Energy Conservation Problems

'Crisis', seems to be the buzzword of the 21st century. After the water crisis and food crisis, it is now turn of the financial crisis and energy crisis! The industrial revolution of the 18th century offered mankind the luxuries we never experienced. Since then, we have been busy indulging in the comfort that came with the advent of technology. We barely have time to notice the rapidly depleting energy resources. The more we choose to ignore this issue, the graver it becomes. The only way to combat this problem is by conservation of energy. However, energy conservation may not be as easy as it sounds. There are several problems that need to be addressed first.

Energy Conservation Problems

The uncontrolled and unreasonable use of energy resources in the past few decades has led to the depletion of conventional energy resources. Although, measures are taken at the government levels to control the energy consumption, these attempts only meet with little success. Public awareness is the only way to successfully deal with this problem. Given below are some problems that often come in the way of energy conservation.

Wastage of Energy
Wastage of energy is the biggest culprit of energy crisis. Unnecessary illumination, running the appliances even when no one is using them, using two or more devices for achieving same purpose can all lead to wastage of valuable energy. Self discipline is the only way of resolving this problem.

Unmindful Use of Resources
This is different from wasting energy, nonetheless, it yields the same result. This includes choosing wrong appliances that consume more electricity or going for luxury cars that are extremely inefficient in fuel consumption. Choosing your energy options wisely can solve this problem. Public awareness can be generated in order to educate people regarding the intelligent usage of energy.

Energy Loss
None of the machines can give you 100% efficiency. There is always some energy loss which reduces the efficiency of the machine. Although there is no feasible solution to this problem, we can certainly minimize energy loss so that we get optimum efficiency.

Energy Conservation and Rebound Effect

The obvious advantage of energy conservation is that we can slow down the depletion of the energy resources, so that we have more energy left for future use. As mentioned above, efficient and wise use of energy can alleviate the problem of energy crisis. However, there is an argument against efficient use of energy which says that, efficient use of energy will lead to fall in demand of energy, which in turn will lead to decline in the cost of energy. Lower energy prices is likely to encourage the consumption of energy, making the whole effort worthless. This is called 'rebound effect', which defeats the whole purpose of energy conservation. However, economists believe that the magnitude of the rebound effect is smaller compared to the total energy gain by implementing energy efficiency schemes.

Tips for Conserving Energy

• Always switch off appliances when not in use.
• Make sure your house is properly insulated so as to keep heat loss to a bare minimum.
• Efficient use of energy is achieved by running appliances to their maximum capacity. Hence, stock the refrigerator with food, fill the dishwasher with plates and don't run the washing machine unless it is full.
• Air conditioning units should be set in shade, so that they consume less power.
• Work manually wherever possible.
• Limit your use of automobiles. Opt for public transport if possible.
• Decrease reliance on conventional energy sources and explore unconventional sources like solar energy, tidal energy, wind energy, etc.

Energy conservation problems can be solved only with collective efforts at domestic as well as industrial level. Hence, consider it your responsibility to judiciously use energy, so as to save it for the future.