Efficiency of obtaining, delivering, and utilizing energy. [Monograph]

Book · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6165435

It is incumbent that the efficiencies of different energy forms or sources are understood so that good energy decisions can be made. To do this properly, the whole system must be considered. To make the evaluation only at the point of use (i.e., to measure only the efficiency of the appliance), will give misleading results. This analysis describes the complete systems for gas, coal, oil, nuclear, hydro (natural flow and pumped storage), solar, steam, and electricity. The overall system efficiency takes into consideration the resource extracted from the earth in standard gravimetric or volumetric units such as barrels of oil, cubic feet of natural gas (at standard pressures), tons of coal, grams of uranium, etc., relative to the fuel or energy in the refined form delivered to the site of ultimate use, as well as the on-site efficiencies of the function ultimately performed (i.e., space heating, clothes drying, cooking, water heating, etc.). The major conclusions of the analysis are: the natural gas system is the most-efficient way of performing the major household functions; as more nuclear- and coal-generating units are added to the electric system, the overall efficiency of that system will drop; the efficiency of new electric-generating plants is less than a third of existing electricity generated by hydro; and the natural gas system will continue to be the most-efficient system in the foreseeable future.

• OSTI ID: 6165435
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
291000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
292000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Supply
Demand & Forecasting
APPLIANCES
CLOTHES DRYERS
COAL INDUSTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DECISION MAKING
DRYERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY STORAGE
HEATERS
HEATING
HYDROELECTRIC POWER
INDUSTRY
NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
POWER
PRODUCTION
PUMPED STORAGE
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SOLAR INDUSTRY
SPACE HEATING
STEAM GENERATION
STORAGE
STOVES
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
WATER HEATERS