Energy Flashcards
What is energy?
- the ability to do work
Why is energy valuable to us?
enables us to:
- move from place to place
- manufacture stuff
- heat and cooling buildings; cook + refrigerate food
- see, learn, communicate, store data, watch movies
What are the challenges for energy systems?
- provide enough safe, reliable, affordable energy for all who need it
- distribute it equitably
- be ecologically responsible
- decarbonize
Is energy a technical problem?
energy presents social, environmental, and political issues as well technical issues
What is energy security?
when all ppl, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and reliable energy sources to meet their needs for an active and healthy life
What are the key components to energy security?
- physical access: availability
- economic access: affordability
- safe: does not endanger health, well-being
- reliable: uninterrupted supply
What is the energy security issue on a national scale?
available energy resources vary widely btwn countries
What are the two strategies for countries seeking energy security?
- acquire energy produced in other countries
- trade: import energy by exporting goods/services
- geopolitical/military interventions
- produce energy domestically
- use biofuels, renewables, unconventional fossil fuels
How is energy security on the household scale?
- many ppl lack sufficient, affordable energy to live the lives they want to live
- affordability a major issue for those who have access
- 750M lack access to electricity
- 2.7B use solid biomass for cooking (wood, charcoal, dung, crop residues)
What drives climate change, and how does it do it?
Use of fossil fuels
- coal, oil, and gas by far the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions
Are current efforts sufficient to meet mitigation targets?
- fuel efficiency actions help
- renewables getting cheaper
- but world not on track to meet climate mitigation targets
What is the climate mitigation targets?
1.5 degree limit
No new ___ or ___ fields can be developed to stay within 1.5 degree warming
oil, gas
What continues to be planned and approved even though no new oil and gas fields can be developed?
fossil fuel projects
What are renewable energy?
sources that are replenished either as they are used, or on meaningful human time scale
what are some examples of renewable energy?
solar, wind, tidal, biomass
what are non-renewable energy sources?
sources that are not replenished on a meaningful human time scale
what are some examples of non-renewable energy sources?
-coal
- oil
- natural gas
What is high carbon energy?
sources that release larger amounts of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane)
what are some examples of high carbon energy?
coal, oil, natural gas
what is low carbon energy?
sources that release small amounts of GHG or are carbon neutral
what are some examples of low carbon energy?
nuclear, most renewables
What energy sources does electricity use?
lots of possible sources
What energy sources does transportation use?
mostly oil, some electricity
What energy sources does heating and cooking use?
natural gas, biomass, electricity
What is electricity essential for?
manufacturing, services, household use
How is electricity generated?
- generated by rotating a turbine, using steam or mechanical action (e.g. water, wind)
- can also be produced by exciting electrons (photovoltaic)
How does electricity demand fluctuate?
- daily, seasonally
- lower at night
- higher when weather is hot or cold