Energy Reduction and Product Quality

One of the fundamental bases of today's consumer society is the built-in obsolescence of the items we buy. Put simply, the things we buy are made to break or to no longer be useful after a very short time.

This is more than an annoyance, it is a deliberate means to get us to spend more and therefore drive increasing production and profits for those involved in the manufacturing business.

If we look back in time not too far, say the 1950s, the majority of things were not made to break. Things were built to last whether it was a washing machine, a fridge, a toaster or even a garden rake. All these things were built to have a long and productive life.

To see the current state of affairs, all we need to do is walk around the neighborhood when a hard rubbish collection is scheduled. Then we see fridges, televisions, computers, furniture and more by the ton, all destined for the landfill. We have sacrificed quality for a lower price tag to the point where it is now almost impossible to find items that are not built to break.

Sadly, small scale solar power applications have fallen into this trap too. It's well and good to want to use the sun's energy to light our garden at night, and doing so may well save some electricity. But how much energy is saved when those same solar lights are in the landfill less than two years later because of cheap materials and built-to-break design?

We need to address our abuse of resources. It is not enough to stick some solar panels on top of a cheap product. We need to return to lower production and longer lasting products. This is one of the major avenues of energy reduction we should be seeking for the future.

Roger Vanderlely

Find more energy saving tips and heaps of information about solar power at the Green Planet Solar Power Facts website.