Energy-Secure Basics
Energy security is the
association between national security and the availability of natural
resources for energy consumption. Access to (relatively) cheap energy has
become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven
distribution of energy supplies among countries has led to
significant vulnerabilities. “Wikipedia”
Definition: “The energy performance
of a building shall be determined based on the calculated or actual annual
energy that is consumed in order to meet the different needs associated with
its typical use and shall reflect the heating energy needs and cooling energy
needs (energy needed to avoid overheating) to maintain the envisaged
temperature conditions of the building, and domestic hot water needs.” (Source:
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive of the European Union [EPBD 2010]).
There are five energy consuming sectors:
The industrial sector includes facilities and equipment
used for manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction.
The transportation sector includes vehicles that
transport people or goods, such as cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, trains,
aircraft, boats, barges, and ships.
The residential sector consists of homes and apartments.
The commercial sector includes offices, malls, stores,
schools, hospitals, hotels, warehouses, restaurants, and places of worship and
public assembly.
The electric power sector consumes primary energy to
generate most of the electricity consumed by the other four sectors.
Canadian society depends on its
diverse energy inputs to function. Securing the processes through which that
energy is produced, delivered and consumed is therefore of paramount
importance. Many countries view the primary goal of energy security to be
securing a reliable supply. In the case of Canada, a country rich in energy
resources, energy security is a more complex concept.
esmsconsulting@naderawads.com