Most people still confuse efficiency with conservation. There is a subtle but important distinction. There is the impression that using less of a resource means that you also get reduced service. However efficiency is about achieving the same and often times better service while using less of a resource. In other words, doing it more efficiently and wringing more work or productivity out of each unit of resource input. Alternatively, conservation does mean using less of a resource. Corporations could save energy and money if they looked at both energy efficiency and conservation.
Energy Efficiency definition according to wikipedia's page on energy efficiency:
Making homes, vehicles, and businesses more energy efficient is seen as a largely untapped solution to addressing global warming, energy security, and fossil fuel depletion. Many of these ideas have been discussed for years, since the 1973 oil crisis brought energy issues to the forefront.
Energy efficiency has proved to be a cost-effective strategy for building economies without necessarily growing energy consumption, as environmental business strategist Joel Makower has noted. For example, the state of California began implementing energy-efficiency measures in the mid-1970s, including building code and appliance standards with strict efficiency requirements. During the following years, California's energy consumption has remained approximately flat on a per capita basis while national U.S. consumption doubled. As part of its strategy, California implemented a three-step plan for new energy resources that puts energy efficiency first, renewable electricity supplies second, and new fossil-fired power plants last.
