Energy flow in the US: Difference between revisions

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[[file:US_Energy_Flow_2016.png|800px]]
[[file:US_Energy_Flow_2016.png|800px]]


The total estimated [[energy]] consumption in the USA in 2016 was 97.3 quadrillion BTU (quads).<ref>https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/</ref>
The total estimated [[energy]] (not just electricity) consumption in the USA in 2016 was 97.3 quadrillion BTU (quads).<ref>https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/</ref>


Note that 66.4% of the energy generated is lost as heat or in transmission. The same figure applies to [[Energy|electricity]] generation, which remains dominated by thermal production (natural gas, coal, and nuclear), in which only around one-third of the energy contained in the source is converted to [[Energy|electrical energy]].
Note that 66.4% of that energy is lost as heat or in transmission. A similar figure (68.0%) applies to [[Energy|electricity]] generation alone, which remains dominated by thermal production (natural gas, coal, and nuclear), in which only around one-third of the energy contained in the source is converted to [[Energy|electrical energy]].


It should be noted that production from intermittent sources, i.e., wind and solar, represents only a fraction of the turbine or panel’s [[capacity]]. A [[wind turbine]], for example, generates electricity at an annual average rate of 25%–35% of its capacity.<ref>https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia923/</ref> And it generates at or above its average rate only 40% of the time.
It should be noted that production from intermittent sources, i.e., wind and solar, represents only a fraction of the turbine or panel’s [[Capacity factor|capacity]]. A [[wind turbine]], for example, generates electricity at an annual average rate of 25%–35% of its capacity.<ref>https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia923/</ref> And it generates at or above its average rate only 40% of the time.<ref>https://wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=44</ref><ref>https://wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=42</ref>
 
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Latest revision as of 18:03, 17 August 2018

US Energy Flow 2016.png

The total estimated energy (not just electricity) consumption in the USA in 2016 was 97.3 quadrillion BTU (quads).[1]

Note that 66.4% of that energy is lost as heat or in transmission. A similar figure (68.0%) applies to electricity generation alone, which remains dominated by thermal production (natural gas, coal, and nuclear), in which only around one-third of the energy contained in the source is converted to electrical energy.

It should be noted that production from intermittent sources, i.e., wind and solar, represents only a fraction of the turbine or panel’s capacity. A wind turbine, for example, generates electricity at an annual average rate of 25%–35% of its capacity.[2] And it generates at or above its average rate only 40% of the time.[3][4]