Energy conservation

Dinesh Brahma

Asstt. Manager (Power & Utilities) Numaligarh Refinery Limited

Energy conservation has emerged as one of the major issues in the recent years due to the increasing gap between the ever-rising demand and the limited supply of energy. Energy requirement in our country is increasing in a very rapid rate. Conservation and efficient utilization of energy resources is the first and most important step towards narrowing down this gap. The more energy we save today, the more is left for our children tomorrow!

Energy is the main driving force of economic growth of a country. Tomorrow’s economic growth depends upon today’s efficient and effective use of energy. Hence, energy conservation and the practical application and creating awareness of energy efficient methods are very much essential for the sustenance and development of a modern economy of the country.

Now, the question that arises in our minds is, why do we need to save or conserve the energy?

Have we ever thought what would happen if we go on using the petroleum products - petrol, diesel, LPG etc continuously? What would happen if we keep on consuming the coal at a fast rate? What would happen if we keep on burning Natural Gas unnecessarily?

Have we ever pondered for a while whether the above sources of energy last forever? Will their quantities keep on building at the same rate at which they are consuming? Are we keeping balance between the rate of energy building up and its consumption?

Let’s stop for a while and think about them. All the above sources of energy are called non-renewable which means one day they will get exhausted. On one hand, human population is growing at a very rapid rate and so does the consumption of these precious non-renewable energy sources.

But on the other hand, the stock of these resources is getting lesser and lesser with each passing day. So, there is a huge gap between the ever-rising energy demand and the limited supply of energy.

So what are the solutions to this problem?

The answers lie within us. As we are the consumers, we are the solutions to these fast depleting sources of energy.

Firstly, we need to decrease the rate of consumption of these non-renewable resources. We need to use them wisely. We should not waste them. We must become energy efficient persons. We should put off the bulbs when not in use, switch-off the engine when the car is idle, put off all electrical appliances before going out of our house, use bicycle instead of bike as far as possible, etc to name a few. All these judicious use of the resources would help to last them for longer periods and we could use their benefits for a longer time. We should use energy efficient equipments like LED bulbs in place of normal bulbs, use of energy efficient motors, minimize the losses, leakages, etc.

Secondly, we must find alternatives to these fast-depleting renewable sources of energy. Nowadays people have discovered some sources of biodiesel like jatropha seeds. The ethanol processed from bamboos is blended in diesel thereby reducing the use of diesel to some extent. The use of rice husks, sugarcane bagasse, etc for producing power is also being studied. So we could discover new means of energy which are available among us.

Thirdly, we must find ways and means to use renewable sources of energy like water, solar, wind, etc as they could be found in abundance. At present people are developing various methods to use them like – solar cells and batteries, wind turbines, hydro- turbines, etc.

Fourthly, we must bring awareness among all the people regarding importance of energy savings as it is our duty to conserve energy.

Effective and efficient use of energy by minimizing all loses is very much important. Energy conservation not only saves precious fossil fuel like coal, gas, oil, etc., but also leads to reduction of emission of harmful greenhouse gasses. Thus, the energy efficiency and conservation also plays a vital role in contributing towards greener and better environment to live in. Energy is the main driving force of economic growth of a country. Tomorrow’s economic growth depends upon today’s efficient and effective use of energy. Hence, energy conservation and the practical application and creating awareness of energy efficient methods are very much essential for the sustenance and development of a modern economy of the country. Let’s join hands together and take pledge to conserve and save energy for the betterment of our next generations.

(Published on the occasion of SAKSHAM (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav), a month-long campaign is organized by PCRA (Petroleum Conservation Research Association) from January 16 to February 15, 2019 to sensitize masses about conservation and efficient use of petroleum products towards better health and environment.)