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To be “energy efficient” is to use energy systems that perform the same functions as conventional systems but consume less energy per unit of useful output. Energy efficiency results from technological innovations, while energy conservation results from consistent conscious action. One easy way to understand the difference is to compare two ways to use less energy while driving.
To conserve energy while driving, drive fewer miles, keep the air conditioning off or avoid speeding. To be energy efficient, buy a fuel-efficient vehicle, like a hybrid-electric car, which would save gas compared to a conventional model throughout its life, without the driver ever thinking about it again.
So one key difference is that energy efficiency is a one-time decision (to purchase or use efficient technology), while energy conservation requires consistently being conscious of your energy use and making changes in your behavior, whether they are small or large.
The other key difference is that, while energy conservation reduces your overall energy consumption, energy efficiency does not. If the hybrid car driver travels farther or more often, he/she is still being energy efficient, but could be using the same amount of energy as before – maybe even more. While doing more driving might allow for more things to get done in a given day, it also means using the same amount of energy, so it yields none of the economic, environmental and security benefits associated with absolute energy reductions.
A good way to reconcile this distinction is to think of energy efficiency as one necessary means to the end of reducing our absolute energy consumption. If we use energy-efficient products and appliances responsibly, we can pocket the energy savings, rather than spend them on more energy. This will help us reduce overall energy expenditures and carbon emissions, and increase our energy security. However, it is unlikely that we can reach a sustainable level of energy consumption without also being conscious about reducing our overall energy consumption.
So why does energy conservation rank less favorably in the Shelton Group’s study? One possible answer is that some people may feel overwhelmed by the sacrifice they see as inherent in conservation. But when we think about conservation as a series of choices – from putting on a sweater to switching off a light – it doesn’t seem so difficult. Energy conservation can also make our lives simpler by cutting down on the number of appliances that clutter our lives, the size of the house to keep clean, or the car payments we have to make, etc. Yet if our appliances, homes and cars are themselves energy efficient – well, then we’re making good progress toward our economic, security and environmental goals.
**Further analysis of energy efficiency and energy conservation can be found here.**
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