Energy Efficiency
Technologies

 

- What They Are: Energy efficiency technologies help us accomplish the same task with less energy. By using less energy, we save precious natural resources and save money.

In your home, energy efficiency means taking steps to use less energy to heat, cool, and light your house. It can also mean using energy-saving appliances, computers, and other building equipment.

In your car, energy efficiency means using technologies that help your vehicle get more miles to the gallon of gas. It can also mean using vehicles that don't use gas at all -- such as electric or fuel cell-powered drive trains.

Local electric power companies can also use energy efficiency technologies when they find ways of delivering and storing electricity more efficiently.

And businesses and industry use energy efficiency techniques to produce and deliver products and services using less energy. Some examples of energy saving strategies are using more efficient motors, steam systems, compressed air systems, and other industrial equipment.

- Their Benefits: Energy efficiency technologies provide a wide range of benefits to the world, including the following:

  • Consumer -- energy efficiency technologies help save consumers and businesses money by lowering energy consumption and energy bills. For example, the Alliance to Save Energy has estimated that in terms of lighting alone, American consumers and businesses could save one-half of the $21 billion they spend each year on lighting by using more efficient light bulbs and fixtures.
  • Environmental -- energy efficiency technologies help conserve precious natural resources and reduce the emission of harmful air and other environmental pollutants.
  • Economic -- saving energy at home helps to offset dollars that would have to go overseas to purchase foregn sources of energy. In addition, investments in energy efficiency technologies go largely to U.S. companies involved in their manufacture, installation and maintenance. Further, U.S. companies that produce energy efficiency technologies sell their goods and services overseas, which helps reduce the U.S. trade deficit.
  • Energy security -- energy efficiency technologies help reduce America's reliance on costly and sometimes unreliable foreign sources of energy.