I'm putting together a website, mainly about eco-refurb of old houses which is my area of specialty, but I'd like to include a page called 'understanding energy', giving an overview of energy economics intended for people who are unfamiliar with the topic. I want it to be a tool to jolt people out of the whole 'once fossil fuels run out we'll have a lovely clean hydrogen economy and we'll all live on the moon and look like Kylie Minogue' headspace.
I have the EROEI comparison tables cited in 'The Party's Over', but I've tried to format things in a more graspable way. I've used a somewhat abstract 'units of energy', rather than joules or kW/h or whatever. I don't know if this format can render anything meaningful, but it's worth a try. I know it's impossible to put really precise figures on any of this stuff, but vague average figures are still enough to illustrate the shocking truths.
If anyone can fill in the blanks, I'd be very grateful! Here it is:
For every unit of energy invested in extraction, an oil well returns on average__ units.
For every unit of energy invested in extraction, a natural gas well returns on average__ units.
For every unit of energy invested in extraction, a coal mine returns on average__ units.
For every unit of energy invested in planting and harvesting, a farm producing biomass crops returns on average__ units.
Refining crude oil to petroleum uses __% of energy per unit processed.
Refining crude oil to diesel uses __% of energy per unit processed.
A modern gas fired power station converts __% of gas energy into electricity.
A modern coal fired power station converts __% of coal energy into electricity.
A biomass fired power station converts __% of biomass energy into electricity.
__% of electrical energy is lost per kilometre of transmission from power station to consumer.
For every unit invested, a hydrogen manufacturing plant returns on average __ units.
A modern nuclear power station costs __ units to build, maintain and decommission, and can be expected to generate __ units through the course of its life.
A wind turbine costs __ units to produce and can be expected to generate __ units through the course of its life. (Assuming most efficient size and optimal location)
A solar panel costs __units to produce and can be expected to generate __ units through the course of its life. (Assuming most efficient size and optimal location)
A fuel cell requires __ units to manufacture and can be expected to output __ units through the course of its life.
A lorry-sized diesel engine requires __ units to manufacture and can be expected to output __ units through the course of its life.
A car-sized hybrid petrol/electric engine requires __ units to manufacture and can be expected to output __ units through the course of its life.
A horse costs __ units to feed and care for and can generate __ units through the course of its life.
A home computer requires __ units to manufacture and will consume __ units through the course of its life.
A washing machine requires __ units to manufacture and will consume __ units through the course of its life.
An aeroplane flying from London to New York uses __ units.
* (?manufacture? includes all embodied energy)
Energy comparisons - can anyone fill in these blanks?
Moderator: Peak Moderation
Energy use
Dan, i suggest that you get in touch with George Marshall, an Oxford based environmental campaigner, through his website: www.theyellowhouse.co.uk
or through Rising Tide.org.uk. I suspect he'll be able to fill in the gaps for you.
Good Luck!
or through Rising Tide.org.uk. I suspect he'll be able to fill in the gaps for you.
Good Luck!
Dan
I suspect that many of the answers to your questions haven't even been calculated and EROEI numbers are notoriously vague and dependant on whether the researcher has a pro- or anti- stance to the particular technology.
Can I suggest that you include a few stats like these but give 'real life' examples which are likely to be more meaningful to non-experts.
(I think) I heard recently that a plane-load of Californians going to see the Great Pyramid would use more energy getting there than it took to build it.
There's a bird colony off Shetland whose population has fallen by 90-odd percent because a rise in sea temperature has moved the small fish they feed on too far North - too far because the energy expended flying to the new fishing grounds and back is greater than they can get from feeding there.
The average person in the West has the equivalent of 60 'energy' slaves working for them 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.
You might try searching for embodied energy and compare locally produced wood to imported.
I suspect that many of the answers to your questions haven't even been calculated and EROEI numbers are notoriously vague and dependant on whether the researcher has a pro- or anti- stance to the particular technology.
Can I suggest that you include a few stats like these but give 'real life' examples which are likely to be more meaningful to non-experts.
(I think) I heard recently that a plane-load of Californians going to see the Great Pyramid would use more energy getting there than it took to build it.
There's a bird colony off Shetland whose population has fallen by 90-odd percent because a rise in sea temperature has moved the small fish they feed on too far North - too far because the energy expended flying to the new fishing grounds and back is greater than they can get from feeding there.
The average person in the West has the equivalent of 60 'energy' slaves working for them 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.
You might try searching for embodied energy and compare locally produced wood to imported.
"If the complexity of our economies is impossible to sustain [with likely future oil supply], our best hope is to start to dismantle them before they collapse." George Monbiot