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AP Environmental Science

Mr. GrantLesson 96

Energy Conservation

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Objectives:

• Define the term cogeneration.• Specify strategies for conserving energy and enhancing

efficiency.

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Define the term cogeneration.

CogenerationA practice in which the extra heat generated in the production of electricity is captured and put to use heating workplaces and homes, as well as producing other types of power,

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Specify strategies for conserving energy and enhancing efficiency.

• Energy conservations involves two forces interacting through the market power of consumer choice…- personal choices- efficient technologies

• Ways to help conserve immense amounts of oil…− increase automotive fuel efficiency− increase power plant combustion efficiency.

• Conservation helps lengthen our access to fossil fuels and reduce environmental impact, but to build a more sustainable society we also need to…- Shift to renewable energy sources.

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Energy conservation

• Energy conservation = the practice of reducing energy use to:- Extend the life of our nonrenewable energy supplies- Be less wasteful- Reduce environmental impact

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Energy conservation has followed need

• Conservation usually only occurs in time of need- OPEC embargo of 1973 drastically increased

conservation, but it didn’t last- Government research into alternative energy

sources decreased- The failure to improve fuel economy has

increased our oil consumption- Taxes on gasoline are extremely low, meaning

that gasoline does not account for its substantial external costs on production and consumption

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CAFE standards

The U.S. government has failed to enforce corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards, which mandate higher fuel efficiency in automobiles

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Drilling in ANWR will not fill U.S. oil demand

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Personal choice and efficiency

• Energy conservation can be accomplished in two ways:• Individuals can make conscious choices to reduce energy

consumption in everyday life and drastically increase conservation- Driving less, turning off lights, buying efficient

machines• Society can make energy-consuming devices more

efficient - Also helps reduce the enormous amounts of energy

wasted every day

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We already have the technology needed• To increase fuel efficiency• The efficiency of power plants

- Cogeneration = excess heat produced during electrical generation is used to heat buildings and produce other types of power

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Efficiency among consumer products

• Improvements in home design can reduce energy required to heat and cool them

• Scores of appliances have been reengineered to increase energy efficiency

• Consumers need to vote with their wallets by buying energy-efficient products

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Conservation and renewable energy is needed

• Effective energy conservation could save 6 million barrels of oil a day

• Conserving energy is better than finding a new reserve- It decreases environmental impacts while extending

our access to fossil fuels • The only sustainable way of reliable supply of energy is

to ensure sufficiently rapid development of renewable energy