Editing Energy development (section)

== Increased energy efficiency ==

[[File:Compact-Fluorescent-Bulb.jpg|thumb|A spiral-type integrated [[compact fluorescent lamp]], which has been popular among North American consumers since its introduction in the mid-1990s<ref>{{cite web | title=Philips Tornado Asian Compact Fluorescent | publisher=Philips | access-date=2007-12-24 | url= http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Spec%20Sheets/Philips%20CFL%20Tornado.htm | url-status=live | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120804103517/http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Spec%20Sheets/Philips%20CFL%20Tornado.htm | archive-date=2012-08-04 }}</ref>]]

{{main|Efficient energy use}}

Although increasing the efficiency of energy use is not energy development per se, it may be considered under the topic of energy development since it makes existing energy sources available to do work.<ref>Richard L. Kauffman
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100624132903/http://environment.research.yale.edu/documents/downloads/0-9/03-Kauffman.pdf Obstacles to Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency]. in:  From Silos to Systems: Issues in Clean Energy and Climate Change.  A report on the work of the REIL Network, 2008-2010.  Edited by Parker L et al.  Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies 2010</ref>{{rp|22}}

Efficient energy use reduces the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, [[building insulation|insulating a home]] allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to maintain a comfortable temperature. Installing [[fluorescent lamp]]s or natural [[Skylight (window)|skylights]] reduces the amount of energy required for illumination compared to [[incandescent light bulbs]]. [[Compact fluorescent lights]] use two-thirds less energy and may last 6 to 10 times longer than incandescent lights.  Improvements in energy efficiency are most often achieved by adopting an efficient technology or production process.<ref>[[Mark Diesendorf|Diesendorf, Mark]] (2007). ''[[Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy]]'', UNSW Press, p. 86.</ref>

Reducing energy use may save consumers money,  if the energy savings offsets the cost of an energy efficient technology.  Reducing energy use reduces emissions.  According to the [[International Energy Agency]], improved energy efficiency in [[Energy efficient buildings|buildings]], industrial processes and [[Sustainable transportation|transportation]] could reduce the global energy demand in 2050 to around 8% smaller than today, but serving an economy more than twice as big and a population of about  2  billion more people.<ref>IEA (2021), Net Zero by 2050, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050, License: CC BY 4.0</ref>

Energy efficiency and [[renewable energy]] are said to be the ''twin pillars'' of sustainable energy policy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aceee.org/store/proddetail.cfm?CFID=2957330&CFTOKEN=50269931&ItemID=432&CategoryID=7 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090429195906/http://www.aceee.org/store/proddetail.cfm?CFID=785209&CFTOKEN=22090724&ItemID=432&CategoryID=7 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-04-29 |title=The Twin Pillars of Sustainable Energy: Synergies between Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technology and Policy |publisher=Aceee.org |access-date=2010-07-16 }}</ref> In many countries energy efficiency is also seen to have a national security benefit because it can be used to reduce the level of energy imports from foreign countries and may slow down the rate at which domestic energy resources are depleted.

It's been discovered "that for OECD countries, wind, geothermal, hydro and nuclear have the lowest hazard rates among energy sources in production".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ross|first=Cullen|date=26 August 2016|title=Evaluating renewable energy policies|journal=The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics|volume=61 |issue=1|pages=1–18|doi=10.1111/1467-8489.12175|s2cid=157313814|url=http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/301128/files/ajar12175.pdf|hdl=10.1111/1467-8489.12175|hdl-access=free}}</ref>