Under the Watch Glass: 2023 Energy Efficiency Protocols and Procedures
While we prepare for ‘energy poverty’ in the quest for ‘Net Zero’, it seems odd that we do not take a similar stand to that which applied when we had water shortages inflicted by drought.
ELECTRICITY EFFICIENCY
The energy drought is fast approaching with the decline of coal fired Electricity Generating Works (EGW). The maintenance of the coal plants, we are told is not viable, implementation of new coal fired plants is condemned as socially inept, yet there is a fanciful concept of replacing the generating capacity with yet to be designed, approved, constructed and operated, alternate EGW. It seems inconceivable that in the imminent ‘energy drought’ there is no emphasis on the efficient use of available energy. During a water drought many programmes and campaigns are implemented to minimise the use of water – terminology like water saving strategies and devices. We did not see massive promotion of new water intensive projects, such as large scale irrigation projects, at that time.
However given the potential ‘energy drought’, we fail to see similar strategies and campaigns to conserve the available energy.
Conversely there are ever increasing numbers of ‘things’ and increasing ‘energy dependency’ through a plethora of gadgets and devices that become ‘essential’ for daily living. Importantly we are exposed to a definite and deliberate worldwide campaign to electrify the freight and passenger vehicle fleet ahead of a ‘capacity to recharge’ and ahead of an understanding of the practical and the insurance industry’s position on the new scenario of EGW/battery combinations.
Sydney night time with all the lights on.
HOW DO WE ENVISAGE LIVING WITH ENERGY POVERTY?
How will we cope with scheduled and intermittent outages?” What steps can we take?
Do we currently, leave all of our devices running on “standby,” each chewing up small amounts for a high cumulative effect? Do we make best use of the available ‘gear,’ that can help monitor for ‘selective efficiency’ of individual pieces of equipment and devices? How should we best promote and manage the use of these to support and enable the capacity of our business and what we may deem ‘an acceptable lifestyle’?
Should we retrain ourselves in food preservation techniques other than freezing?
What can we substitute for the electronic transmission and communication on which we depend if it were to become unreliable? What are the implications for financial transactions, for instance? Can business venues substitute or revert to non-electronic methods to calculate and transact purchases? Will cash revert to being the most used ‘currency’ once again? How will banks and traders cope?
Can alternatives for essentials, such as water, be implemented? How to replace household pumped water supplies? Do we revert to a tank at the back door and just fill and carry the bucket as required? What about hygiene, handwashing, laundry, the need to ‘flush’?
How can the livestock industry adjust? Do the ‘smart / virtual fence’ and the electric fence perform in recurrent energy outages? How can livestock handling, weighing and scanning be managed? What are the implications for a machinery intense, cropping, storage and transportation enterprise?
Will recharging stations fire up with diesel pumps, as they do now in more remote places?
How will high rise entities adjust? Will lifts stop in high rise buildings with the potential impact on businesses and residential dwellers? What preparations can guarantee access and avert tragedy? Individuals will capture many scenarios that will be of importance to them and their business. How they contemplate solving their issues should be addressed now, before the energy drought catches us out. For advanced preparation think about how you manage in a planned outage, then envisage how it will be if that is regular, scheduled or even unpredictable. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
