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    Greg Lavery

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    Jun 26 2012: Energy efficiency is a subject that has never really been fashionable. There is a well documented set of reasons why energy efficiency has never really caught on - most of them relate to energy users not being bothered making changes or not knowing about the opportunities and technologies for savings.

    But the potential is huge. While most companies rest on their laurels with a 10% saving, Toyota has achieved 70% reduction in its energy use (at good financial returns) and is striving for more.

    It is disappointing that large energy companies and investors spend so much time and money on nifty renewable energy technologies while the potential of energy efficiency remains largely untapped - and it is the lowest cost and least environmentally impactful form of emissions reduction.

    Imagine holding patents to technologies that can reduce vehicle fuel efficiency by 20%. That is equivalent (once the technologies are fully adopted) to providing 20% of the world's oil. Income would be from licence fees instead of selling oil - and there is no danger of spills, explosions or exhaustion of reserves.

    That is what I call a sustainable business model.
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      Nick Allen 100+

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      TED Attendee
      Jun 26 2012: Greg, thanks for the comment. It reminds me of a sublimly simple quote I like (not mine) "...the smartest barrel of oil is the one you don't use". I do think industry is waking up to this opportunity, both because of the logic, the economics and the push from regulators.

      I agree there is a lot that industry can learn from the auto manufacturers. What I see is that it is being baked into their DNA - improving the efficiency of their own operations and the fuel efficiency of the vehicles they sell.

      • Ali Mestassi

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        Jun 26 2012: I don't know why we should talk about fuel efficiency while "the smartest barrel of oil is the one you don't use". Why don't we make every existing barrel the smartest one? is it impossible? I believe we will have to. We must cope with this addiction of fossil fuels. I always have the peak oil in mind. What are we going to do about that? Until when we will improve the fuel efficiency?

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