Using Energy Efficiently Energy & Transformations Using Energy Efficiently

Efficiency of Technologies Using new energy-efficient technologies are crucial to our future. Fossil fuels are depleting causing increased costs. Typically more expensive up-front, their maintenance costs and lifetime are typically longer than less-efficient technologies.

Efficiencies of Technologies Technology % Efficiency Comments NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES Fossil Fuels 40% Canada’s most common source of electrical energy. Nuclear Fission 30% Ontario has 4 nuclear reactors which provide a great deal of electrical energy. RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES Solar Cells 10-15% Experimental ones have been shown up to 35% Hydraulic 95% Canada has a wealth of hydroelectric potential Wind 45-55% Being used more frequently. 10 000 wind turbines = 1 fossil fuel plant. Tidal Large up-front cost, only suitable in certain areas. Geothermal 15-20% Biomass 5% Nuclear Fusion 20%-50% Energy source of the future.

Efficiencies of Technologies Technology % Efficiency Comments HOUSEHOLD TECHNOLOGIES Gasoline Automobile 10%-16% Many energy transformations reduce efficiency, most losses from combustion process. Electric Automobile 80% Fluorescent Light 20% Incandescent Light 5% Requires a lot of heat to light filament. LED Lighting 15-20% Large up-front cost, only suitable in certain areas.

Gasoline Automobile Mechanical Energy

Electric Automobile 7x More efficient than Gasoline!!

Overall Efficiency As seen in the automobile diagrams, every energy transformation results in energy losses. Most processes involve more than one energy transformation which requires the calculation of overall efficiency.

Example #1 Running an electric hair dryer on hydroelectricity in Ontario has the following efficiencies: 95% efficient energy generation 95% efficient hair dryer Draw an energy flow diagram for the situation. Calculate the total efficiency of the hair dryer.

SOLUTION a) 5% 5% 100% Eout 95% 95% b)

Example #2 A gasoline driven car has the following efficiencies: 97% efficient oil extraction process Oil refined to gasoline with 95% efficiency Transportation of gasoline with 94% efficiency Engine is 24% efficient Transmission is 76% efficient Draw the energy flow diagram. What is the overall efficiency of the car?

SOLUTION a) 3% 5% 76% 100% 97% 24% 95% 24% Eout 76% b)