Conservation vs. Efficiency

Conservation and efficiency are words that often run in the same social circles. And as easy as it is to mix up the two, they’re quite different from each other.

Conservation

Conservation consists of simple changes in behavior that lower energy usage. It costs nothing to conserve and can be done immediately.

Examples of conservation include: turning off lights, hanging clothes to dry, unplugging appliances or other electronics during the day, taking less showers.

Efficiency

Efficiency is an investment that typically requires upgrading appliances or adding greener technology into your lifestyle.

Examples of efficiency include: investing in a solar system, buying an electric vehicle, upgrading your washer and dryer.

Because conservation requires behavioral changes, it tends to be the most difficult for customers to achieve- even when conservation is the cheaper option. Efficiency requires minimal lifestyle changes and little thought once the money is spent.

Conservation Vegetables vs. Efficiency Dessert

A common misconception people have is that before they invest in efficiency, they must first lead more energy conservative lifestyles. Our Vice President calls this eating your conservation vegetables first so you can eat your efficiency dessert. And while changing our behaviors over the long-term is a great goal, it’s not always easily attainable.

What we’ve found is that when customers go solar, some amazing things happen.

First, they suddenly become acutely aware of their energy consumption. With our E-Gauge monitoring system, solar owners know exactly when, where, and how much energy they are consuming each day. Owners also learn which conservation efforts go the furthest.

Second, conserving energy then becomes somewhat of a game. When daily monitoring becomes available, customers often find themselves setting conservation goals and achieving them.

Because of this, our VP says that it’s often best to eat your efficiency dessert before your conservation vegetables.

Not only is solar a strong efficiency investment, it also motivates owners to conserve when they normally wouldn’t have considered doing so. And it makes it fun. Give us a call if you want to learn how solar can deliver you the entire lifestyle.