There are two ways to reduce your energy footprint:
- Energy efficiency is increased by reducing energy consumption where possible. This means adapting to get more energy service using less energy.
- Renewable energy is energy drawn from resources that can be replenished. Renewable energy can be measured by whether or not it is necessary to consume the resource to produce the energy needed; or, by reducing the negative environmental impact caused by using the resource to produce energy. This includes the entire process of getting that energy source including extraction, processing, energy production, and disposal.
Energy use is associated, either directly or indirectly, with nearly every element of a project. When considering the energy use on a project, the intensity of materials used should be considered. In general this pertains to the raw and/or recycled material content that comprises the product and associated energy required to extract or refine it, the intensity or complexity of the manufacturing process, the supply chain or physical distance that the product and its components must travel to reach the final destination, and the intensity of disposing of or recycling the product at the end of its life.
