Do Energy Efficient Technologies Really Lower Energy Usage? By:
John K. Norris, Contributing Writer to MyEnergySolution.com
Recently, Michael Shellenberger, President of the Breakthrough
Institute, posted an article by a leading energy economist,
Harry Saunders - one of the authors of a recent paper in the
Journal of Physics, explaining why energy efficiency does not
decrease energy consumption. In his article, he examines
specifically the effects of energy efficient lighting: “Many
have come to believe that new, highly-efficient, solid-state
lighting -- generally LED technology, like that used on the
displays of stereo consoles, microwaves, and digital clocks --
will result in reduced energy consumption. We find the opposite
is true, concluding ‘that there is a massive potential for
growth in the consumption of light if new lighting technologies
are developed with higher luminous efficacies and lower cost of
light.’ The good news is that increased light consumption has
historically been tied to higher produc