Let’s Understand the Importance of Energy Conservation!

Have you ever considered how important energy is for the sustenance of human life? Just look around and you will see how important energy is for survival. Consider any activity, may it be something small or big, you will know how inherent energy is for the completion of it. Take your heating or cooling appliances, your television, all of them use some sort of energy in order to make their working possible. It’s amazing how something like energy has become for us a source of both comfort and entertainment and it’s through energy that everything is made possible in today’s world. But why is there a need for energy conservation? 

The electricity which is the definition of comfort for us today, is produced through using both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. It’s all good till here but the problem arises when we start taking it all for granted. It goes wrong when we assume that it’s okay to use as much energy as we want thinking it will never get exhausted. If you overuse it, there will come a time when you won’t even have enough energy left even for survival. And it’s because of this that Energy Conservation has become so significant these days. The fact is that humans have mindlessly exploited all sources of energy for so long that the future generation is going to suffer in its lack. 

But the point is that it’s still not too late. Even if we start saving energy today at our individual level, we are capable of contributing a lot towards this entire idea of energy conservation. 

What is Energy Conservation?

To put it in very simple terms, energy conservation is the act of saving energy. It’s the effort made by us to reduce the consumption of energy with the hope that it doesn’t get exhausted. If you think about this, the first step in this direction is the understanding that energy needs to be conserved. It’s very simple, if you think that energy is never going to get depleted then why would you ever even consider saving energy? So, first you need to understand how energy is getting depleted slowly and how it’s soon going to get exhausted. After this understanding or acceptance comes knowledge. 

If you are going to save energy you need to know how to do it. You need to be aware of how much energy you are consuming in a day and know how  you can reduce that amount. This all comes under energy conservation. Energy conservation involves the act of saving energy itself but it is also a systematic field which involves all the methods and techniques through which you can save energy. But before getting into that you first need to understand what’s the importance of energy conservation or saving energy in general terms. 

Importance of Energy Conservation

Energy conservation has become a global phenomenon these days and you will know the significance it has acquired because we as a nation have a separate day dedicated to remind everyone how important it is to save energy. What we are talking about is the World Energy Conservation Day which is celebrated every year on the 14th of December. The objective behind the creation of such a day is to create mass awareness regarding the importance of energy conservation. And you know if the entire world has come together for a cause then how significant it must be. To understand this, you need to know about how important energy conservation has become in today’s world:

1. We already know how important energy is for survival. Can you imagine life in the complete absence of it? No, right! And that’s why energy conservation is so important. Though there are some renewable sources of energy like wind energy, solar energy and thermal energy which will be there till the end of the time, there are also some sources of energy which are non-renewable like coal, oil and natural gas. The non-renewable source of energy is that which is available in nature in a limited quantity and cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a quick enough pace to keep up with consumption. So, that means if you exhaust it once, it’s almost impossible to renew it. Now, think about it, what’s better, to overuse such sources of energy today and be left with nothing tomorrow or using it sustainably that we will always have enough to survive? Second is the obvious choice and that’s why the idea of  saving energy has become the norm today. 

2. The second point which makes energy conservation significant is that saving energy is saving life itself. We must have heard this slogan many times, “save energy, save environment”. As an extension to this idea comes the thought save environment and save life. We all know how it’s through the burning of coal through which we produce electricity and how burning of coal releases harmful gases into the environment. This pollutes the air that we all need for survival. Thus, threatening both our environment and life itself. So, by saving energy we would be able to reduce the carbon emissions which will in turn save both our environment and human life. 

3. We know how rising temperatures, heat waves and drought, all side effects of climate change are brought in because of the “greenhouse effect”. And this said effect is created when harmful gases are released into the atmosphere. And as we already discussed the burning of coal does that. Therefore, energy conservation is a key step towards tackling the problem of climate change.  

4. Energy conservation is also how we protect our ecosystem. Humans are exploiting nature in every way possible, climate change is impacting the whole world and in this scenario, the silent sufferers are other species. Climate change is contributing to a fast extinction of many animal species and if you wish to preserve them we need to start saving energy. 

Benefits of Energy Conservation

There are benefits that you will experience in the long run if today you contribute towards the cause of energy conservation. Given below are some points which will familiarise you with the benefits of saving energy:

1. We know that in the process of producing energy, a lot of harmful gasses are emitted which are harmful to humans if consumed. It leads to several breathing problems like asthma. So, by energy conservation, you will also be able to create a better living space for yourself. Therefore, enhancing your quality of life. 
2. It will help us get back to the natural equilibrium. Climate change will be tackled and issues like global warming could be brought under control. 
3. You can ensure by saving energy that your coming generations won’t suffer in the lack of energy resources.
4. It will reduce your living expenses. It’s true that the process of energy conservation could be expensive but once you are done with it, your average cost of energy consumption will be reduced. 

Techniques of Energy Conservation

Now that we have understood the importance and benefits of Energy conservation or saving energy, next comes the methods that are employed for the conservation of energy: 

Make Day to Day Changes

The first and the most important things to understand is that if you are planning to save energy, every day counts. So, try to cut down your daily usage of energy based equipment. Like turn off your AC, heater, fans and light when not in use. Practice the notion of “Eco Hour”. Try to reduce your carbon footprint and save energy together by riding a bicycle when convenient rather than driving a car or a bike. These small steps if practiced by everyone, every day, it could make a big contribution towards saving energy. 

Switch to Sustainable Forms of Energy

Switch to more sustainable forms of energy like wind energy or solar energy instead of depending on fossil fuels for the generation of energy. As we know fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy which once depleted cannot be easily recreated. So, if you wish to practice energy conservation, shift to those energy sources which are abundant in nature and will never be depleted like sunlight and air.

Must Read: What is the need of environmental conservation?

Use Appliances which Consume Less Energy

The basic idea behind energy conservation is to reduce the consumption of energy. So, even if you cannot reduce the usage of energy run appliances completely, shift to those which are more energy efficient. Lightbulbs are used in every house, so instead of using them, shift to LED’s and CFL’s which consume less energy. And use of smart power strips can also be used to keep your energy consumption under check. 

1. Install solar panels – If you are looking to conserve energy and are actually very serious about it, installing solar pannels is the way to go. It will reduce your dependence on other sources of energy like electricity which as we know is majorly produced through the burning of coal. Thus, you will end up preserving non renewable sources of energy like coal. 

2. Use energy efficient appliances – Today, technology has evolved so much that everything has a better alternative. So, if you are planning to save energy, it’s a good decision to shift to more energy efficient appliances which consume less energy. These appliances are proven to reduce energy consumption from 9 – 25%. Even though the cost of such appliances is a lot more, in the long-run, the benefits are more like your electricity cost would be less and you would be able to save the environment. That’s a win-win. 

Also Read: Best Alternative Energy Sources

How to Make a Career Out of It?

In today’s world,  Energy Conservation has acquired so much priority that people are actually making an entire career out of it, there are specific careers focussed towards it. And with the increased stress on saving energy, it’s definitely a very fruitful and rewarding career. So, if you are one of those who are passionate about the field of energy conservation and are looking forward to making a career in it, then this section is just for you. 

Top Universities 

There are many top universities across the world which are offering a course in energy conservation or related fields. So, if you wish to make a career in this particular field, acquiring a degree from one of these universities will be the first step. 

College/University	Course
Federation University Australia	Bachelor of Environmental and Conservation Science
City University of Hong Kong	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Energy and Environment Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Energy and Environment
Penn State World Campus	Bachelor of Arts degree in Energy and Sustainability Policy
University of California, Berkeley	Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Environmental Design
Stanford University	Energies Technology program
University of Maryland	Master of Sustainable Energy
University of Michigan	Master of Engineering Sustainable Systems.
University of Texas	Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies
University of Wisconsin	Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Management

Scope & Jobs

As we have already mentioned, the idea of “save energy” is the norm today. So, the scope of acquiring this course is that you will have the technical knowledge to take this idea of energy conservation forward and this is the need of the hour. We are all at a phase where we intend to save energy but couldn’t so because of the lack of knowledge regarding the same and therefore the need for energy conservation experts arises. There are various things that you can do after acquiring a degree in a field related to energy conservation.

1. You can research on the ways to reduce the carbon imprint and work towards bringing in effective policies regarding the same. 
2. With technical knowledge, you would be able to device plans for environment friendly products which will be energy efficient. 
3. You can work in the public sector to create awareness regarding energy conservation and the need to save energy. Such volunteers play a key role in events like  National energy conservation day to create awareness programmes. 
4. You can also work with World organisations dedicated for the conservation of energy and nature like UNEP, and Greenpeace. 

Must Read: How to make a career in Energy Management

So, this is all that you needed to know in order to understand the importance of energy conservation. Now, that you know the importance of it, it’s the time to start working towards the conservation of the environment. If in the process you feel like making a career in it then go ahead and pursue a course in energy conservation or related fields. In case you need to acquire more knowledge regarding the scope of doing a course in it or universities offering the course, contact Leverage Edu. Our experts are always there to help you out. Sign up for a free session now.