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An oil is a substance that is in a viscous liquid state ("oily") at ambient

temperatures (room temperature) or slightly warmer, and is
both hydrophobic(immiscible with water) and lipophilic (miscible with other
oils, literally).

This general definition includes compound classes with unrelated chemical

structures, properties, and uses, including vegetable oils, petrochemical oils,
and volatile essential oils. Oil is a non polar substance.

The term oil is often used colloquially to refer to petroleum.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Types of oils
o 1.1 Mineral oil
o 1.2 Organic oil
• 2 Applications
o 2.1 Food oils
o 2.2 Fuel
o 2.3 Heat transport
o 2.4 Lubrication
o 2.5 Painting
o 2.6 Petrochemicals
• 3 Other Usages
o 3.1 Religion
• 4 See also

• 5 References
Types of oils

1. Mineral oil

All oils, with their high carbon and hydrogen content, can be traced back to
organic sources. Mineral oil or liquid petroleum is a by-product in
the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum based products
from crude oil. It is transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes (typically
15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffins, related to petroleum jelly (also known as
"white petrolatum").

2. Organic oil

Oils are also produced by plants, animals and other organisms

through organic processes, and these oils are remarkable in their diversity.
Applications
1. Food oils

Many edible vegetable and animal oils, and also fats, are used for various
purposes like in cooking and food preparation. In particular, many foods are
fried in oil much hotter than boiling water. Oils are also used for flavoring and
for modifying the texture of foods.

Health advantages are claimed for a number of specific oils such as omega
3 oils evening primrose oil and olive oil.
2. Fuel

Almost all oils burn in air generating heat, which can be used directly, or
converted into other forms of fuels by various means. For example, heating
water into steam which is funneled into a turbine which turns a generator,
which then produces electricity. Oils are used as fuels for heating, lighting
(e.g. kerosene lamp), powering combustion engines, and other purposes. Oils
used for this purpose nowadays are usually derived from petroleum (fuel
oil, diesel oil, gasoline (petrol), etc), though biological oils such
as biodiesel are gaining market share.
3. Heat transport

Many oils have higher boiling points than water and are electrical insulators,
making them useful for liquid cooling systems, especially where electricity is
used.
4. Lubrication
Due to their non-polarity, oils do not easily adhere to other substances. This
makes oils useful as lubricants for various engineering purposes. Mineral oils
are more suitable than biological oils, which degrade rapidly in most
environmental conditions.
5. Painting

Color pigments can be easily suspended in oil, making it suitable as

supporting medium for paints. The slow drying process and miscibility of oil
facilitates a realistic style. This method has been used since the 15th century.
6. Petrochemicals

Crude oil can be processed into petroleum, plastics, and other substances.

8.Religion

Oils have been used throughout history as a fragrant or religious medium. Oil
is often seen as a spiritually purifying agent. It is used in religious
ceremonies, such as the chrism used in baptism, and has traditionally been
used to rub kings and queens. Oil that is associated with one or more saints is
known as "oil of saints" and believed by some to have beneficial properties.

Petroleum, Oil, Energy Conservation

In the energy sources that we use every day all forms of energy
are stored in different ways. These sources are divided into two
groups renewable like solar energy, wind energy, biomass etc. And
nonrenewable. We get most of our energy from nonrenewable
energy sources, which include the fossil fuels -- oil, natural gas,
and coal.

Oil and gas conservation means their better and more efficient use
with regard to economic, social or environmental costs and benefits, resulting in attainment of
higher energy use efficiencies, minimization of wasteful practices and wastage and protection of
the environment.

Conservation of petroleum, oil and energy are concern of many industries today. A large number of
petroleum, oil and energy conservation equipment is available in the market for a wide variety of
applications suiting different industrial purposes. They come in various different price ranges suiting
individual's pocket. Their main function is to conserve precious energy like petroleum and oil.
These petroleum, oil and energy conservation products are also available in different sizes,
shapes, features, provide a wide variety of functions and are used in many industrial sectors. Some
of these products are prove to be cost effective and also helps in preserving valuable energy.

Petroleum is used mostly, by volume, for producing fuel oil and gasoline (petrol), both important
primary energy sources. 84% of the hydrocarbons present in petroleum are converted into energy-
rich petroleum-based fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet, heating, and other fuel oils, and liquefied
petroleum gas.

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid found in formations in the earth consisting of a
complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various lengths. Crude oil is used mostly for producing fuel oil
and petrol, both important primary energy sources. Synthetic oil could be made to be a substitute
for crude oil or specially made to be a substitute for a lubricant oil such as conventional or mineral
motor oil refined from petroleum.

Synthetic oil is not refined from crude oil, but constructed from pure chemicals selected for their
ability to lubricate. Synthetic oil is oil consisting of chemical compounds which were not originally
present in crude oil but were artificially made from other compounds. When synthetic oil is made as
a substitute for lubricant refined from crude oil, it is generally to provide superior mechanical and
chemical properties than those found in traditional mineral oils.

With no paraffin to congeal at low temperatures, synthetic motor oil maintain better low temperature
fluidity than petroleum crude oil do, which protects equipment operating in cold environments -
even the relative cold of a just started engine. The technical advantages of synthetic motor oils
include - better chemical & shear stability, decreased evaporative loss, resistance to oxidation,
thermal breakdown and oil sludge problems, extended drain intervals with the environmental
benefit of less waste oil created. Synthetic oil also have some disadvantages like it is three times
expensive than crude oil, potential decomposition problems in certain chemical environments.

Energy Conservation
Energy is the resources that we are using something that will never run out? The answer to this is no. We are
using mainly nonrenewable resources for our energy, and this means that given time they will run out. I
would like to talk about energy conservation and what it can do for everyone. I think it is also important to
talk about the effects that these nonrenewable resources have on the environment; and why that fact makes
it that much more important that we change to cleaner renewable resources.

Problem Description
What is energy conservation anyways? Energy conservation is the practice of decreasing the quantity of
energy used. It can be achieved by using what energy we have efficiently. The reason that is such a big topic
these days is because of the problems at hand with the way we are dealing with energy. The energy we waste
every day is one of the biggest factors to air pollution there is. Fourteen percent of the air pollution that is
caused each year is just from the electricity from our homes alone. That is twice as much as transportation.
Now on the other hand sixty percent of the air pollution caused each year in America is caused from the
goods and services that we buy. This comes from the production and the delivery of these goods. This is only
one of the problems though; the other is the fact that we are using nonrenewable resources, such as the
burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas and gasoline. With these nonrenewable resources given some
time they will run out and in the mean time while we continue to use them we continue poison our planet
with pollution. The poisons that I am talking about are thing such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides,
volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, lead and mercury. Every single one of these
poisons are something that we willing put into our atmosphere every day and by doing this we are leaving
our self’s open to health issues.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Energy efficiency and conservation are necessary, because energy consumption is a major
cause of environmental degradation. All types of energy use result in environmental
costs, it’s just a matter of degree. And most modern American activities seem to involve
energy consumption. Our transportation, food production, manufacturing, governments,
recreation and household management all consume energy.

At the same time, our major energy supplies

(oil, coal, and gas) are finite. They are not
renewable, yet we burn through these fuels
as if there were no tomorrow. The energy
supplies which are renewable (solar, wind,
thermal) are not being used as widely or
thoughtfully as they should be.

Given these facts, we need to reduce our

energy consumption and environmental
damage to the extent we can, and come into
balance with natural energy recovery and
production processes. We need to develop
truly sustainable energy consumption
practices, or our children and grandchildren
will suffer.

Environmental Costs of Energy

Consumption
Climate Change --- Most scientists now agree that human energy consumption from
burning organic sources (oil, coal, gas, biomass) and other human activities have changed
the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere, which in turn will influence the
behavior of global climate patterns. Overall, the atmosphere and the world’s oceans are
warming, leading to major changes in air circulation and ocean currents. Some countries
may experience warming, while others may see cooling. Drought may descend on wet
areas, while dry regions become unnaturally wet. Storm patterns may change drastically
in some areas, resulting in catastrophic hurricanes, monsoons, tornados, floods and
blizzards. As the ocean warms, the water expands and raises sea levels, which will
submerge low-lying coastal areas and islands, affecting millions of people. Scientists
don’t agree on how quickly the atmosphere is warming or on all the consequences, but it
is safe to say that we’re in the midst of a dangerous and costly experiment in weather
modification.

Air Pollution --- Most forms of energy generation produce large amounts of air
pollution as a byproduct (except solar and wind). The burning of fossil fuels and
biomass will result in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfuric acid,
hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s, such as benzo-
a-pyrene), ozone and radioactive emissions. These emissions are a direct threat to public
health.

Land Destruction and Habitat Loss --- The extraction of oil, coal and natural gas
are extremely destructive to natural environments. Coal mining and transportation has
destroyed millions of acres of natural forests, meadows and farmland across the world
and runoff from coal mining has contaminated many lakes and streams. Oil extraction,
refining and transportation has been similarly damaging, with toxic contamination and
degradation at the extraction point, and multitudes of small and large oil spills in oceans
around the world. Oil refineries are notorious for their toxic air and water impacts.
Even natural gas, which is considered a “clean” fuel, requires destructive extraction and
pipeline practices. Electrical and transmission lines can also impact large areas of land.

Toxic Contamination --- In addition to the toxic pollutants listed under air pollution,
many toxic trace contaminants are released from fuel burning, including serious
contaminants such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and chlorinated organics such as dioxin.

Water Pollution --- Fuel burning also results in fallout from the air of toxic
contaminants that gradually build up in the sediments of wildlife of our rivers, lakes and
streams. Acid rain is still an active concern in many areas, poisoning our waterways,
damaging property and reducing the productivity of our forests and croplands.

Radioactive Waste --- Despite claims by its proponents, nuclear energy is far from
“clean,” in that uranium mining has despoiled many large tracts of land with direct
radioactive contamination and wind erosion of radioactive dusts. After decades of
investigation, the nuclear industry has also failed to find a safe means of disposing of
radioactive wastes which are accumulating too rapidly and will remain dangerous for
thousands of years. The potential for nuclear accidents or sabotage is also a concern.

Wildlife Impacts --- All of the factors above contribute to the loss of wildlife habitat
and to poisoning of wildlife. Many species are being decimated to the point of
extinction, with climate change likely to push many over the edge. They don’t have time
to adapt.

Aesthetic Damage --- All this damage reduces our quality of life, diminishing the
beauty of many areas where we live.
21 Ways You Can Save Energy

If we reduce energy consumption, we can avoid construction of new power plants and
other negative energy impacts. The savings below are expressed primarily as reduced
Carbon dioxide emissions (a prime cause of Climate Change), but many other
environmental damages will also be equally reduced. Carbon dioxide savings are
averages, but your savings may be even higher. Keep in mind that as you save energy,
you also save money!

1. Efficient Transportation --- Transportation is a leading energy consumer. In the

U.S., vehicles use more gasoline each year than the entire U.S. oil industry produces. Try
to live near your work or school, and use public transportation, carpool, walk, or bike
when you can. Replace your SUV with one of the new hybrid gas and electric cars and
you could save as much as $11,000 on gas and produce 107 fewer tons of carbon
dioxide. The new efficient hybrids are reliable and drive (and refuel) just like a standard
car, with no need to recharge batteries. (see Improving Our Transportation Systems for
more energy savings.)

2. Better Appliances --- Purchase energy efficient

household appliances. This can make an enormous
difference. For example: if you replace your 1972
refrigerator with a 2001 model, you may cut your carbon
dioxide emissions by 1,100 lbs. a year and save $80 a
year on your energy bill. (Install the dishwasher away
from your refrigerator: the dishwasher's heat and
moisture make the fridge work harder.) Replace your
top-loading washing machine with a front-loader, and
you may save $100 a year in energy, water and
detergent. A new Energy Star refrigerator uses about
20% less energy than a standard new refrigerator and
46% less than one made before 1980. A new Energy Star
washing machine uses nearly 50% less energy than a
standard washer.” (For details, visit: Energy
Starhttp://www.energystar.gov)
Refrigerators are Energy Hogs

3. Cold Water Wash and Line Dry --- Washing

clothes in cold water reduces your washer's energy use
by 75% and saves almost 500 lbs. of CO2 per year.
Drying clothes outside in the fresh air and sunlight not
only lengthens the life of your clothes but also saves
energy and 1,386 lbs. of CO2 emissions. When you
need to use the clothes dryer, run full loads and use the
moisture-sensing setting. Clean the lint trap after each
use and clear the outdoor dryer vent frequently to
eliminate blockage and reduce resistance.

The same techniques apply to dish washing: Always do full loads when using your
dishwasher and washing machine. Conserve energy by turning off the dry cycle on your
dishwasher and air-dry the dishes instead.

4. Refrigeration Tips --- Maintain your refrigerator and freezer at the right
temperature. If they're only 10 degrees F colder than necessary, your energy consumption
will jump 25 percent. The refrigerator should be between 38 and 42 degrees F and the
freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F. Make sure the door is sealed tightly. Check the gasket
(rubber seal) for cracks and dried-on food. Choose a refrigerator with a freezer on top
rather than a side-by-side unit. On average, the savings amount to 20 percent.

5. Air Conditioning --- In our part of the country, air conditioning is seldom necessary
in a well-insulated home. If you increase your air conditioning thermostat by only 3°F
you can save an average of 470 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. You can save up to 3% of
energy consumed for each degree the thermostat is set above 72 degrees. Ceiling or room
fans can also be used to cool rooms significantly while using less energy than air
conditioning. An attic "whole house" fan is an effective way of cooling your home
without using the air conditioner. It forces hot air out of your home and draws cooler air
in through attic vents.

6. Unplug Unnecessary Appliances --- Unplug the extra refrigerator in your

basement or garage, and save 448 lbs of carbon dioxide per year. Unplug appliances like
microwaves, stereos, VCRs and printers that do not have to be on all the time, but use
energy when plugged in. Simply unplugging these appliances can save a lot of energy. If
possible, unplug electronic devices and chargers that have a block-shaped transformer on
the plug when they are not in use.

7. Lighting --- For every 75-watt incandescent light bulb which you replace with a 20-
watt compact fluorescent, you’ll get the same amount of light but save 1,300 lbs. of CO2
and $55. (Compact fluorescents screw into regular sockets.) Fluorescents save 75% of
the energy, yet they last much longer. Turn off unneeded lights, and save 376 lbs of
carbon dioxide per year. Also, keep bulbs dust-free. Dust on a light bulb or dirt on a
glass fixture can reduce the light it emits by 10 percent and make it seem that you need a
higher-wattage light. When building a new home, include natural lighting features
(skylights, suntubes, larger south-facing windows, etc.) to reduce the need for artificial
lights. Adjust your schedule when possible to be active in daylight and sleep during the
dark.

8. Home Heating ---Lower your thermostat in winter by 2° F and save 353 lbs. of
carbon dioxide per year. Change furnace filters often because dirty filters restrict airflow
and waste energy. Keep your furnace clean and properly adjusted. Switch from an oil or
electric heating system to natural gas, which is more efficient. Replace simple dial-type
thermostats with smart programmable thermostats. These units allow you to set the
heating and cooling system to take a break while you're asleep or out, then come on at
preset times to keep you comfortable when you wake up or come home. In an average
house this can reduce emissions by 1,000 pounds per year—not to mention producing
significant savings on your energy bill, with a quick payback of the $50–100 cost. Dress
warmly to stay comfortable without turning up the heat. Lower the thermostat to 55
degrees or off at night or when leaving the house/office for an extended period of time.
For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up
to 5% on heating costs.

9. Oven Smarts --- Minimize the number of times you open an oven door during
cooking. Each time, you lose 25 to 50 degrees or more. Do not preheat longer than
necessary. Ten minutes should be sufficient. Preheating is not necessary when broiling.

10. Reduce Your Home Size --- If you’re about to build or buy a new home, aim for
something smaller. Many new homes are much larger per person than in the past, which
increases home energy consumption dramatically for construction, heating,
dehumidifying and cooling. The median size of a newly built U.S. home in 1970 was
1,500 square feet. By 2000, it had increased to 2,300 square feet, even though the
median family's income hasn't changed much and family sizes are smaller now.

11. Seal Air Leaks --- One of the least expensive and most effective ways to reduce
energy consumption in the home is to seal air leaks. A simple effort to weatherize your
home—especially to seal any large air gaps in the attic and basement—can reduce a
typical home's greenhouse gas emissions by 1,300 pounds per year. Keep your fireplace
damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent heated air from escaping through the
chimney. Avoid using kitchen, bathroom and other ventilating fans in excess, as these
can eject a significant amount of heated or cooled air in a very short period of time.

12. Add Insulation --- Adding attic insulation is also highly effective and can save an
additional 1,300 pounds of CO2. Adding wall, attic, and basement insulation costs more
per unit of energy saved, but can trim a home's CO2 emissions by 2,000 pounds per
year. Pool blankets -- insulating sheets that float on the surface -- cut the energy
consumption of pool heaters up to 70 percent.

13. Window Efficiency --- Adding air-gap window films or low-e films to existing
windows, while not always cost-effective, can reduce your home's emissions by 1,000
pounds per year. When possible, replace old windows with new high performance,
energy efficient (double-paned) windows or install storm windows. Curtains and shades
can also help prevent hot or cold air from escaping.

14. Smart Landscaping --- Shading your east and west windows with overhangs or
trellises or by planting shade trees are also effective ways to reduce unwanted heat gain
on hot, sunny days. They also act as windbreaks in winter. Also, Plant trees or shrubs to
shade air-conditioning units (but not to block the airflow.) A unit operating in the shade
uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
15. Duct Work --- Sealing and insulating heating and cooling ducts is a more
expensive job, but saves more energy and therefore can reduce your emissions by an
average of 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Upgrading your heating or cooling
equipment with new technology and making sure these units are regularly tuned
(typically every year) will also reduce emissions by several hundred pounds.

16. Hot Water Efficiency --- Turn down your water heater to 120°F (from the usual
145°F), and you may save 163 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. Reduce hot water
consumption by installing efficient showerheads, faucets and other fixtures (see Water
Conservation Tips). You can insulate the water heater with an insulating blanket. This is
especially valuable for older water heaters with little internal insulation. (Be sure to leave
the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater.) When buying a new
water heater, look for the most efficient and properly sized type with the lowest life-cycle
cost. Better yet, install a solar hot water heater.

17. Save Energy at Work --- Turn off office equipment when not in use. Reduce
energy consumption and equipment wear by setting computers, monitors, and copiers to
sleep-mode. Better yet, turn them all the way off if you are not going to use them for an
extended period of time, particularly when you go home at the end of the workday. To
keep it simple, just plug your computer, scanner and printer into one power strip that can
be switched off after shutting down your computer. Do the same with the microwave in
the office lunchroom, and other office appliances which are always on otherwise. Over
your lunch break, turn off your computer monitor. This will save energy without losing
your work or having to reboot. Encourage your co-workers to do the same.

18. Limit Your “Stuff” Consumption --- Virtually every physical object you buy
in a store requires energy for its production and/or operation. This includes clothing,
accessories, household furnishings, office supplies, appliances, sporting goods, decorative
objects, and toys - which all consume energy. We could easily have happy, fulfilled lives
while reducing this consumption, and save tremendous energy (and money) in the
process. Unclutter your life and live more simply. When you do buy, try to purchase
locally made goods and avoid energy costs due to long-distance transportation.

19. Eat a Vegetarian Diet --- The production of meat, dairy, and eggs is energy
intensive. We can all reduce our food energy consumption by eating plant proteins
directly, converting at least some of our daily meals to vegetarian dishes. This will also
be healthier for you and your family, save money, reduce water consumption, reduce
water pollution, reduce landuse impacts of livestock production, and reduce the potential
for animal cruelty. For more information, visit:

The Vegetarian Resource Group

http://www.vrg.org/

Vegetarian Times
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
 In a Vegetarian Kitchen
http://www.vegkitchen.com/
20. Limit Your Family Size --- Each person requires energy to live. Our human
population is rapidly rising to levels which make it difficult to provide adequate energy
while sustaining a healthy environment. If each couple limited themselves to no more
than 2 children, our world’s population could stabilize and support everyone without
conflict or suffering.

21. Get Involved and Talk to Your Legislators --- Many of our current
governmental regulations are not helpful for conserving energy, and some policies
actually reward large energy users with lower bulk rates. Citizens need to contact their
legislators and ask for better policies.
Why is it important to conserve energy?

All of us use energy every day – for

entertainment, cooking, transportation, lighting,

heating and cooling homes, manufacturing, etc.

We consume a lot of energy. The United States

consumes about one fourth of the world’s energy resources.

When energy is produced from non-renewable fuels, to heat our

homes or power our cars for example, pollutants are released into

the air contaminating the air we breathe and water too. The more

energy we use or miles we drive in our cars, the more energy power

plants must produce or gasoline our cars burn, releasing more

pollutants into the air.

By conserving energy we can lower the amount of pollutants we

release into the air and water and thereby help to keep our

environment clean. Additionally, if we use less energy we can save

money on our electric bill or reduce the amount of money we spend

on gasoline. So you can help the environment and save money at

the same time!

Additionally, we can use energy sources that are clean and efficient.
As someone that has to pay bills each month, you already know the importance of
energy conservation. There is no way for you to have not noticed that your bills have
been increasing. It has happened and is one thing that you just should consider
doing. But, energy conservation is not always something that is on our minds. If you
find yourself only thinking about it when the bills for the month arrive, then you may
be missing the boat.

Why You Need To Know

Energy conservation is helpful in a number of ways to each of us. The most profound
way that affects us directly is the cost. If you just turn off a few lights, you may not
notice it. But, if you do several things to keep yourself in line with your energy goals,
you may find yourself able to really save money here. Energy costs continue to rise
and even if they slow down in that rise, they are not likely to come down. If you
want to cut your bill down, then, you must use less energy.

Yet, there are other reasons for conserving energy as well. Consider, for example,
the fact that one of the most vital fuels that we all rely on is that of oil. Some
scientists believe that we will run out of oil within the next 60 years. Can you image
the cost of your bills then? Still, consider the fact that many of these energy needs
also produce toxins in the air. That makes them not only running out but also
destroying the environment while they do it.

As you can see, there are many reasons why you, as a citizen of Earth should
consider energy conservation in your daily life. Even if you just cut back slightly here
and there, you will notice a difference in your bill but not necessary in your overall
lifestyle. There are many benefits to taking care of the energy we use. It is a good
thing for all of us to take into consideration as well. The end result is a result that
satisfies everyone’s needs.

20 THINGS YOU CAN DO

TO CONSERVE ENERGY

Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for
such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means
lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and
other pollutants.

You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient
alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a
real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale.

The average American produces about 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we
use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute, night and day, every day of the year. By
exercising even a few of the following steps, you can cut your annual emissions by thousands of
pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount!
Home appliances

1. Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household
electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37
degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible. Make sure that its energy
saver switch is turned on. Also, check the gaskets around your refrigerator/freezer doors
to make sure they are clean and sealed tightly.

2. Set your clothes washer to the warm or cold water setting, not hot. Switching from hot to
warm for two loads per week can save nearly 500 pounds of CO2 per year if you have an
electric water heater, or 150 pounds for a gas heater.

3. Make sure your dishwasher is full when you run it and use the energy saving setting, if
available, to allow the dishes to air dry. You can also turn off the drying cycle manually.
Not using heat in the drying cycle can save 20 percent of your dishwasher's total
electricity use.

4. Turn down your water heater thermostat. Thermostats are often set to 140 degrees F
when 120 is usually fine. Each 10 degree reduction saves 600 pounds of CO2 per year
for an electric water heater, or 440 pounds for a gas heater. If every household turned its
water heater thermostat down 20 degrees, we could prevent more than 45 million tons of
annual CO2 emissions - the same amount emitted by the entire nations of Kuwait or
Libya.

5. Select the most energy-efficient models when you replace your old appliances. Look for
the Energy Star Label - your assurance that the product saves energy and prevents
pollution. Buy the product that is sized to your typical needs - not the biggest one
available. Front loading washing machines will usually cut hot water use by 60 to 70%
compared to typical machines. Replacing a typical 1973 refrigerator with a new energy-
efficient model, saves 1.4 tons of CO2 per year. Investing in a solar water heater can
save 4.9 tons of CO2 annually.

Home Heating and Cooling

6. Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the winter, set your thermostat at 68
degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your
thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2
emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.

7. Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Energy is lost when air conditioners and
hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air
conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of
CO2 per year.

Small investments that pay off

8. Buy energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs for your most-used lights. Although
they cost more initially, they save money in the long run by using only 1/4 the energy of
an ordinary incandescent bulb and lasting 8-12 times longer. They provide an equivalent
amount of bright, attractive light. Only 10% of the energy consumed by a normal light
 bulb generates light. The rest just makes the bulb hot. If every American household
replaced one of its standard light bulbs with an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb,
we would save the same amount of energy as a large nuclear power plant produces in
one year. In a typical home, one compact fluorescent bulb can save 260 pounds of CO2
per year.

9. Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket, which costs just $10 to $20. It can save
1100 lbs. of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 220 pounds for a gas heater.

10. Use less hot water by installing low-flow shower heads. They cost just $10 to $20 each,
deliver an invigorating shower, and save 300 pounds of CO2 per year for electrically
heated water, or 80 pounds for gas-heated water.

11. Weatherize your home or apartment, using caulk and weather stripping to plug air leaks
around doors and windows. Caulking costs less than $1 per window, and weather
stripping is under $10 per door. These steps can save up to 1100 pounds of CO2 per
year for a typical home. Ask your utility company for a home energy audit to find out
where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. This service may be provided
free or at low cost. Make sure it includes a check of your furnace and air conditioning.

Getting around

12. Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. Every gallon of gasoline
you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for
example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save
1800 pounds of CO2.

13. When you next buy a car, choose one that gets good mileage. If your new car gets 40
miles per gallon instead of 25, and you drive 10,000 miles per year, you'll reduce your
annual CO2 emissions by 3,300 pounds.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

14. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods,
choosing reusable products over disposable ones, and recycling. For every pound of
waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least
1 pound. Cutting down your garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at
least 1100 pounds of CO2 per year. Making products with recycled materials, instead of
from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for
glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.
 15. If your car has an air conditioner, make sure its coolant is recovered and recycled
whenever you have it serviced. In the United States, leakage from auto air conditioners is
the largest single source of emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which damage the
ozone layer as well as add to global warming. The CFCs from one auto air conditioner
can add the equivalent of 4800 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.

Home Improvements.

When you plan major home improvements, consider some of these energy saving
investments. They save money in the long run, and their CO2 savings can often be
measured in tons per year.

16. Insulate your walls and ceilings. This can save 20 to 30 percent of home heating bills
and reduce CO2 emissions by 140 to 2100 pounds per year. If you live in a colder
climate, consider superinsulating. That can save 5.5 tons of CO2 per year for gas-heated
homes, 8.8 tons per year for oil heat, or 23 tons per year for electric heat. (If you have
electric heat, you might also consider switching to more efficient gas or oil.)

17. Modernize your windows. Replacing all your ordinary windows with argon filled, double-
glazed windows saves 2.4 tons of CO2 per year for homes with gas heat, 3.9 tons of oil
heat, and 9.8 tons for electric heat.

18. Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a
dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade
trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emissions per year. (Each
tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.)

Business and community

19. Work with your employer to implement these and other energy-efficiency and waste-
reduction measures in your office or workplace. Form or join local citizens' groups and
work with local government officials to see that these measures are taken in schools and
public buildings.

20. Keep track of the environmental voting records of candidates for office. Stay abreast of
environmental issues on both local and national levels, and write or call your elected
officials to express your concerns about energy efficiency and global warming.

Ways to Conserve Energy

If you want to know about some easy ways of conserving energy, read this article.
Energy crisis is one of the biggest crises that the world is going to face in the near future. We
have come to a juncture where we cannot stop it from happening, given the kind of demand that
we have and also the absence of a suitable substitute, but we can certainly defer the arrival of
this imminent occurrence. So here we would discuss about some of the ways of conserving
energy. Before giving you the ways of conserving energy let me tell what we are trying to
conserve. We would try to conserve anything that uses coal, natural gas or oil since these are
exhaustible sources of energy.

Useful Ways to Conserve Energy

• We should start with reducing the consumption of energy that we use in our daily lives
like electricity, fuel and water; it is necessary to conserve water as well because the water
that we get in our homes comes as a result of purification which also requires energy in
some form. Most of us have a bad habit of leaving the lights, fans and the television
turned on even when we are not in the room. So we become a little more attentive and
careful we can actually save a lot of energy.
• The refrigerator of your house has a thermostat, which controls the temperature inside it
but then there are energy saver or power savers that do it more effectively than others.
Besides this also look for leaks from where outside air can enter the refrigerator, if yes
then try and block those leaks.
• Then lets come to your dishwasher, which uses up lesser energy when you put many
dishes in it and wash it than washing every dish manually. But if you try and make two
compartments in your sink so that you can soap wash and clean the dishes in a
compartment full of water you would be able to save a lot of energy.
• When you take a bath and need the water heater try and lower the temperature when the
thermostat cuts off the electricity supply so that a higher temperature is not set and the
electricity supply can be cut off at a lower temperature.
• Next lets come to the washing machine, which can also be used wisely to save some
energy. When you set the washing machine set it to warm and not hot since that takes up
more energy but the output remains the same.
• When you use the room heaters check if the dampers are on or not because dampers
work against the heater and hence therefore more energy is required to heat the room.
When summer season comes try and use the air conditioner in the fan mode so that the
usage of electricity reduces.
• You can also save oil by opting for a carpool than going in your car and spend four times
more oil than you actually need to.

Besides saving energy in all these ways we should also opt for a substitute source of energy like
solar power, if not all appliances but few can definitely be supported by solar power and if every
home follows and implements this suggestion we would save up energy that would be sufficient
for a whole day in a country which is still developing.

Energy Conservation
The strategy developed to make power
available to all by 2012 includes promotion of
energy efficiency and its conservation in the
country, which is found to be the least cost
option to augment the gap between demand and
supply. Nearly 25,000 MW of capacity creation
through energy efficiency in the electricity
sector alone has been estimated in India. Energy
conservation potential for the economy as a
whole has been assessed as 23% with maximum
potential in industrial and agricultural sectors.

Energy Conservation Day function

Energy Conservation Act, 2001

ENERGY CONSERVATION ACT
(HTML) (PDF)

Considering the vast potential of energy savings and benefits of energy efficiency, the Government of India enacted the
Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (52 of 2001). The Act provides for the legal framework, institutional arrangement and a
regulatory mechanism at the Central and State level to embark upon energy efficiency drive in the country.

Indian Industry Programme for Energy Conservation (IIPEC) Under IIPEC the Task Groups for Textile, Cement, Pulp &
Paper, Fertilizer, Chlor-Alkali, and Aluminium have been formed and the first meetings of these groups have taken place at
Chhindhwada (M.P.), Beawar (Rajasthan), Ballarpur (Maharashtra), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Hirakud (Orissa) respectively.
Each Task Force is being headed by stakeholders and BEE is actively involved in organising the programmes. The Members
from the industry participate in this project for sharing Best Practices, declaring their voluntary targets and benchmarking, etc.
The voluntary targets undertaken by the Members from Cement and Pulp & Paper sector will alone result in saving of Rs.175
crores and Rs.51 crores respectively by 2005-06.

SHORT TERM MEASURES

1.Energy Conservation
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency operationalized Complete pilot phase of programme for energy efficiency in government
buildings and prepare action plan for wider dissemination and implementation.

2. Energy audit of government buildings

• Energy Audit completed for nine govt. buildings.

• Legal Performance contract agreement, payment security mechanism, bids selection and evaluation criteria provided to all
building owners for implementation.

• Five Building owners have floated tenders.

• Monitoring and verification of energy savings from March 2005.

3. Capacity building amongst departments to take up energy efficiency programmes

• BEE to train core group members to implement energy efficiency in buildings.

LONG TERM MEASURES

Potential of 23,700 MW assessed by end of XIth Plan

The Thrust Areas :

1. Industry specific Task Forces.

2. Notifying more industries as designated consumers.