UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY AND YOUR ENERGY NEEDS

We use energy to generate warmth, switch on lights and power vehicles, we use it at home, in the office, on holiday, in fact in almost everything we do and wherever we go.
We’re probably using energy when we don’t even realise it.
Consider your freezer which is on 24 hours a day, the coffee machine at your work or the traffic lights at every junction on our roads. Undoubtedly some energy usage is crucial in the modern world, but there are many ways in which you, the individual, can make a difference and reduce your energy consumption.

To appreciate the impact that our energy usage has had on earth, particularly over the last 100 years, it is important to understand where energy comes from and how it affects climate change.

Millions of years ago land-plants and sea algae absorbed energy from sunlight. This ‘energy’ was then consumed by fish and animals. When the plants and animals died they were buried in mud and, over time, became fossilised. Under intense pressure and heat, from deep in the earth, plants became coal and animals formed crude oil and natural gas, which was trapped in tiny pores of sandstone rock. These are fossil fuels.

By burning these fossil fuels we release the energy they contain, which allows us to generate steam in a power station boiler which, in turn, drives a generator to produce electricity. We also use these fossil fuels when we heat our homes and drive our cars.

 
GO THAT STEP FURTHER AND THINK “REWABLE ENERGY”

Most of the energy we use today is generated by fossil fuels. These are finite resources and, therefore, not sustainable. So, not only are they bad for the environment, they will also eventually run out. The sustainable alternative is renewable energy which will never be exhausted. The main sources of renewable energy are the sun (solar energy), the wind, moving water (hydropower, wave and tidal energy), heat below the surface of the earth (geothermal energy) and biomass (wood, waste, energy crops). Ireland is rich in all of these and their use will reduce harmful greenhouse emissions as well as presenting opportunities to reduce our reliance on imported fuels.

Several renewable energy technologies are now commercially viable and capable of supplying clean, economical heat and power in your home. When building or renovating your home consider installing solar panels on your roof, to save on your heating bills, or use passive solar design to maximise energy from the sun. Or simply consider room layout and window location/size to gain maximum benefit from the sun's free heat and light. Solar energy is clean, environmentally friendly, inexhaustible and free. Alternatively there are a variety of heat pumps that convert the heat of water, air or the earth to warm your home.

HOW DOES RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABILITY?

This is an important question and gets to the heart of the objectives of sustainable energy. The answer is straightforward: most renewable energy sources are directly influenced by the sun, which provides us with an infinite, sustainable resource through the cycles of nature. This could be the sun stimulating growth in plants, causing thermal currents and creating the wind, or causing precipitation resulting in river currents. As long as there is light from the sun we can generate renewable energy, encouraging us to reduce our demand and consumption of fossil fuels, thereby reducing the likely impacts of climate change.

Sustainability is a wise approach to take to the way we live. And using energy in a more sustainable way is a part of this approach. We can save money, reduce imports, protect the environment, and move society forward in a positive manner enabling future generations to avail of the vital resources we now take for granted. If we adopt the sustainable approach now, we win as individuals and we win as a society.

Everyone can decide how they want to live, shaping society together starts by shaping our individual behaviour.

	Turn your heating down. Reducing your thermostat by 10 Celsius will cut your heating bill.
	When purchasing new appliances, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. ‘A’ rated kitchen appliances cost less to run and over time they will give you considerable savings on your electricity bill.
	Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways of saving energy – you can even install it yourself. Insulate your loft today and in a year you could save between £180 - £220 per annum.
	At night, pull the curtains to stop heat being lost through the windows. Take care not to drape curtains over radiators as this will funnel heat straight out of the windows
	Turn your TV off rather than leave it on standby, equipment on standby uses up to 20% of the energy it would use when fully on.
	Use energy efficient light bulbs instead of traditional bulbs, they last up to 12 times longer and each bulb you fit could save up to £100 on electricity over the bulb’s lifetime. They come in a whole range of styles and fittings.
	Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket – it only costs a few pounds and with all of the heat it traps in, pays for itself within months. Fit one that’s at least 75mm (3”) thick and you could save around £20 a year. If every household fitted an adequate tank-jacket, we’d save over £95 million of energy every year.

It is estimated that if every household in the UK were to replace only three conventional light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs, the energy saved could run the whole of the UK street lighting.

Please contact:
Tony Rutland
New Forest DEA Group

Tel: 01425 613144 / 07866 516937

Email: info@newforestdeagroup.co.uk