Energy Demand

Discussion

By understanding the factors that tend to increase energy demand, we can develop ways of restructuring our cultures and economic systems to reduce the need for energy.

By understanding the variety of problems and costs associated with energy demand, we can better appreciate the need for low-energy alternatives.

Subtopics

Air Conditioning - Growing demand for air conditioning, especially for residential use, is increasing overall electricity consumption, and putting strain on existing electricity transmission and generation infrastructure, which cannot cope with demand spikes on the hottest days of the year.

Buildings: Embodied Energy - A building's embodied energy includes the energy expended in creating it, eg to extract/produce and transport its construction material, and the energy that will be required to remove it, eg transporting and burying its materials.

Readings

Energy Demand - Australia

Australian Energy Consumption Allocated to Final Use. Year Book Australia 2003

In 1994-95, over half of Australian energy consumption allocated to final use (53%) was by households, either directly or indirectly through the consumption of products (graph 15.16). Goods and services produced for export made up a further 29%; gross capital formation was responsible for 11% (e.g. energy embodied in buildings, road, rail, and pipeline infrastructure); and the remaining 7% was attributed to government final consumption (mainly government administration and the provision of services such as education, health and community services).

Energy Demand Policy - Victoria

A Sustainable Energy Future. Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria

Reducing Energy Demand

As the Victorian economy grows, electricity consumption is projected to increase by over 15% by the year 2010. The Victorian Government is implementing a wide range of measures designed to reduce energy demand by lowering energy consumption and making energy use more efficient. Examples of these measures include:

Meeting future energy needs

The development of renewable energy is part of a strategy to maintain a range of options by which Victoria is able to meet its future energy needs.

As the Victorian economy grows, electricity consumption is projected to increase by over 15% by the year 2010. As consumption increases beyond the current capacity to supply, Victorians will need to make decisions about where their energy is to come from.

Increasing the diversity of Victoria’s energy supply through the growth of renewable energy will progressively reduce exposure to the risks inherent in relying on a narrow range of energy resources.

Whilst fossil fuels are likely to remain a cornerstone of Victoria’s energy production for many decades, increasing the proportion of energy from renewable sources is part of a balanced energy strategy.

Wind energy facilities have the potential to meet a significant proportion of Victoria’s growth in electricity consumption over the next ten years.

In addition to encouraging appropriate wind energy developments, the Victorian Government is actively supporting the development and use of other forms of renewable energy through a range of measures delivered by the Sustainable Energy Authority including:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The Victorian Greenhouse Strategy released in June 2002 outlines the Government’s commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

From 1990 to 1999 Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions grew by 15.9%. Victoria’s share of total national emissions increased from 19.7% in 1990 to 21.3% in 1999, with over half of the emissions resulting from electricity generation.

More than 95% of Victoria’s electricity comes from the combustion of brown coal in the Latrobe Valley. The abundance and availability of this fossil-fuel resource enables Victorians to enjoy low energy prices. However electricity generated from brown coal is particularly greenhouse gas intensive and when the environmental impacts are taken into consideration the real costs are much higher.

The Victorian Government is committed to working with the electricity industry to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from brown coal generation. It actively supports the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Clean

Power from Lignite, which aims to develop and commercialise new technologies to significantly improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from brown coal-fired generators.

In addition to sustainable energy initiatives, the Victorian Greenhouse Strategy contains a range of other measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These measures include:

Wind energy will help Victoria meet its future energy needs without producing the emissions which contribute to climate change. A 10 MW wind energy facility will displace approximately 40 000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum.

Library

Cool Communities - Publications

Home Greenhouse Audit Manual - Home energy audits provide a unique opportunity to engage with households on the connections between energy use and greenhouse, in a manner that responds to their individual needs. This manual contains a range of tools to to assist energy auditors and households.

Motivating Home Energy Action - Handbook written by Michelle Shipworth on designing and implementing home energy action programs that work.

New South Wales - Planning - Energy Demand Management Program

2007.7.16