In the US, a whopping 84 percent of total commercial energy is wasted. About 41% of this energy is lost due to degradation of energy quality resulting from the second law of thermodynamics. MIT has estimated that commercial buildings account for 20% of all the energy used in the U.S. Between 54 and 71 percent of the energy used by commercial premises is used for climate control.
What is commercial energy?
Commercial energy sources are those that are utilized to produce power, and that may be purchased at a set price from the market. Natural gas, petroleum, and coal products are the primary commercial energy sources in the USA In the United States. These are all fossil fuels. However, a small percentage of renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind contribute to commercial energy too.
What are the major sources of commercial energy in the United States?
Fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil), nuclear energy, and renewable energies are the main energy sources in the US. A secondary energy source that is produced from burning fossil fuels is electricity. About 79 percent of the nation’s total primary energy production in 2021 came from fossil fuels.
How much of the world’s commercial energy production is consumed by the United States?
Commercial energy consumption in the United States accounts for a distinct percentage of the world’s total energy consumption. The US consumes about 16% of the world’s energy despite having fewer than 5% of the global population. In contrast, China has 18% of the world’s population and uses 20% of its energy, while the European Union has 6% of the world’s population and uses 4.2 % of its energy.
What percentage of energy used in the US is used in commercial buildings?
Commercial buildings produce 826 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and use 13.6 quads of power or 35% of the electricity used in the United States. Lighting, water heating, and air conditioning are all factors that contribute to energy consumption.
What percentage of the world’s commercial energy is furnished by fossil fuels?
According to Forbes, around 80% of the world’s commercial energy comes from fossil fuels. The data came from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy in 2020. The rise in consumption is coupled with the rise in coal, oil, and natural gas prices. This image shows the components of the primary global energy consumption in 2019.
Source: Forbes
What percentage of commercial energy used in the US comes from renewable resources?
Renewable energy sources account for 20% of electricity generation in the US. The renewables include wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, small-scale solar photovoltaic systems generated an additional 49 billion kWh of electricity in 2021.
How many commercial utility energy efficiency programs are there in the US?
There are a variety of commercial energy efficiency programs in the United States. Some program options from local governments and utilities include:
- Appliance Recycling
- Financial Incentives
- Residential Retrofit Programs
- Building Codes and Appliance Standards
- Lead by Example/Non-Residential Programs
- Building Labeling/Disclosure
- Residential Weatherization and Direct Install Programs
Local governments can also establish energy efficiency programs for commercial and residential properties. Regional energy efficiency organizations, public-benefit programs, and utility-run programs exist for support. For more information, you can view this article from the Environmental Protection Agency.