Energy Management Definition
Energy management is the process of conservation and controlling the use of energy resources in an organization, both in the private and public sector. There is a global need to conserve energy; and this global need affects prices of energy curbing emissions and registrations. Recycling of materials is considered as an energy efficient method because when used products are recycled to produce new products less energy is used. This is proven by the fact that the energy used in actual extraction of raw materials from the source is avoided. Energy, for example petroleum, used to transport raw materials from its sources is also avoided.
Embodied energy is the accounting of all the energy required to manufacture a product. This energy includes the energy in extraction of raw materials, transportation of raw materials to the factory and the conversion of raw materials to the finished products. From this understanding we can conclude that through recycling, the embodied energy can be minimized by avoiding the extraction and the transportation energies used. The cost of space needed to get lid of waste materials is getting high due to competition of space in the world, this cost can be avoided through recycling. Energy also needed to transport these waste materials to dumping sites can be avoided through recycling, thus the availability of recyclables for manufacturing can save a lot of energy in the world today.
Greenhouses Gas Emission
Greenhouses gas emission is one of the issues that are currently causing a lot of concern as far as energy management and environmental management factors are concerned. According to Roy (1), 20 countries (one of which is the European Union) contribute more than 80% of the total greenhouse gases in the world. Research has however found that the rate of population growth and economic growth increase in per capita income respond opposite to the rate of greenhouse gas emission. Poor countries which have very low gross national incomes and very low per capita income and which have the highest birth rate has registered very low greenhouse gases emission. On the other hand, the developed countries and which have managed to curb their population growth (e.g. china, India and host of other European countries with impressive economic growth trends) are the largest green house gas emitter. For instance, the greenhouse emission of greenhouses gases per capita of GDP in china is four times that of the United States of America. As a result the low rates of population growth coupled with accelerated rate of economic growth in china and other Asian countries contributes to increases in greenhouse gases. The low economic growth and high population growth are virtually responsible for the high green houses gas emission in these countries dues to increased activities such as manufacturing and farming process (Roy 1).
Current Trends
The warming trend worldwide is described as ‘releasing the stored energy of a billion summers’ because the trend is alarming and many countries are increasingly releasing more gases to the atmosphere which will have adverse effects to the environment now and in future. The current green house effect is different from that of recent past because there has been increased industrialization presently which has resulted to increase in gas emissions to the atmosphere. Secondly there has been wanton destruction of Forrest cover leaving vast tracts of land vacant, a thing that has led to accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis helps in reduction of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hence reducing the green house effect. This process has been slow due to reduced forest cover in the recent times leading to accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Deforestation represents a major factor in climate change because when there is reduced forest cover the carbon intake during the process of photosynthesis is reduced leading to accumulation of gases in the atmosphere these gases results to global warming. Cutting of trees also contributes to changes in the weather patterns and also reduced rainfall.
Future Perspective
Due to warming effects there will be reduced rains in the world leading to reduced harvest. This will also result to change rain fall patterns hence unstable food supply. Warming effect will also result into adverse weather changes which lead into high atmospheric temperatures causing crop failure. Other effects include floods which also results to crop destruction. People who are likely to be affected most are the developing economies such as Africa and Asia. This is because these countries rely mostly on agriculture.
Vulnerabilities
The first reason why south Asia is particularly vulnerable to global climate change is its location on the globe where it has several islands which due to the balancing of oceanic plates and earth crust caused by melting of ice in the mountains are prone to flooding. There is also the presence of the boundaries of the tectonic plate which results to imbalance in the earth crust resulting from seismic waves, this effects makes the place vulnerable to earth quakes and be sensitive to climatic changes. The developing nations may have little to save themselves as the biggest responsibility lies with the developed countries like America, china and Japan. This is because these countries are the biggest contributors to global warming. The developed countries have many industries which release large amounts of gases in the atmosphere.
Lessons to be Learned
There are many lessons to be learned from energy management. One; we learn that there is a need to save as much energy as possible as the world is heading towards an energy crisis if urgent measures are not taken. Two; good energy management saves our environment from pollution. Three; existence of our future generations depends on how well we manage our energy today.
Some of the challenges facing energy managers today are:-, the cost of managing energy is very high making it unaffordable to many organizations, the existing policies such as inadequate compensation and also inadequate know-how on energy management. The world leaders should be on the forefront in advocating for the value of energy efficiency. Research should also be enhanced on the value of energy efficiency. In order for the future generations to be sensitive to energy saving, schools should incorporate it in the curriculum.
Renewables
There has been increased use of renewable energy (i.e. wind power, ethanol and biomass) in energy production. This has resulted in increased energy demand and lowering of water levels in rivers hence low production of electric energy. A difference in regard to these efforts is that when the developing countries are increasing the use of the above mentioned energy the developed countries are developing the use of nuclear energy.
Energy Efficiency
Larger systems are more energy efficient this is because of the economies of scale that accrue due to large scale production. There is reduction in the operation cost per unit of energy produced; there is also reduction in running cost per unit. Planning logistics for a larger system is less costly as compared to many small systems spread in different areas.
Energy systems need not to be very large in order to work because when we look at the wind energy, small systems have been developed (wind mill) which function and are efficient to operate. These small systems are good and can be set in remote areas which need energy in small amounts.
Works Cited
Roy, D’Silva. “Causes of the Greenhouse Effect”. 2007. Web.