Energy demand: Difference between revisions
(→Tables) |
(→Tables) |
||
Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
|Minimal consumption{{p|Involves major personal & social changes:<br /><br />~ [[Public transit]] and [[walkability]]<br /><br >~ [[Frugalism]]<br /><br />~ Abolishing [[planned obsolescence]] and [[code bloat]]}} | |Minimal consumption{{p|Involves major personal & social changes:<br /><br />~ [[Public transit]] and [[walkability]]<br /><br >~ [[Frugalism]]<br /><br />~ Abolishing [[planned obsolescence]] and [[code bloat]]}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Residential - [[heating]] {{p|varies with the weather and local climate}} | |Residential - [[heating]] {{p|~ varies with the weather and local climate<br /><br />~ energy may be fuel or electricity}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Residential - [[hot water]] | |Residential - [[hot water]] {{p|~ varies with the weather and local climate<br /><br />~ energy may be fuel or electricity}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Residential - [[cooling]] {{p|varies with the weather and local climate}} | |Residential - [[cooling]] {{p|~ varies with the weather and local climate<br /><br />~ energy may be fuel or electricity}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Residential - '''other''' {{p| | |Residential - '''other''' {{p|Entirely electricity - anything that isn't used for heating/cooling or hot water.<br /><br />{{light|A lot of websites that teach you how to "save energy" are centered on this. But as you can see, it's actually quite a small part of energy demand!}} }} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Commercial {{p|This is not split into heating/cooling/misc (unlike for residential) due to lack of more detailed data.}} | |Commercial {{p|This is not split into heating/cooling/misc (unlike for residential) due to lack of more detailed data.}} | ||
Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Transportation {{p|Includes passenger vehicles, freight trucks, and to a lesser extent: trains, planes and ships}} <!-- TODO: split up transport. freight trucks and ships are affected by what ppl buy. planes are affected by how much people fly. trains are minor in any case. --> | |Transportation {{p|Includes passenger vehicles, freight trucks, and to a lesser extent: trains, planes and ships}} <!-- TODO: split up transport. freight trucks and ships are affected by what ppl buy. planes are affected by how much people fly. trains are minor in any case. --> | ||
|- | |||
|- | |||
|'''Total''' | |||
|} | |} | ||
Revision as of 20:18, 20 May 2023
This page is an attempt to estimate how much energy it takes to sustain a reasonable quality of life in a developed country.
Tables
Energy units: W (watts per capita, averaged over time. This is not the same as peak watts). (example)Suppose an electric car charger operates at 4800 watts, but the car is only charging for 2 hours per day on average. So the wattage averaged over time is 400 watts. Also note: If a family of 2 people owns 1 of these cars, then that's 200 watts per capita.
- Non-electric energy usage (fuel) is still measured in watts, this same way, for the sake of comparison.
Status quo[''']based on OECD countries, most of which are developed | Status quo, electrified[''']all vehicles electric instead of fossil fuels ~ Estimated based on the energy footprint of lithium-ion batteries. |
Minimal consumption[''']Involves major personal & social changes: ~ Public transit and walkability ~ Frugalism ~ Abolishing planned obsolescence and code bloat | |
Residential - heating [''']~ varies with the weather and local climate ~ energy may be fuel or electricity | |||
Residential - hot water [''']~ varies with the weather and local climate ~ energy may be fuel or electricity | |||
Residential - cooling [''']~ varies with the weather and local climate ~ energy may be fuel or electricity | |||
Residential - other [''']Entirely electricity - anything that isn't used for heating/cooling or hot water. A lot of websites that teach you how to "save energy" are centered on this. But as you can see, it's actually quite a small part of energy demand! | |||
Commercial [''']This is not split into heating/cooling/misc (unlike for residential) due to lack of more detailed data. | |||
Industrial [''']Almost all of this is manufacturing. Other industrial processes include agriculture & mining (surprisingly minor in terms of energy use). | |||
Transportation [''']Includes passenger vehicles, freight trucks, and to a lesser extent: trains, planes and ships | |||
Total |
Note on reducing environmental impacts
- When it comes to climate change: Energy usage is the main culprit.
- Home electricity is just a small part of this. The best thing people can do is drive less and buy less.
- Note: This is targeted at the average person who lives in a developed country. If you are poor, you probably don't need to consume less.
- Home electricity is just a small part of this. The best thing people can do is drive less and buy less.
- When it comes to habitat loss: Land usage is the main culprit.
- The best thing people can do is eat more plant-based and waste less food.
See also
- Energy demand scenarios (an older analysis)