Blog

What is energy efficiency?

Energy efficiency simply involves finding ways to do the same work using less energy.

When we think of clean energy, we immediately think of production – wind, solar or hydroelectric. But it is just as important to think about energy consumption. Improving energy efficiency is often the least expensive and easiest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are many different types of efficient energy technology for our homes, cars, household appliances and industrial processes.

Energy efficiency plays a key role in our fight against climate change. But the best part of energy efficiency is that there are also many benefits other than for the environment – read on to learn more!

What are the benefits of energy efficiency?

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Energy savings from efficient technologies can vary considerably depending on the type of technology. In some cases, as with LED lighting, those savings can reach 90%! We expect energy efficiency to represent one quarter of the carbon reduction needed to meet Canada’s international climate commitment (Energy efficiency is Canada’s unsung hero: report – Clean Energy Canada).

Lower cost

We often hear that clean energy is expensive. But energy efficiency offers a way to reduce emissions and save money at the same time! Energy efficient technologies often pay for themselves through lower monthly bills.

Job creation

The energy efficiency sector employed 436,000 people in 2018 – approximately 2.3% of all jobs in Canada (Energy Efficiency as a Job Creation Powerhouse  – Efficiency Canada). This trend is expected to take off over time as the government prioritizes energy efficiency in its fight against climate change.

We foresee the creation of an average 118,000 jobs annually to 2030 thanks to energy efficiency measures. (Energy efficiency is Canada’s unsung hero: report – Clean Energy Canada).
 

Interesting facts

There are several different technologies that can reduce our consumption.

The following are a few examples of how energy efficiency can be implemented:

Light bulbs

An LED bulb consumes 70 to 90% less energy than an incandescent bulb and provides the same amount of light.

Energy-efficient building envelopes

Buildings are one of the biggest energy consumers. One of the best ways to reduce their energy consumption is to improve their envelopes – the physical barriers between the outside environment and the inside space. This means better insulation, windows, doors and air circulation.

Smart thermostats

Smart thermostats adjust the temperature in your home when you are out or sleeping in order to reduce your costs of heating and air conditioning.
 

An outstanding energy efficiency projects

Passive house (Passivhaus) buildings are examples of energy efficiency in action. A passive house is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency that integrates several different concepts to produce a building with extremely low energy requirements.

Passive houses make efficient use of the sun, internal heat sources and heat recovery. In the warmer months, passive houses use passive cooling techniques such as strategic shading to remain cool. They are extremely well insulated and have special windows to avoid temperature fluctuations.

Passive house buildings consume up to 90% less energy in heating and cooling than conventional buildings – in temperate climates, these houses do not even need heating systems! Passive houses can be found throughout the world, even here in Canada, and it is expected that they will become more and more common as more aggressive changes are introduced in building codes.