Energy 101

1. Energy 101 Steve Brick Energy Center of Wisconsin ecw.org

2. Overview • Energy currency • Rules • Terms • Statistics • Implications • The Future

3. The Currency • Energy is the ability to do work • Joules are the international currency • A joule equals one watt-second (power * time) • A British Thermal Unit (Btu) = 1,055 joules • One kilowatt (kWh) hour = 3,412 Btu • One therm = 100,000 Btu • One calorie = 4.184 joules • One dietary calorie = 1,000 calories • kWh and therms are important for consumers – these are the units that electric and gas bills are expressed in

4. Rules • Thermodynamics • Energy Facility Siting

5. The laws of thermodynamics • You can’t win • You can’t break even • You can’t get out of the game

6. The second law • Entropy – disorder – always increases • The most important law • Disorder = pollution

7. The rule of facility siting • “No one wants to live next to the skunk works, no matter how many skunks they use.” • Energy demand continues to grow, but building new facilities is difficult.

8. Energy resources • Non-renewable resources • Fossil • Coal • Oil • Natural Gas • Non-fossil • Uranium • Thorium • Renewable Resources • Wind • Hydro • Biomass • Geothermal • Solar

9. Non-renewable energy... • Is running out ... • Petroleum – 100 years • Coal – 400 years • Will we really run out? • Maybe...

10. Basic statistics • US per capita energy consumption = 345 million Btus • Denmark per capita energy consumption = 175 million Btus • Energy consumption in China = 20 million Btus

11. US Energy Production, 2002 (71 quads) • Coal = 33% • Gas = 31 % • Oil = 17% • Nuclear = 11% • Renewable = 8%

12. US Energy Consumption, 2002 (97 quads) • Coal = 23% • Gas = 24% • Oil = 39% • Nuclear = 8% • Renewable = 6%

13. Energy Balance, 2002 (quads)

14. Total End Use Consumption, 2002 (quads) • Residential = 22% • Commercial = 18% • Industrial = 33% • Transportation = 27%

15. Primary End Use Consumption, 2002 (quads) • Residential = 7% • Commercial = 4% • Industrial = 22% • Transportation = 27% • Electricity = 40%

16. Where do I use energy? • Household – electricity, natural gas, propane, wood, wind, photovoltaic • Transportation – gasoline, diesel fuel • Purchases – embodied energy

17. The Brick Family energy budget (1,725 Million Btus....) • Electricity = 51 million Btus • Natural gas = 99 million Btus • Automobiles = 161 million Btus • Air travel = 79 million Btus • This all equals 390 million Btus – the rest is embodied in purchases and in all the energy it takes to run American society

18. Efficiency • What if 3 quarts of milk were lost between the cow and the gallon in the refrigerator?

19. Efficiency • That’s the way it is with electricity • The total efficiency of the system (from mine to the outlet in your house) is only about 25 percent! • For every Btu delivered three are wasted

20. Efficiency • That’s the way it is with the internal combustion engine • Total system efficiency is only about 20 percent • For every Btu delivered four are wasted

21. Implications • Our standard of living is intimately tied to our consumption of fossil fuels • Our standard of living has serious environmental implications

22. Environmental Issues • Air pollution • Ozone • Particles • Acid Rain • Climate Change • Water use • Pollution • Thermal • Consumption • Land use • Sprawl • Habitat fragmentation

23. Is the fossil fuel picnic sustainable? • Fossil fuel resources are finite • Scientific consensus that climate change is real • To stabilize climate, we need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases 70-80 percent below present levels by about 2050 – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

24. Can we do this? • The Energy Pyramid • Energy efficiency • Renewable energy • New technologies

25. Consumer Responsibility • Where does my energy come from? • What does my energy cost? • What are the direct costs? • What are the indirect costs • Education is key!