
Take a look at more details on how energy efficiency is important:
Limiting the world energy demand growth: As the world population grows, so does the world energy demand. The majority of the world’s energy is produced from non-renewable sources. Most of those non-renewable sources aren’t sustainable enough to accommodate forecasted future energy consumption.
So, energy efficiency could help limit the energy demand while more sustainable energy sources are being put in place.
According to the United Nations Development Programmes, energy efficiency could help reduce the world energy demand growth by one third in 2040.
Reduction in energy bills and overall costs: Using energy-efficient appliances or systems reduces the amount of energy that is used to do work. And with a reduction in energy demand, there will be a reduction in energy bills.
Yes, the price of energy-efficient appliances or systems could be high. But, in the long run, it saves you money.
For example, consider a 25W LED bulb (which is energy efficient) and a 100W incandescent bulb (which is energy inefficient) that can each produce 1500 Lumens of light.
The LED bulb requires just 25 W to produce the same Lumens of light as the 100W bulb. Doesn’t that save you lots of energy? Of course, it does. The 25W bulb saves you 4 times more energy than the 100W.
Also, the 25 W LED bulb would last a lot longer than the 100W incandescent bulb. And the LED bulb will need far less frequent replacement than the incandescent bulb. Thus, reduction in cost.
The same effect of energy efficiency on your light bulbs applies to all of your other appliances and systems.
The more energy-efficient systems you use, the less your energy bills
Lowering of greenhouse gas emission: Energy efficiency is a strategy to combat the excess of the greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. As less energy is used, fewer greenhouse gases are emitted.
Presently, there are many generating power plants that emit a lot of greenhouse gases. If systems require less energy, the generating plants would generate less energy. Thus, a reduction in carbon emission.
Improved energy security: More energy sources are being harnessed now more than ever. So, there is more energy to use. But, with energy efficiency, there is even more possibility of having more energy available in the future.
Improved sustainability: Sustainable energy isn’t just about harnessing renewable energy sources but also about reducing energy demand. When systems use less energy, energy demand reduces. And with a reduction in energy demand, available energy becomes more sustainable.
This is one of the reasons why the United Nations consider energy efficiency as a key driver to sustainable development.
The Importance of Energy Efficient Buildings
Buildings are arguably the most energy-consuming systems. If buildings are made to be energy efficient, it would lead to a huge reduction in energy demand.
What are energy-efficient buildings?
Simply put, energy-efficient buildings are buildings that are designed to use less energy for heating and cooling without compromising the comfort of the user.
An energy-efficient building could go a long way to improving your comfort whilst saving you some money. It could also help in limiting the emission of greenhouse gasses.
Overall, energy efficiency could be very beneficial to the environment.
How Important is Energy Efficiency to the Environment?
Many of the world power plants run on non-renewable energy sources. So, they cause some pollution to the environment by releasing greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere and polluting our water.
With a reduction in energy demand, fewer power plants would be needed. Thus, reduction in pollution and emission of greenhouse gases.
Summary
Efficiency is the measure of how much input provides an output. Its general formula is Output /Input * 100.
Efficiency can be measured in percentage or as a fraction.
Energy efficiency is a measure of how much energy is used to do work. Its general formula is Output energy/Input energy * 100
Importance of energy efficiency: Limiting the world energy demand growth | Reduction in energy bills and overall costs | Lowering of carbon emission | Improved energy security | Improved sustainability. Energy efficiency is a strategy to combat climate change and make the environment cleaner.
FAQ
In simple terms, Lumens is the measure of the amount of light emitted from your light bulb. It is what determines the brightness of your light bulb. And, It is the Standard International (SI) unit of Luminous flux.
It is not the energy that should be efficient in itself. It is its use that should be efficient. That is, when energy enters a system, it should deliver maximum output.
Using energy efficiently is about using systems or appliances to provide maximum output. That is, using systems that don’t waste energy.
The general formula is Output energy/Input energy * 100. However, it could be expressed in fraction.
Benefits of energy efficiency: It cuts your energy bills and other costs | It lowers carbon emission | It limits energy demand growth | improves energy security and sustainability.
You can use less energy by replacing your inefficient appliances or systems with energy-efficient ones.
You can reduce your electricity bill by using a more energy-efficient appliance and switching off your appliances when not in use.
Household devices make use of energy. Many times, those devices waste energy. Thus, your money. So, to limit such wastage and even save money, it is advisable you use energy-efficient devices. Also, when you use energy-efficient devices, it helps reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
If you do have any thoughts or suggestions, comment below.