Energy prices will increase in the long term, we all know that. It is only transitory relief, when the cost of a barrel of oil falls from $150 to $75, we all know that it will go back up. Apart from human greed pushing the price up, there are more than three billion people in Asia all impatient to increase their lifestyles to what they see the West parading in its films and TV shows. And that is not even including Africa an South America. No matter what oil is left undiscovered under the soil of the globe, it is not sufficient.
So, what can you do about it? Use less, is one obvious answer, but it is hard to give up something you were born into or have become accustomed to over a protracted period of time. It is just not that easy. We can expect to see equipment that will use less energy than they do now. That will help, but the technology is still being invented. They only alternative left is to be far more careful with the energy at our disposal. Turning lights out is the most simple form of this way of saving energy.
In the long run, the government will need to set standards for manufacturers, including, and actually, especially for house builders. Nearly 50% of household fuel budgets go on heating and cooling. Solar panels built into the roof would help a great deal, but they are still too expensive for most people at the moment. These things have to be made affordable to homeowners and they have to be incorporated into all new homes.
Solar panels can be used to run devices live, to put power back into the electricity grid, if their is no immediate local call for it or to recharge batteries to run equipment later, such as low power lights, a hybrid car or an electric scooter. This would represent a huge personal and national energy saving, but the sun’s energy can do more than that.
Solar heaters can be used to heat both air and water. This would chiefly eliminate the need for burning fossil fuels and natural gas. I say largely eliminate not eliminate, but it would be a massive saving again. Do not forget that almost 50% of the household fuel budget goes on heating and cooling and with ‘global warming’ or ‘global cooling’ or the very safe, sit on the fence ‘global climate change’, this percentage can only rise.
Geo-thermal power (getting heat out of the ground) is probably not an option for every area, but it is a source of power that has hardly been touched in most countries. Greenland and Australia are world leaders in this technology, I believe, and their climates seen to be as much at opposite ends of the scale as their locations are at opposite ends of the world. There must be more that could be done with this technology.
In the meantime, we must do what we can. We have to re-educate ourselves to be more careful with energy and we have to teach our young from an early age to be careful with it as well. Use energy-efficient, fluorescent tubes wherever you can. If you need more light for reading or working, get a desk lamp. Turn things off when they are not in use. stand-by was a great idea, but it is not anymore.
Items on stand-by are still burning electricity and not just a tiny bit to keep that red light on. Chargers for mobile phones et cetera draw power even when there is nothing plugged into them to charged. Take them out of the socket when not in use. Integrate your heating and cooling systems. There is a great deal you can do to save energy and save money, if you put your mind to it.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with heat air conditioning. If you are interested in Home Air Conditioning Systems, please click through to our site.