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Return to: Part 1. Energy Consumption Part 2. Energy Intensity |
Site and Primary Energy Site energy is the energy directly consumed by end users, and primary energy is site energy plus the energy consumed in the production and delivery of energy products. Electricity, of the major energy sources, has the greatest disparity between site and primary energy—a greater amount of energy is used to generate and transmit electricity than in the production and distribution of the other major sources. In 1995, steam-electric utility plants (the largest source of electricity generation) were estimated to have used 10,301 Btu of fossil-fuel energy to generate 1 kilowatthour of electricity; i.e., approximately 3.02 Btu of fossil-fuel energy were used to generate 1 Btu of electricity (3,412 Btu equals 1 kilowatthour of electricity). The choice of expressing energy consumption data as site energy or primary energy (or site electricity or primary electricity when that energy source alone is considered) depends upon the use of the data. Site energy and site electricity reflect the amount of energy actually consumed within the building. Site energy data are most useful to building engineers, energy managers, building owners and others concerned with consumption directly related to the buildings; e.g., the energy efficiency of end-use equipment. Primary energy data are useful to policymakers and energy analysts who are concerned with broader energy or environmental issues, such as carbon emissions from energy sources. See the following Energy Information Administration report for further information: “Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2000.” The consumption data presented in CBECS reports have been expressed as site energy and site electricity. Primary electricity data reflecting the total energy consumed in generating and transmitting electricity, are given in detailed Tables CE-1 and CE-9 of the 1995 CBECS. Top Return to “Part 1. Energy Consumption” Return to “Part 2. Energy Intensity” Specific questions may be directed to: Alan Swenson alan.swenson@eia.doe.gov Phone: (202) 586-1129 FAX: (202) 586-0018
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