Can energy efficiency bounce back?

[Mark Siddall]

An interesting article in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/science/08tier.html?_r=2&hp

Thoughts welcome.

[Anonymous]

The Jevons paradox is an interesting point at which to consider the question of of can energy efficiency bounce back. For hundreds if not thousands of years humanity has sought ways of ensuring its survival by improving the efficiency with which it meets its day to day needs without much thought for what impact that has on the environment. There are noteable exceptions i.e. native americans and other indigenous peoples who reached interesting levels of balance between their needs and the needs of the environment by incorporating the worship of nature into their cultural heritage. We by comparison fight tooth and nail to place our needs above all else. The current move towards balance and energy efficiency is, I believe, a natural reaction to our overuse of the worlds resources and will either lead to us finding that balance or possibly facing extinction. The choice is all of ours to make
John Sheppard

[SimmondsMills]

in our house we employed extensive efficiency measures. It has resulted in living in the heating season at a higher temperature (21 degrees compared to national 'typical' of 17.8 degrees) for 80% less gas than a 'normal' house. See other posts and http://www.simmondsmills.com for all the detail. Note: this is at 'not quite Passivhaus but better than EnerPHit' level refurb.

The 'Green Deal' level of investment might allow residents to live at (affordably) warmer temperatures, but I can't see how it will make any emissions savings OR fuel bill savings (given the inevitable increase in temperature). Moral of the story – if you dont invest enough – you meet Jevons, if you invest in efficiency at a certain level, you don't.

I don't want to be able to say to DECC – I told you it wouldn't work – but I fear I may have that opportunity at the moment…..

An aside: Demand reduction potentially most benefits the citizen – without co-operative owned energy supply, how can increasing low energy supply do this? Another thread perhaps – '''energy and democracy'

[Nick Grant]

Absolutely agree that you have to tunnel through the Jevon's paradox, to steal Lovin's cost benefit tunnel reference… Could probably do a graph.

[Author]

Posts