Final answer:
An equipment turn on/off schedule is central to energy conservation efforts, targeting devices that have high duty cycles and power consumption. It helps to manage energy costs and reduce environmental impact, promoting the use of energy-efficient technologies.
Step-by-step explanation:
An equipment turn on/off schedule is used to conserve energy and reduce waste, specifically by limiting the operating hours of devices to those times when they are truly needed. By reducing the duty cycle of high-power devices such as water heaters and air conditioners — which are most cost-effective to target because they consume significant energy due to their long operating times — substantial energy savings can be achieved. This does not include devices like toasters, which, despite their high power, are used for only a few minutes a day, nor does it include low-power devices like electric clocks. Such schedules also contribute to reducing the environmental impact associated with a high-energy-demand lifestyle, such as the unnecessary upgrading of appliances, wasteful lighting, and excessive hot water use.
Furthermore, the motivation to save energy aligns with the need to mitigate the rising costs of energy. Armed with an understanding that energy consumption is a product of power and time, one can make informed decisions on where and how to save energy. The adoption of more efficient technologies like compact fluorescent light bulbs over their incandescent counterparts is another way to reduce consumption as they produce more light per watt of power used.