Energy demand
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 | |||
Residential - hot water | |||
Residential - cooling [''']varies with the weather and local climate | |||
Residential - other [''']Entirely electricity. Includes anything not used for heating & cooling. | |||
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). |
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)