Abstract
The overwhelming current dependence on energy and water for uses far beyond those imagined several hundred years ago has evolved over time, and what is now considered to be alternative energy is actually far more traditional than the fossil fuels now considered traditional energy. This chapter provides a brief history of energy use, with more detail regarding electricity after the industrial revolution, energy generation, energy conservation, and energy efficiency including the energy efficiency gap and drivers for energy effectiveness. It is intended to serve as background for the discussions of energy and water in organizations and for the focus on managing energy and water which follows in Section III. The 2016 ACEEE Scorecard of energy efficiency by country summarizes the importance of this subject.
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References Cited in the Chapter
Alliance to Save Energy. (2013). The history of energy productivity. Washington, DC: Alliance to Save Energy. Retrieved from http://www.ase.org/sites/ase.org/files/resources/Media%20browser/ee_commission_history_report_2-1-13.pdf.
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Additional References for Those Interested in Learning More
A complete description of this history and those trends is outside the scope of this book, but for readers who are interested, the Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy publication “The History of Energy Productivity” provides an excellent summary. https://www.ase.org/sites/ase.org/files/resources/Media%20browser/ee_commission_history_report_2-1-13.pdf.
For a fascinating series of photographs and stories about electric utilities dating back to 1922, please see http://www.elp.com/articles/slideshow/2013/08/a-look-back-at-electric-utility-history/pg001.html. Accessed 16 Sept 2016.
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McCardell, S. (2018). The History of Energy Use. In: Energy Effectiveness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90255-5_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90255-5_4
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