FROM HEAT TO HOPE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS REDUCED BY 30%?
In this mini-series, we take a closer look at how releasing less fossil fuel emissions and particle matter into the air we breathe, could potentially save 12 American lives per day
By: Sigrid Vestergaard Frandsen, Director of Environmental Health
Whenever we talk about consuming less energy and the benefits it will bring about, we always measure it in how many gallons of diesel we saved, or how many barrels of oil were spared, or how many carbon offsets we can now sell, or how many trees we saved.
Even the other way around. What does our energy consumption equal? Three railcars worth of coal burned? 962,385 miles driven in an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle? Or insert here your own abstract, feel-good metaphor that no one really sees in their everyday lives.
But what if we started measuring energy savings in how many human lives we saved instead? How many lives do I save if I cut my energy consumption by 30%? Or a mere 15%? How many billions of dollars can we save the healthcare industry by reducing our energy consumption? How many people will suffer less from respiratory diseases? Lung cancer?
Let’s break it down. Here’s what happens when our energy consumption drops by 30% — and how many lives we save per day by doing so.
A mere 15% reduction could save six American lives per day
One study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that cutting nationwide energy consumption by only 15% for one year with efficient measures could help save up to six American lives per day and avoid up to $20 billion in health-related problems.
The study revealed that pollution from power plants is what contributes to the health issues, such as heart attacks, respiratory conditions, asthma attacks, and premature death.
Here's how it works. A 15% nationwide (US) reduction in annual energy consumption means that we would see:
11% less particulate matter in the air
That translates into more than 20,000 tons saved annually.
PM has diameters of 2.5 micrometers or smaller, and is a major air pollutant with significant health risks. It can be inhaled deep into the lungs and bloodstream. It comes from sources like vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and wood burning. It can lead to serious health problems including heart and lung diseases, increased asthma symptoms, and even premature death.
18% less nitrogen oxide, 23% less sulfur dioxide emissions
That translates into 192,000 tons of nitrogen oxide saved and 267,000 tons of sulfur dioxide saved annually.
Both are gasses that come from burning fossil fuels and can lead to serious health problems like heart and lung diseases, increased asthma symptoms and even premature death.
In other cases, it can even lead to acid rain and haze, and damaged vegetation.
14% less carbon dioxide emissions
That translates into 285 million tons saved annually.
CO2 emissions are primarily caused by burning of fossil fuels for energy, industry, and transportation.
These emissions trap heat, contribute to climate change, and have reached record levels in the atmosphere – with a significant portion coming from the energy sector.
2,190 lives saved annually
According to the study by ACEEE, reducing our energy consumption by a mere 15% annually could save 6 American lives per day, That number rises to 2,190 American lives saved annually.
But what if we reduced our energy consumption by 30% instead of 15? That would mean 12 American lives saved per day and 4,380 American lives saved annually.
Figure 1: Number of lives saved by percentage of energy reduced. Source: ACEE, figure generated with Infogram
Cleaner air - Healthier lives
Another study from The Lancet, showed that 6.5 million people die prematurely of complications from air pollution globally each year (not counting other types of pollution). That means one in six deaths. This makes air pollution the world's largest environmental risk factor for disease and premature death.
The study also found that deaths from air pollution (which are caused by industrialisation and urbanisation) have risen by 7% since 2015 and by over 66% since 2000. Additionally, the direct cost of damage to health is estimated to be between $2–4 billion per year by 2030.
The study even found that the impact of pollution on health remains much greater than that of war, terrorism, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, drugs, and alcohol. And the number of deaths caused by pollution is on par with those caused by smoking. See figure.
According to the World Health Organisation, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths globally per year, between 2030 and 2050.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through better transport, food, and energy use can result in very large gains for the global and national health – particularly through reduced air pollution.
A reduction in energy used for air conditioners would cut greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons annually. That means the air we breathe would grow cleaner, resulting in fewer heat and respiratory-related illnesses, cooler cities with less smog, and stronger communities no longer stretched to their limits by energy costs and bad health.
Figure 2: Global estimated deaths by major risk factor or cause. Source: The Lancet
What is not taken into account when economists and the US federal government calculate the societal costs of carbon emissions is how many lives are saved, how much money the healthcare system saves annually, and how many people suffer less from respiratory diseases and cancer. That means economists and policymakers may be underestimating the cost of climate change to human life.
If we know that reducing energy consumption saves thousands of lives a year, then technologies that actively reduce that energy aren’t just climate solutions — they’re public health interventions.
So, can we actually achieve 15% or 30% energy savings in our homes?
Our foundation’s Heat Abatement Technology (HAT) is built on exactly this idea. By lowering indoor temperatures without overworking AC systems, HAT can reduce a household’s energy consumption by up to 30%. That means cleaner air, lower emissions, and fewer pollutants entering the lungs of vulnerable communities.
Because every minute we use less energy is a breath of cleaner air, an asthma attack that doesn’t happen, or a life that doesn’t end too early. Cutting emissions isn’t abstract. It’s measurable. It’s immediate. And it starts inside our homes.
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