eniscuola.net - Sustainability

Energy

Introduction

Energy

What is the energy consumption of a European citizen? On average, more than half the energy that a European citizen consumes is for heating the environment he lives in, another third is to make his cars run, and a quarter of his final consumption consists of electricity. And therefore lowering the thermostat from 21 to 19 degrees centigrade can decrease consumption for heating purposes up to 20%, and a particularly virtuous use of the car can make us save up to 35% of the fuel. We can save energy through an infinite series of daily gestures that are interconnected with the protection of our environmental resources such as water, air, fossil fuels and by recycling materials. However we can do more. Our small daily gestures can contribute to saving energy and consist in some behaviours with regard to the use of “domestic energy”, in other words the sum of energy that is utilized for heating and electricity. Just think, domestic energy absorbs over 18% of the national energy demand, and is responsible for approximately 27% of the polluting emissions. We can take action to save up to 50% of the domestic energy we utilize!