energy effiency and conservation

Energy efficiency and conservation

As India population is growing energy demand increases for their household consumption and industrial usage and energy requirement. As government of India making plans  for  and planning to add  additional power generating capacity 100,O00, M.W. during 12th five year plan and same quantity  of power generation planed   1,00,000 M.W. during 13th five year plan in addition to existing power generating capacity 1,60,000 M.W.

Energy  saving is important while generating power more efficiently  at affordable rates. It is all the way necessary to conserve energy needs to reduce environmental effect on earth  due to generation of power  through coal based power plants.

Energy efficient homes

Energy efficient new homes may cost 5-10 per cent  more than for heavily insulating walls and ceiling,fluorescent lighting, low emissivity windows and efficient heating and air conditioning system but after 2-3 year pay back period these investments begin to save money as well as energy. Older residences can be made much more efficient with relatively small investments to insulate ceilings and to weather-strip and caulk around doors and windows. Additional energy savings accrue when worn out appliances and heating and cooling systems are replaced with energy efficient ones. Sweden leads the world in percentage of energy efficient building technology and has developed international market for energy efficient building technology. In addition most western European countries have energy performance  standards or norms for commercial or residential buildings.

During last two decades the industrial sector which consumes two-fifth of energy in developing countries has realized significant energy savings even as industrial out put continued to expand.

For example U.S. industry have led to a 1 per cent average decline in energy use as industrial production  increased by 2 per cent in a year.

Several strategies used to achieve energy savings in industry include

. Installing equipment and facilities that reduce energy consumption yet are cost effective

. Adopting new industrial process or products that save energy and may reduce labour and material costs as well. For example automotive  industry  has developed aluminum alloy made car rims in wheel  in place of steel rims  thereby reducing the cost of vehicle and in addition  savings in fuel due to ultimate lower weight of vehicle.

. Producing products from recycled material which normally require half much energy in puts as production using new raw materials.

 Developing new technologies that reduce energy and material requirements. The basic oxygen steel making process that cuts energy inputs by  nearly one half has been implemented by world wide manufacturers.

Since 1970 world fleet of vehicles tripled and more than two-third registered north America and Europe. Although growth vehicles in OECD countries has slowed down recent years, it has accelerated in Asia and Latin America. This global fleet consumes well over half world’s oil US. Vehicles  using about 25 per cent of oil out put.

Because increased use of oil put large demands on oil supplies, but also produces huge regional and global environmental impacts. In developing  countries pollutants from motor are major sources  of ozone, smog and acid rain. Further more vehicles are responsible providing significant quantities carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons, which are implicated global climate change. As  a result improving vehicles fuel economy is both critical economic and environmental issues for developed countries and developing countries. In last two decades U.S. average fuel economy doubled. At the same time however ,the number of automobiles has grown  and miles driven per vehicles have increased. Current  and future efforts to build more fuel efficient  vehicles include using more light weight materials, use of aluminum plastic using two stroke engines and continuously variable transmission  for more efficient energy conversion and improving the fuel economy and improved aerodynamic design streamlining exteriors to reduce air friction.

Even with improvements in vehicles efficiency  the growing fleet fueled by petroleum is largest single source of air pollution. Cleaner automotive fuel that add no net carbon dioxide to atmosphere include hydrogen and electricity  produced non -fossil sources and fuel made from bio-mass such as ethanol, methanol and methane. Unfortunately these alternative fuels are most costly and are  under development. Of course natural gas is most sought alternative fuel for petrol  and competes  on price front and economical also. There is also need to shift more energy efficient transportation systems. For examples truck hauling has grown significantly in the last three decades but it is relatively in efficient  for bulk hauling compared to trains and ships. 

Using bio-fuels like bio-ethanol and bio-diesel improves efficiency of engine and reduced fuel consumption  In automobile sector.

To save energy break though must be made in following aspects .
A) Technical innovation must be made on large scale instead of minor changes and modifications to process..
B) Actively developing and using new energy sources nuclear energy, solar energy, wind energy,bio-fuels which does not endanger green house gases and other atmospheric pollutants. Although new energy sources have their own weak point in technology and cost, they represent at orientation for world’s development of energy hence they have bright future.

China has always attaching importance to development of hydro power stations in energy production. China massively producing solar power and wind power as their government gives more subsidies to these manufacturers.

India should develop hydro power wherever possible and in addition giving priority to wind power and solar power and developing nuclear energy for energy conservation.