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Although energy conservation is often confused with energy efficiency, it is quite different. Both involve a reduction in overall energy use, but achieve that goal in different ways. Conservation involves cutting waste of energy whereas energy efficiency does not. For example, I can replace my old air conditioner with an energy efficient one, but can still waste energy by running it while I’m not home. I may have been able to save more energy by changing my behavior or programming my thermostat as opposed to replacing my air conditioner.
Energy conservation has not been as popular as energy efficiency because it is often associated with sacrifice. If I do not have my air conditioner on while I’m not home, I might be uncomfortable for a few minutes while the house cools down when I get home and turn it on. If I buy an energy efficient air conditioner instead, I save energy without changing my behavior. For utilities, it is also much easier to measure the impact of installing an energy efficient device because the energy savings do not depend on human behavior.
Fortunately, there are many companies out there that are trying to create interesting solutions so that we can conserve energy without having to change our behavior as much. Sensors can be used that know when someone is in the room and leaving the room. Eventually we should be able to use our phones to control home energy use. If my home is unbearably hot when I arrive, I will be able to turn on the air conditioner when I’m 15 minutes away. Once these technologies become more widely available, energy conservation will likely gain popularity. Just remember… it’s not energy efficiency. It’s energy conservation.
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