Planck Foundation




ENERGY POLITICS


ENERGY IS EFFICIENCY


Efficiency is about improving devices that they will do the same job with less energy. Efficiency is mostly about technology, but also about organization. There are two types of efficiency: the gradually improving type and the huge steps forward type. The gradually improving one we get for free: every technology improves itself on time. The huge steps forward is about total different approaches that leads to real big improvements of efficiency at once. This type of efficiency improvements demands for free spirits that are not comfortable on the by every one taken roads. We need these people more than ever, but they are (due to their -needed- characteristics) also difficult to handle (as in bad in group culture and bad in communication). Still each company and each government must cherish these type of people, as they are the once that could explore whole new roads in technology/organization. The global economy/society is technological driven. Technology invents it selves continuously over and over again. Technology is 100% equal to self improvement. Specifications are all that matters in technology. This is the reason that efficiency grows each year. Higher energy prices will boost technology in a less energy using direction. Efficiency gives equal/more prosperity by less/equal resources. We all know that increasing efficiency mostly leads to more prosperity (use), than it leads to less energy use. But increasing efficiency is certainly a huge tool in the prosperity / energy balance. And we get this for free of technology. Energy is Efficiency is a very valid statement.


Author: Gijs Graafland


Back to index page of Energy Economics | Energy Politics


Download the full Energy Economics report in PDF


Planck Foundation