Portal:Energy
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Introduction
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In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, enérgeia, “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat and light. Energy is a conserved quantity—the law of conservation of energy states that energy can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed. The unit of measurement for energy in the International System of Units (SI) is the joule (J).
Common forms of energy include the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored by an object (for instance due to its position in a field), the elastic energy stored in a solid object, chemical energy associated with chemical reactions, the radiant energy carried by electromagnetic radiation, and the internal energy contained within a thermodynamic system. All living organisms constantly take in and release energy.
Due to mass–energy equivalence, any object that has mass when stationary (called rest mass) also has an equivalent amount of energy whose form is called rest energy, and any additional energy (of any form) acquired by the object above that rest energy will increase the object's total mass just as it increases its total energy.
Human civilization requires energy to function, which it gets from energy resources such as fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable energy. The Earth's climate and ecosystems processes are driven by the energy the planet receives from the Sun (although a small amount is also contributed by geothermal energy). (Full article...)
Selected article
The remaining worldwide energy resources are large, with the remaining fossil fuels totaling an estimated 0.4 YJ (1 YJ = 1024 J) and the available nuclear fuel such as uranium exceeding 2.5 YJ (1 YJ = 1024 J). Mostly thanks to the Sun, the world also has a renewable usable energy flux that exceeds 120 PW (8,000 times 2004 total energy usage), or 3.8 YJ/yr, dwarfing all non-renewable resources.
Despite the abundance of fossil fuels there are a number of pressures that may move the world’s energy consumption to alternative energy sources. These include political considerations over energy security and potential pressure from energy superpowers, environmental concerns related to global warming and sustainability, and economic pressure resulting from energy price rises, carbon emissions trading and green taxation.
This move is already starting to happen in some countries, notably as a result of the Kyoto Protocol, and further steps in this direction are proposed. For example, the European Commission has proposed that the energy policy of the European Union should set a binding target of increasing the maximum level of renewable energy in the EU’s overall mix from less than 7% today to 20% by 2020.
Selected image
Photo credit: Senior Airman Joshua Strang, United States Air Force
An aurora, caused by the release of energy as charged particles collide with atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere.
Did you know?
- If atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations can be stabilized at 450 ppm, it is thought that there will be a 50% chance of avoiding dangerous climate change?
- The Itaipu hydroelectric power plant is currently the second largest power plant in the world, supplying over 90% of Paraguay's electricity, and 25% of Brazil's?
- Libya's Sirte Basin—which in some places lies more than 47 metres below sea level—contains roughly 80% of the country's known crude oil reserves?
- Approximately 95% of the electricity consumed by a normal incandescent light bulb (example pictured) is emitted as heat, rather than as visible light?
- Saudi Aramco is the largest oil corporation in the world and the world's largest in terms of proven crude oil reserves and production?
- Newcastle, Australia, is the world's largest coal export port?
- Surplus income from oil production in Norway is invested by the Government Pension Fund, one of the World's largest funds with a value of around US$ 800 billion?
- Energy superpowers Russia and Venezuela have, respectively, the world's largest reserves of natural gas and petroleum?
Selected biography
Between 1992 and 1995, after Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's 'perestroika' economic reforms permitted the opening of small private businesses, Abramovich founded five companies that eventually evolved to specialize in the trading of oil and oil products. With the approved by Boris Yeltsin, in 1995 Roman Abramovich and partner Boris Berezovsky paid $100m for a controlling interest in the major Russian Sibneft oil company, then valued at $150 million. Berezovsky subsequently sold his stake to Abramovich after fleeing to London. In September 2005 Abramovich sold his interest in Sibneft to state energy giant Gazprom for $13 billion.
Despite maintaining that his primary residence is Moscow, in 2006 Abramovich was named as the second-wealthiest person in the United Kingdom. His property investments and other assets were estimated at £10.8 billion. In June 2003, Abramovich became the owner of the companies that control Chelsea Football Club (soccer club). He also became the world's greatest spender on luxury yachts, with four boats in what the media have called the 'Abramovich Navy'.
Although he rarely visits the area, in October 2005 Abramovich was reappointed governor of the impoverished Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East where he has made significant financial contributions. He was originally elected to the governorship in 1999.
In the news
- 25 January 2023 – Iran and weapons of mass destruction
- International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi says that Iran has now amassed enough material for "several nuclear weapons", and calls for new diplomatic efforts in order to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. (CNN)
- 23 January 2023 –
- A major power outage in Pakistan leaves nearly 220 million people without electricity after a failure at the national power grid. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a reduction in energy consumption as the country faces a severe energy crisis. (CNN) (Reuters)
- 6 January 2023 – Afghanistan–China relations
- The Taliban and the Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company of China agree to a 25-year deal to allow the Chinese firm to drill for oil in the Amu Darya basin. It is Afghanistan's first major energy extraction agreement with a foreign firm since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. (BBC News)
- 3 January 2023 – 2021–2023 global energy crisis
- 2022–2023 Pakistan economic crisis
- The government orders the closure of all shopping malls and retail markets by 8:30 p.m. (PKT) daily as part of an energy conservation plan to offset increasing energy prices. (Reuters)
General images
Oil refinery in Iran (from Oil refinery)
Sample of crude oil (petroleum) (from Oil refinery)
Russia is a key oil and gas supplier to Europe (from Energy policy)
Polyethylene plastic main being placed in a trench (from Natural gas)
Utility cycling infrastructure, such as this bike lane in Vancouver, encourages sustainable transport. (from Sustainable energy)
Fire-extinguishing operations after the Texas City Refinery explosion (from Oil refinery)
A parabolic collector concentrates sunlight onto a tube in its focal point. (from Solar power)
The Ffestiniog Power Station can generate 360 MW of electricity within 60 seconds of the demand arising. (from Hydroelectricity)
A pipeline odorant injection station (from Natural gas)
Several countries and the European Union have committed to dates for all new cars to be zero-emissions vehicles. (from Sustainable energy)
The Three Gorges Dam in Central China is the world's largest power-producing facility of any kind. (from Hydroelectricity)
The launching ceremony of the USS Nautilus January 1954. In 1958 it would become the first vessel to reach the North Pole. (from Nuclear power)
Passive cooling features, such as these windcatcher towers in Iran, bring cool air into buildings without any use of energy. (from Sustainable energy)
Schematic flow diagram of a typical crude oil distillation unit as used in petroleum crude oil refineries (from Oil refinery)
Share of electricity production from nuclear, 2021 (from Nuclear power)
Gas network emergency vehicle responding to a major fire in Kyiv, Ukraine (from Natural gas)
The status of nuclear power globally (click for legend) (from Nuclear power)
The town of Pripyat abandoned since 1986, with the Chernobyl plant and the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement arch in the distance (from Nuclear power)
US Natural Gas Marketed Production 1900 to 2012 (US EIA data) (from Natural gas)
A geothermal power station in Negros Oriental, Philippines (from Geothermal power)
Dry cask storage vessels storing spent nuclear fuel assemblies (from Nuclear power)
Global geothermal electric capacity. Upper red line is installed capacity; lower green line is realized production. (from Geothermal power)
South America (from Solar power)
World map showing where people without access to electricity lived in 2016—mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent (from Sustainable energy)
Most waste packaging, small-scale experimental fuel recycling chemistry and radiopharmaceutical refinement is conducted within remote-handled hot cells. (from Nuclear power)
Refinery of Slovnaft in Bratislava (from Oil refinery)
Museum Hydroelectric power plant ″Under the Town″ in Užice, Serbia, built in 1900. (from Hydroelectricity)
ExxonMobil oil refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (the fifth-largest in the United States) (from Oil refinery)
Nuclear fuel assemblies being inspected before entering a pressurized water reactor in the United States (from Nuclear power)
Storage tanks and towers at Shell Puget Sound Refinery (Shell Oil Company), Anacortes, Washington (from Oil refinery)
Global energy usage is highly unequal. High income countries such as the United States and Canada use 100 times as much energy per capita as some of the least developed countries in Africa. (from Sustainable energy)
Natural gas drilling rig in Texas, USA (from Natural gas)
Reactor decay heat as a fraction of full power after the reactor shutdown, using two different correlations. To remove the decay heat, reactors need cooling after the shutdown of the fission reactions. A loss of the ability to remove decay heat caused the Fukushima accident. (from Nuclear power)
Nuclear waste flasks generated by the United States during the Cold War are stored underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. The facility is seen as a potential demonstration for storing spent fuel from civilian reactors. (from Nuclear power)
Example of energy policy decisions: The goal of the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the giant Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe, is to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas. (from Energy policy)
The world's largest oil refinery, Jamnagar Refinery in Gujarat, India (from Oil refinery)
Buildings in the Solar Settlement at Schlierberg, Germany, produce more energy than they consume. They incorporate rooftop solar panels and are built for maximum energy efficiency. (from Sustainable energy)
United States and USSR/Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles, 1945–2006. The Megatons to Megawatts Program was the main driving force behind the sharp reduction in the quantity of nuclear weapons worldwide since the cold war ended. (from Nuclear power)
South and South-East Asia (from Solar power)
Electricity production by source (from Solar power)
Construction of the Salt Tankswhich provide efficient thermal energy storage so that output can be provided after sunset, and output can be scheduled to meet demand requirements. The 280 MW Solana Generating Station is designed to provide six hours of energy storage. This allows the plant to generate about 38% of its rated capacity over the course of a year. (from Solar power)
The Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, a pressurized water reactor that cools by utilizing a secondary coolant heat exchanger with a large body of water, an alternative cooling approach to large cooling towers (from Nuclear power)
Australia (from Solar power)
Actual annual deployments of solar PV vs predictions by the IEA for the period 2002–2016. Predictions have largely and consistently underestimated actual growth. (from Solar power)
The nuclear fuel cycle begins when uranium is mined, enriched, and manufactured into nuclear fuel (1), which is delivered to a nuclear power plant. After use, the spent fuel is delivered to a reprocessing plant (2) or to a final repository (3). In nuclear reprocessing 95% of spent fuel can potentially be recycled to be returned to use in a power plant (4). (from Nuclear power)
Trends in the top five hydroelectricity-producing countries (from Hydroelectricity)
Geothermal power center in the Usulután Department, El Salvador. (from Geothermal power)
Countries by natural gas proven reserves (2014), based on data from The World Factbook (from Natural gas)
A comparison of prices over time for energy from nuclear fission and from other sources. Over the presented time, thousands of wind turbines and similar were built on assembly lines in mass production resulting in an economy of scale. While nuclear remains bespoke, many first of their kind facilities added in the timeframe indicated and none are in serial production. Our World in Data notes that this cost is the global average, while the 2 projects that drove nuclear pricing upwards were in the US. The organization recognises that the median cost of the most exported and produced nuclear energy facility in the 2010s the South Korean APR1400, remained "constant", including in export.
LCOE is a measure of the average net present cost of electricity generation for a generating plant over its lifetime. As a metric, it remains controversial as the lifespan of units are not independent but manufacturer projections, not a demonstrated longevity. (from Nuclear power)
Pile of asphalt-covered aggregate for formation into asphalt concrete (from Oil refinery)
Typical composition of uranium dioxide fuel before and after approximately three years in the once-through nuclear fuel cycle of a LWR (from Nuclear power)
The Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant in Switzerland (from Nuclear power)
A breakdown of the products made from a typical barrel of US oil (from Oil refinery)
Proportions of the isotopes uranium-238 (blue) and uranium-235 (red) found in natural uranium and in enriched uranium for different applications. Light water reactors use 3–5% enriched uranium, while CANDU reactors work with natural uranium. (from Nuclear power)
The outdoor section of a heat pump. In contrast to oil and gas boilers, they use electricity and are highly efficient. As such, electrification of heating can significantly reduce emissions. (from Sustainable energy)
Sample of kerosene (from Oil refinery)
The growth of solar PV on a semi-log scale since 1992 (from Solar power)
Natural gas burning on a gas stove (from Natural gas)
The multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG), used in several space missions such as the Curiosity Mars rover (from Nuclear power)
Growth of renewables was 45% larger in 2020 compared to 2019, including a 90% rise in global wind capacity additions (green) and a 23% expansion of new solar photovoltaic installations (yellow). (from Sustainable energy)
Burning of natural gas coming out of the ground in Taiwan (from Natural gas)
Anacortes Refinery (Marathon), on the north end of March Point southeast of Anacortes, Washington, United States (from Oil refinery)
A Washington, D.C. Metrobus, which runs on natural gas (from Natural gas)
Enhanced geothermal system 1:Reservoir 2:Pump house 3:Heat exchanger 4:Turbine hall 5:Production well 6:Injection well 7:Hot water to district heating 8:Porous sediments 9:Observation well 10:Crystalline bedrock (from Geothermal power)
Seasonal cycle of capacity factors for wind and photovoltaics in Europe under idealized assumptions. The figure illustrates the balancing effects of wind and solar energy at the seasonal scale (Kaspar et al., 2019). (from Solar power)
Manhole for domestic gas supply, London, UK (from Natural gas)
The first light bulbs ever lit by electricity generated by nuclear power at EBR-1 at Argonne National Laboratory-West, December 20, 1951. (from Nuclear power)
Battery storage facility
USAID's Mission Director to Pakistan, John Groarke in a group photo with the live-line trainers for Energy Policy Program - September, 2015. (from Energy policy)
Net metering, unlike a feed-in tariff, requires only one meter, but it must be bi-directional. (from Solar power)
Since 1985, the proportion of electricity generated from low-carbon sources has increased only slightly. Advances in deploying renewables have been mostly offset by declining shares of nuclear power. (from Sustainable energy)
A micro-hydro facility in Vietnam (from Hydroelectricity)
Peoples Gas Manlove Field natural gas storage area in Newcomb Township, Champaign County, Illinois. In the foreground (left) is one of the numerous wells for the underground storage area, with an LNG plant, and above ground storage tanks are in the background (right). (from Natural gas)
Part of the 354 MW Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) parabolic trough solar complex in northern San Bernardino County, California (from Solar power)
For cooking, electric induction stoves are one of the most energy-efficient and safest options. (from Sustainable energy)
Anti-nuclear protest near nuclear waste disposal centre at Gorleben in northern Germany (from Nuclear power)
Merowe Dam in Sudan. Hydroelectric power stations that use dams submerge large areas of land due to the requirement of a reservoir. These changes to land color or albedo, alongside certain projects that concurrently submerge rainforests, can in these specific cases result in the global warming impact, or equivalent life-cycle greenhouse gases of hydroelectricity projects, to potentially exceed that of coal power stations. (from Hydroelectricity)
A woman in rural Rajasthan, India, collects firewood. The use of wood and other polluting fuels for cooking causes millions of deaths each year from indoor and outdoor air pollution. (from Sustainable energy)
Africa and Middle East (from Solar power)
Crude oil is separated into fractions by fractional distillation. The fractions at the top of the fractionating column have lower boiling points than the fractions at the bottom. The heavy bottom fractions are often cracked into lighter, more useful products. All of the fractions are processed further in other refining units. (from Oil refinery)
Kenyan dairy farmer lighting a biogas lamp. Biogas produced from biomass is a renewable energy source that can be burned for cooking or light. (from Sustainable energy)
Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System with all three towers under load during February 2014, with the Clark Mountain Range seen in the distance (from Solar power)
Part of the Senftenberg Solarpark, a solar photovoltaic power plant located on former open-pit mining areas close to the city of Senftenberg, in Eastern Germany. The 78 MW Phase 1 of the plant was completed within three months. (from Solar power)
Guri Dam, a hydroelectric dam in Venezuela (from Sustainable energy)
The 120-MWe Nesjavellir power station in southwest Iceland (from Geothermal power)
Pico hydroelectricity in Mondulkiri, Cambodia (from Hydroelectricity)
Olkiluoto 3 under construction in 2009. It was the first EPR, a modernized PWR design, to start construction. (from Nuclear power)
Sample of diesel fuel (from Oil refinery)
Neste Oil refinery in Porvoo, Finland (from Oil refinery)
The share of electricity production from solar, 2021 (from Solar power)
Measurement of the tailrace and forebay rates at the Limestone Generating Station in Manitoba, Canada. (from Hydroelectricity)
Schematic of the ITER tokamak under construction in France (from Nuclear power)
Construction close to high pressure gas transmission pipelines is discouraged, often with standing warning signs. (from Natural gas)
Larderello Geothermal Station, in Italy (from Geothermal power)
The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) receives fuel at sea (FAS) from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). (from Nuclear power)
Wind turbines in Xinjiang, China
The Hoover Dam in the United States is a large conventional dammed-hydro facility, with an installed capacity of 2,080 MW. (from Hydroelectricity)
Sample of gasoline (from Oil refinery)
motor oil (from Oil refinery)
Refinery, Bayport Industrial Complex, Harris County, Texas (from Oil refinery)
North America (from Solar power)
Schematics of a grid-connected residential PV power system (from Solar power)
Activity of spent UOx fuel in comparison to the activity of natural uranium ore over time (from Nuclear power)
Growth of worldwide nuclear power generation (from Nuclear power)
Following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the world's worst nuclear accident since 1986, 50,000 households were displaced after radiation leaked into the air, soil and sea. Radiation checks led to bans of some shipments of vegetables and fish. (from Nuclear power)
A petrochemical refinery in Grangemouth, Scotland (from Oil refinery)
The location of shale gas compared to other types of gas deposits (from Natural gas)
Schematic flow diagram of a typical natural gas processing plant (from Natural gas)
Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of electricity supply technologies, median values calculated by IPCC (from Nuclear power)
Energy use in industry caused 24.2% of all GHG emissions in 2016. Energy use in buildings and transport caused 17.5% and 16.2% of emissions, respectively. Another 9.5% of emissions came from other energy uses and 5.8% were fugitive emissions from the production of fossil fuels. (from Sustainable energy)
The Calder Hall nuclear power station in the United Kingdom, the world's first commercial nuclear power station. (from Nuclear power)
Thomas Young - the first to use the term "energy" in the modern sense, in 1802. (from History of energy)
Europe (from Solar power)
Cylinders of liquified petroleum gas (from Oil refinery)
Trends in the top five geothermal electricity-generating countries, 1980–2012 (US EIA) (from Geothermal power)
Trends in the top five natural gas-producing countries (US EIA data) (from Natural gas)
The oil refinery in Haifa, Israel, is capable of processing about 9 million tons (66 million barrels) of crude oil a year. Its two cooling towers are landmarks of the city's skyline. (from Oil refinery)
Natural gas processing plant in Aderklaa, Lower Austria (from Natural gas)
Natural gas extraction by countries in cubic meters per year around 2013 (from Natural gas)
A sugarcane plantation to produce ethanol in Brazil (from Sustainable energy)
Cooling towers at a geothermal power plant in Larderello, Italy
The warming influence (called radiative forcing) of long-lived greenhouse gases has nearly doubled in 40 years, with carbon dioxide and methane being the dominant drivers of global warming. (from Natural gas)
Death rates from air pollution and accidents related to energy production, measured in deaths in the past per terawatt hours (TWh) (from Nuclear power)
A photovoltaic power station in California, United States
The evolution of solar power production by region (from Solar power)
Sulphur (from Oil refinery)
Comparison of natural gas prices in Japan, United Kingdom, and United States, 2007–2011 (from Natural gas)
Electrified heat and transport are key areas of investment for the renewable energy transition. (from Sustainable energy)
The Warwick Castle water-powered generator house, used for the generation of electricity for the castle from 1894 until 1940 (from Hydroelectricity)
Share of electricity production from hydropower, 2021 (from Hydroelectricity)
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Quotations
- "Breaking the dependence on oil is, in my view, a matter of political will. A consistent policy will turn obstacles into opportunities. To hide behind excuses of ignorance or economic considerations is not leading us to a sustainable future." – Mona Sahlin, 2006
- "America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology." – George W. Bush, 2006
- "Energy independence [for India] has to be our nation's first and highest priority. We must be determined to achieve this within the next 25 years i.e. by the year 2030." – Abdul Kalam, 2005
- "Energy security is assuming a strategic significance once reserved for territorial security, and the global environmental challenges from energy production and use are amongst our most pressing." – John Howard, 2006
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