Energy Efficiency: Identifying Big Savings Potential

America runs on, well energy. Most of it derived from coal, natural gas and petroleum all of which contribute to carbon buildup in the atmosphere. Currently clean technologies like solar, wind and geothermal only amount to 1% of the Unites States total energy usage, so there's a lot of potential to greatly increase that number for a huge amount of carbon savings. But the biggest piece of low hanging carbon reduction fruit just waiting to be picked, is improving efficiency. Not just, "turn off the lights when you leave the room" kind of efficiency, but reducing the amount of losses from waste during generation, transmission, and use. The total amount of energy wasted in this way? 57%, meaning more energy is lost everyday then we actually use to power all the gizmos and gadgets we use on a regular basis.

So why all the waste and what's being done about it? One is efficiency on the demand side - making all those gizmos and gadgets we use more efficient. Because of federal and state efficiency regulations passed in 1972, refrigerator energy use is 75% lower today. Similar energy savings are possible in a whole range of products, from stronger building codes to reduce heating, cooling, and lighting costs, to electronics like tvs and computers that we use everyday. On a larger scale, encouraging "infill development" which encourages new businesses to use underutilized space already within city limits instead of 'sprawling' outwards saved the city of Portland 35% in carbon emissions, largely due to reduced driving.

Another efficiency potential which is spawning startups everywhere is replacing our electrical grid with a new "smart grid." Currently, our electrical grid is plagued by huge swings in electricity demand, with demand high during the day and low at night, and higher in hot summer months then cooler times of year. Smart grids which help store, use and deliver energy more efficiently help utility companies level out these peaks and troughs in demand, thereby eliminating the need for peak production plants and helping maximize a plants energy production throughout the day. Smart grids would not only make current energy production systems more reliable and prices less volatile, but would also help renewables break into the market by mitigating their disadvantage of being site and time dependent.

The most important thing that can be done to improve the efficiency of our energy systems? Consumers have to start buying with energy efficiency in mind. If the buyer demands it, the producers will work harder to supply it. More money is spent each year by the pet food industry on pet food research then is  spent on energy technology research. If more money went to energy R&D, huge strides could be made in efficiency. But until then, we have to use the technology we have, so that means making sure you buy an energy star certified washer dryer and doing your laundry at night, because it will save energy, and save you some money.