能耗

• Pinyin: néng hào
• Hanzi breakdown: 能 = originally a pictograph of a bear → ability/energy; 耗 = 耒(plow radical) + 毛(hair) — to wear down, consume gradually

Meaning

Energy consumption; the amount of energy used by a device, system, or industrial process.

A technical and policy term for how much energy is consumed. Frequently used in discussions of environmental policy, industrial efficiency, green technology, and sustainable development. 降低能耗 (reduce energy consumption) is central to China's environmental targets.

Examples

1. 这款新型冰箱的能耗仅为同类产品的一半，符合最高级别的节能标准，深受消费者青睐。 This new refrigerator uses only half the energy of comparable models, meets the highest energy-efficiency standards, and is very popular with consumers.
2. 政府明确要求各行业在五年内将单位产值能耗降低百分之二十，以推动绿色转型。 The government has clearly required all industries to cut energy use per unit of output by 20% within five years to drive a green transition.
3. 数据中心的能耗问题已成为全球科技行业面临的重大挑战之一，各大企业正积极寻求解决方案。 Data centers’ energy consumption has become a major challenge for the global tech industry, and major companies are actively seeking solutions.

Usage Guide

Context: environmental policy, technology, industry, sustainability, engineering

Tone: neutral/technical

Do Say

• 在碳中和目标的推动下，降低建筑能耗已成为建筑行业转型升级的重要方向，各地纷纷出台相关标准。(Driven by carbon neutrality targets, reducing building energy consumption has become a key direction for the construction industry's transformation and upgrade, with localities introducing relevant standards.)
• 新一代芯片在性能大幅提升的同时，能耗也降低了约三分之一，这一突破具有重要的商业价值。(The new generation of chips has significantly improved performance while also reducing energy consumption by about one-third — a breakthrough with considerable commercial value.)

Don't Say

• 将'能耗'与'能量'混用 — 能耗 specifically refers to the act or rate of consuming energy; 能量 refers to energy itself as a physical quantity

Origin & History

能(energy/ability) + 耗(consume/deplete). Together: energy consumption — the depletion of energy resources.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal