Resource and energy saving technologies require a mandatory integrated approach to electricity generation, distribution and consumption. And in the construction phase of the house, modern energy-saving technologies are always combined with innovations in the field of construction, because a significant part of electricity is used for heating the house in cold weather and for cooling in hot weather. This immediately requires the planned use of energy efficient materials. In addition, a tailored household supply system will allow, in some cases, to completely abandon the traditional way of supplying electricity.
Energy saving technologies in construction
The best example of energy-saving technologies in construction so far can be the so-called "energy efficient houses", in which a comfortable temperature is ideally maintained in winter without the use of a traditional heating system, and in summer without air conditioning.
Such structures, depending on technological variations, are also called the House of Zero Energy - "houses without energy" or "passive houses".
In order to get as close as possible to the standards of such a house, it contains:
- install a single boiler room or other heat supply source, often connecting pumps that return exhaust air heat from the ventilation duct, ground heat or wastewater,
- replace part of the solar electricity (collector), and direct solar energy in turn is competently used in accordance with the thermal balance of the building, connecting transparent and reflective structures,
- use modern thermal insulation materials, and this applies to both building materials and communication systems.
The energy saving method described above assumes that the building becomes the final recipient of electricity from power plants. Now, however, the possibility of a complete transition to individual energy supply systems is considered an innovative practice, when the building itself, in fact, becomes a "power plant" and begins distributing electricity to other consumers.
This is possible, for example, with the widespread use of nano-photovoltaic cells, which are called one of the most promising solutions. In Freiburg, Germany, the local solar institute uses the city space as a kind of "testing ground" for testing solar technology, introducing solar panels to the stadium, renovating entire neighborhoods (58 apartment buildings and an office building on the district border) for a new "active house" concept. The main obstacle to the widespread adoption of these technologies is the high cost of ultrapure industrial silicone used for batteries (about 450 USD / kg), replaced by nanotechnology and special carbon - fullerene, but so far its efficiency is 2. 5 times less than the efficiency of silicone solar cells.
Energy saving technologies in everyday life
The main direction in the creation of energy-saving technologies in everyday life is the individual regulation of energy consumption using "smart" technologies, depending on:
- personal habits of the inhabitants and preferences of the microclimate,
- the time of year (day) when the "smart" system is renewed by choosing to turn it on and with what intensity it will work.
For example, an automatic home lighting system turns on the light only when needed, turning it off during the day, and turns it on in the evening when it is activated by sound through a built-in microphone. When noise occurs within 5 meters, the energy-saving light comes on automatically and does not go out while someone is in the room.
But until these "intellectual" innovations become dominant, experts recommend the use of "preventive energy saving" methods in everyday life, which include:
- replacement of incandescent bulbs with energy-saving (with reduced consumption by 5-6 times) or even more economical LEDs,
- switching to high-efficiency energy efficiency household appliances (A-A +++), which can show a difference of 50% compared to obsolete models,
- switching off devices (equipment) in standby mode: televisions, music centers and tape recorders, which still consume 3-10 W in the switched off but not switched off state,
- turning off or putting the computer to sleep, which "eats" 70-120 kW / h per day during day and night operation.
Special attention should be paid to the refrigerator, which is advised:
- do not place next to the stove (increases energy consumption by 25-30%),
- do not fill with uncooled food yet,
- prevent gaps in the seal,
- do not cover the radiator and do not lean your "back" near the wall.
The introduction of energy-saving technologies in housing and communal services looks like a transition to plants with rotational speed optimization functions depending on the actual load, which can save up to 50% of electricity when operating elevators or ventilation units.