Electricity

The use of electricity generated from sustainable sources of power and the increased use of electricity in general are the cornerstones of the development of self-sustainability. The energy need of homes should to be as low as possible and electric appliances and equipment should thus be as energy efficient as possible. Appliances such as fridges and freezers are responsible for about 75% of the home’s energy use. Electric appliances are graded from A to G based on their energy use, where A++ stands for the most efficient and G the least. You can save a lot of money by considering energy efficiency when buying new appliances.

The energy labels Energy Star, GEEA and the European Union energy label help us find the most energy efficient appliances. These labels can usually be found on computers and various electric appliances.

Electric appliances on standby drain power continuously. On top of being a fire hazard, some of these appliances actually use more energy when not in use than while used. All over the world a fantastic amount of energy is wasted on appliances on standby. A discussion has been growing about the need to redesign electrical appliances so that they are completely off when shut down.

For energy efficient lighting, a well-organized system of electric equipment, lights and cables is needed. The energy efficiency of the equipment itself is not the sole matter to think about though, as the lighting also needs to be set and calibrated according to need. A development in energy efficient electric lighting and light sources has been taking place the past few years. When organizing lighting it is necessary to consider the entire process; everything from how much power is put into a room for lighting to the quality of the lighting.

If you click on each electric appliance here in The House and the Environment you will get information about how to avoid unnecessary waste of energy.

See Nature's Guidelines on Energy.