Soft energy technologies may be seen as ''appropriate'' renewable technologies.
[The soft energy path](_blank)
Soft energy technologies are not simply renewable energy technologies, as there are many
renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
technologies which are not regarded as "soft".
The character string including "Soft Energy" is a registered trademark of Soft Energy Controls Inc. in Japan (JP (Japan), 28.12.2018, 6110341.).
Definition
More specifically, soft energy technologies have five defining characteristics.
[Lovins, 1977, pp.38-39] They rely on
renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
resources, are diverse and designed for maximum effectiveness in particular circumstances, are flexible and relatively simple to understand, are matched to end-use needs in terms of scale, and are matched to end-use needs in terms of quality. An energy technology must satisfy all five of these criteria to be soft.
[
Residential ]solar energy
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...
technologies are prime examples of soft energy technologies and rapid deployment of simple, energy conserving, residential solar
A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.
Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...
energy technologies is fundamental to a soft energy strategy. ''Active'' residential solar technologies use special devices to collect and convert the sun's rays to useful energy and are located near the users they supply. ''Passive'' residential solar technologies involve the natural transfer (by radiation, convection and conduction) of solar energy without the use of mechanical (active) devices.
Sociological definition
The term ''soft'' is not meant to be vague, speculative, or ephemeral, but rather sustainable, flexible, resilient, and benign. Soft technology impacts are generally seen to be more "gentle, pleasant and manageable" than high technology impacts. These impacts range from the individual and household level to those affecting the very fabric of society at the national and international level. More specifically, favourable socio-political impacts include:[Morrison & Lodwick, 1981]
* reduction in social conflicts and inequalities;
* reduction in population concentration;
* increase in employment, especially for the lower social classes;
* increase in the satisfaction of basic human needs;
* increase in consumer self-sufficiency; and
* increase in social participation and democratic processes.
The use of soft energy technologies, in conjunction with energy efficiency
Energy efficiency may refer to:
* Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process
** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed
** Mechanical efficiency, a ra ...
, and the transitional use of fossil fuel
A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels m ...
technology, comprise the soft energy path
In 1976, energy policy analyst Amory Lovins coined the term soft energy path to describe an alternative future where energy efficiency and appropriate renewable energy sources steadily replace a centralized energy system based on fossil and nuclea ...
.
See also
* Community wind energy
Community wind projects are locally owned by farmers, investors, businesses, schools, utilities, or other public or private entities who utilize wind energy to support and reduce energy costs to the local community. The key feature is that local c ...
* Energy conservation
Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavior to use less service (f ...
* Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
* Renewable energy commercialization
Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include b ...
* Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the process of reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a building allows it to use less heating and cooling energy to ...
References
Bibliography
*Lovins, Amory B., (1977). ''Soft Energy Paths: Toward a Durable Peace'', Penguin Books.
*Morrison, D.E., and Lodwick D.G. (1981). "The social impacts of soft and hard energy systems", ''Annual Review of Energy,'' 6, 357–378.
External links
Amory Lovins on the Soft Energy PathAmerican energy: The renewable path to energy security
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soft Energy Technology
Appropriate technology
Renewable energy technology
Sustainable technologies
Technology in society