Cement, Energy and Environment

and provide the ability to double vehicle mileage. Cogeneration of electricity and heat and combined heat and power allow for the productive use of much of the waste heat from electricity production, which accounts for about two-thirds of the energy used to produce electricity. When energy prices are high, consumers tend to weigh energy efficiencymore heavily. Unless consumers are informed about the price of energy, they may not have the incentive to select the most energy efficient product. Energy Star is only awarded to appliances that significantly exceed minimumenergy efficiency standards. The Energy Star programme does not extend to all products. Energy efficiency would be further promoted if the Energy Star programme were expanded tobroader range of products. The federal government has reduced its energy use in buildings by about 30 percent from 1990 levels, largely by installing energy efficient technologies. It has reduced its energy use for vehicles and equipment by 35 per cent. Some of these improvements are attributable to the Department of Energy, whose Federal Energy Management Program helps government agencies reduce their energy and water use, manage their utility costs, and promote renewable energy. Sensors help to avoid 24-hour operation of lights and equipment that are only used for a portion of the day. As with homes, advances in windows, heating and air conditioning systems, overall building designs, and equipment and appliances present significant energy saving opportunities. To keep costs down, builders are less likely to install top-of-the-line, highly efficient products. The less expensive and generally less efficient products are heavily stocked and deeply discounted due to volume ordering. The decisions made about the energy efficiency of buildings and homes are not usually made by the consumer who will ultimately pay the energy bills. The incentive is for the builders to choose the material that poses them the least cost, which is not necessarily the most energy efficient choice. Manufacturing companies generally obtain their largest savings from improved efficiency of motors (motors account for 54 per cent of electricity use in manufacturing) and from improved steam and hot-water systems. Many companies can reduce energy needs further by cogenerating their electricity and heat from steam. Energy use for US agriculture grew during the 1960s and 1970s, peaking in 1978. High energy prices during the 1970 and early 1980s caused many farmers to find ways to reduce their energy costs, such as by switching from gasoline-powered engines, adopting conservation tillage practices. Shifting to larger multiprocessor machines, and using energy saving methods for drying and irrigating crops. These measures helped farmers reduce their energy use by 41 per cent from 1978 to 1998, while agricultural output grew by about 40 per cent over the same period. Courtesy : The Bulletin on Energy Efficiency, Apr. 2002, Pp 14 -15. Fax: 91-11 -4682204/ 6146004 Email: winrock@vsnl.com / efficiency@rediffmail.com Web : www.renewingindia.org