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Energy Consumption

Jay Slough - Monday, June 28, 2010

Whenever households use energy that originates from a source that is readily available and does not impact the environment with a carbon footprint, it is called renewable energy. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the planet’s energy is derived from non renewable sources, primarily fossil fuels. We are all cognizant of the fact that we can’t continue to rely on non-renewable resources for energy consumption indefinitely. This is precisely the reason why it is imperative to shift to renewable energy sources as soon as possible.

Based on the 2007 edition of the Renewable Energy Trends in Consumption and Electricity released by theU.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable energy consumption hovered at 7 percent of the U.S. total. This figure is ominous considering the numerous incentives and legislations enacted by the government to push for renewable energy sources for energy consumption of households across the country. As residents of this great nation, we must take a good look at the way we live our daily lives, including how we use energy. There’s a multitude of advantages to using renewable energy, and it is high time  that we start to take a hard look at them.

There are several ways to get yourself off the grid and reap the benefits of electrical independence. These can be done gradually, at your preferred pace when it is affordable for you. For instance, you can harness solar energy with the use of solar panels or wind energy with the help of turbines.  Both are renewable energy sources that can be installed in your home and help you cut your electric bills while reducing you carbon footprint. Many simply have the notion that such equipments, their installation and maintenance are not practical and cost effective. However, nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact, these are the types of investments that homeowners should look into as they have the ability to pay for themselves in a short time. It is important that we begin to investigate these options, especially with the rising cost of electricity and fossil fuels.

Another option to break free from electrical dependence and reduce energy consumption is to use home automation systems. Think about it, a well designed home automation system can provide a lot of benefits and huge savings in energy consumption. Home automation comes in different forms such as lighting control systems, heating control systems, intelligent power switching, ventilation, sound and air conditioning controls. These sorts of stuff used to be exclusive to the rich and famous, but with advances in technology, automated devices and gadgets are now affordable.

A more balanced energy plan for the U.S. is long over-due and as the world’s largest economy, we have been fossil fuel fat far too long.  There is a brewing debate as to how much energy consumption our nation can reduce with the help of technology. If we focus on efficiency, a recent study claimed that we can cut on our energy consumption by as much as 35%. However, this drew the ire of the Environmental Protection Agency which said that the country can save up to 50% of its energy consumption come 2025 or earlier. Whichever is the case, the bottom line is that addressing the issue of energy usage must be a concerted effort as we must all work together, the consumer, the government and the various industries.


   

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