It would seem intuitive that if a process can be done more efficiently, and the cost of using it goes down, it should increase its value relative to other alternatives leading to greater usage. Some might call the resulting increase in total energy consumed a "rebound", but another view is that this is just growth.
Sustainability shouldn't be a cap on growth. As long as human populations continue to grow, so will their energy needs. Sustainability must also meet the human need for increasing energy demand.
The air conditioning efficiency example has gotten more complicated because of advances in AI. The humans who think they are in control may want to run the air conditioning at night, however the smart thermostats have the final say. These devices "learn" the weather and home temperature patterns and independently determine when to turn on or off regardless of what the humans want. They also connect to the utility provider and can respond to usage alerts that affect the monthly cost of electricity.
I'm afraid we have passed the singularity for air conditioning at this point.
It would seem intuitive that if a process can be done more efficiently, and the cost of using it goes down, it should increase its value relative to other alternatives leading to greater usage. Some might call the resulting increase in total energy consumed a "rebound", but another view is that this is just growth.
Sustainability shouldn't be a cap on growth. As long as human populations continue to grow, so will their energy needs. Sustainability must also meet the human need for increasing energy demand.
The air conditioning efficiency example has gotten more complicated because of advances in AI. The humans who think they are in control may want to run the air conditioning at night, however the smart thermostats have the final say. These devices "learn" the weather and home temperature patterns and independently determine when to turn on or off regardless of what the humans want. They also connect to the utility provider and can respond to usage alerts that affect the monthly cost of electricity.
I'm afraid we have passed the singularity for air conditioning at this point.