Energy Services

I claim that you have absolutely no interest in your energy source. What you ultimately care about is what the energy is used for.

Here is a short list of services that are provided by energy.

• Hot water
• Cooking
• Transportation
• Refrigeration
• Lighting

Note that hot water could be provided using natural gas or the sun. Most consumers are indifferent to the energy source used to provide the service.

In this chapter we’ll discuss the difference between energy services and sources. We will also discuss the conversion of energy from the sources to the services and their efficiencies.

Primary Energy Sources

Primary energy is a form of energy as it is found in nature.

Examples include:

• Coal
• Sunlight
• Oil
• Wind

Secondary Energy Sources

Secondary energy is an energy source that is created from the primary energy source. This secondary source usually has some advantage or convenience over the primary source.

Here are a couple of secondary energy sources

• Oil is converted to gasoline
• Coal is converted to electricity
• Wood is converted to charcoal