energy conservation

The practice and methods used to reduce energy resource consumption, usually by identification of those processes that are energy-inefficient and providing alternative solutions. The term can also used to describe the conservation of non-renewable resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas by increasing the efficiency of related processes, or finding alternatives so that existing stocks are depleted at a slower rate. Common conservation methods are insulation, optimization of processes to use minimum energy, increasing the efficiency of a process by changing the methods and/or components used, and finding alternatives that do not use nonrenewable resources. Profligate energy use by industrialized countries contributes greatly to air pollution and the greenhouse effect when it draws on nonrenewable energy sources.

Energy conservation is driven both by economic and environmental considerations. In industrial applications, inefficient energy use is both expensive and increases the negative impact the process has on the environment. This can be either by direct pollution or indirectly by requiring higher levels of energy generation from power stations, which then need to consume more nonrenewable fuels such as coal.