When some people think about energy efficiency the first that come to their minds is sacrifice, because of the confusion created by associating it with energy conservation. Energy efficiency means getting the job done using just enough energy, which in turn is less energy. In other words, energy efficiency means using energy smarter, such as building cars that go farther on a gallon of gas and making light bulbs that use one quarter the energy of traditional bulbs. Energy conservation, on the other hand, means reducing the level of services by simply saving energy, i.e. by not using it. This, however, doesn’t necessarily mean sacrifice because it doesn’t involve reduction of quality of life. But anyway, why is energy efficiency important?

        Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to save energy and money and reduce pollution. Thus, energy efficiency has not only a personal benefit but a social one as well, because energy demand is controlled and emissions of carbon dioxide are reduced, which slows global warming. This is one of the areas where individuals can contribute to help the environment.

        Many energy efficiency improvement programs have been and are being developed, but this strategy presents a number of barriers among which is worthy to mention the greater initial cost of energy-efficient technology and the inadequate information about their full-scale application. I have seen many people buying or replacing appliances and electronics, and looking for the best buys in terms of number of features, size, etc. Not many people look for the EPA ENERGY STAR^® label that shows the appliance meets or exceeds standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency for energy efficiency. These products can reduce the amount of electricity use by improving the technical and operational efficiency with which customers use electricity. I realize I have many of these products but I am sure I didn’t choose them for being energy efficient, because I never really paid much attention to the significance of it.

        Improvements in the efficiency of using energy can take place at any stage of the fuel cycle from mining the fuel, through power generation to end-use. However, the contributions that increased efficiency can make towards a sustainable development are limited, because there exists a limit to the maximum efficiency theoretically attainable for any process. Such limitations are a consequence of the laws of thermodynamics. On the other hand, energy efficiency is not enough to reduce the present levels of energy use without energy conservation. For instance, it won’t make any sense if we use a fluorescent bulb instead of an incandescent light bulb and then leave the light on longer, even when we don’t really need lightning. I do believe, however, that energy efficiency will be fully embraced as people did with recycling.