The Role Of Energy Conservation Strategies

The answer to the two oil crises, mainly in the developed countries, has clearly illustrated that energy resource conservation is one of the most efficient strategies for managing our energy troubles. The factors below serve to highlight the role of energy conservation as a significant “energy resource”, one which, in addition, poses no pollution troubles:

• The understanding of the harshly finite nature of the terrestrial fossil fuel resources.
• The requirement to preserve the atmosphere.
• The concerns regarding the long-term radiation vulnerability related with nuclear energy.
• The uncertain future associating to alternative renewable energy methodologies.

Both energy and ecological considerations point to the desirability of using energy conservation as a strategy for tackling such twin problems. It is frequently found that energy conservation efforts need the least investment in association to the accruing advantages. The efficiency of implementing and administering an unbeaten energy conservation program based on the institutional resource obtainable in the country. Though, such institutions, in turn, encounter troubles like lack of clearly articulated objectives, lack of coordination amongst government agencies, contradictory and contradictory responsibilities, and lack of administrative and technical expertise.

The trouble in implementing either energy conservation programs or developing policy alternatives for energy conservation is that the end-user is tackled by numerous considerations that overweigh the option of conserving energy.

Whereas a separate values energy savings according to the price he would have paid for the energy saved, the public policy views it as the occasion cost to the economy of consuming additional units of energy resources which are conserved. A number of barriers which may hinder the market forces from attaining an agreeable outcome are embedded in our social norms and institutional arrangements. The policy makers have to charge the strengths of each of such barriers before developing strategies to overcome them.