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Introduction
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In physics, energy is the quantitative property that must be transferred to a body or physical system to perform work on the body, or to heat it. 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 in the International System of Units (SI) of energy is the joule, which is the energy transferred to an object by the work of moving it a distance of one metre against a force of one newton.
Common forms of energy include the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored by an object's position in a force field (gravitational, electric or magnetic), the elastic energy stored by stretching solid objects, the chemical energy released when a fuel burns, the radiant energy carried by light, and the thermal energy due to an object's temperature.
Mass and energy are closely related. 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. For example, after heating an object, its increase in energy could in principle be measured as a small increase in mass, with a sensitive enough scale.
Living organisms require energy to stay alive, such as the energy humans get from food and oxygen. Human civilization requires energy to function, which it gets from energy resources such as fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable energy. The processes of Earth's climate and ecosystem are driven by the radiant energy Earth receives from the Sun and the geothermal energy contained within the earth. (Full article...)
Selected article
The wind resource in many parts of Texas is very large. Farmers may lease their land to wind developers, creating a new revenue stream for the farm. The wind power industry is also creating thousands of jobs for local communities and for the state. Texas is seen as a profit-driven leader of renewable energy commercialization in the United States. The wind boom in Texas was assisted by expansion of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, use of designated Competitive Renewable Energy Zones, expedited transmission construction, and the necessary Public Utility Commission rule-making.
The Roscoe Wind Farm (781 MW) is the state's largest wind farm. Other large wind farms in Texas include: Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center, Sherbino Wind Farm, Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm, Sweetwater Wind Farm, Buffalo Gap Wind Farm, King Mountain Wind Farm, Desert Sky Wind Farm, Wildorado Wind Ranch, and the Brazos Wind Farm.
Selected image
Photo credit: United States Department of Energy
The fireball created as energy is released in a nuclear explosion.
Did you know?
- During World War I, the German Army produced shale oil from Yarmouk oil shale deposits in Jordan to operate the Hijazi Railway (pictured)?
- Dennis Spurgeon, formerly chief operating officer at uranium supplier USEC Inc., became the United States Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in 2006?
- Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited was the first offshore oil company to exploit the Athabasca oil sands in Canada?
- Teesside Power Station is the largest combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant in Europe.?
- The Klaipėda Geothermal Demonstration Plant in Lithuania was the first geothermal plant in the Baltic Sea region?
- Hitachi Zosen Corporation built the first oil tanker in Japan in 1908 per an order by Standard Oil Company?
- Coalbed methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds?
- When constructed in 1906, the Baku–Batumi pipeline was the world's longest kerosene pipeline?
Selected biography
In recognition of Watt's achievements, the SI unit of power, the watt, is named after him.
James Watt was born on 19th of January, 1736 in Greenock, a seaport on the Firth of Clyde. His father was a shipwright, shipowner and contractor, while his mother, Agnes Muirhead, came from a distinguished family and was well-educated. Both were Presbyterians and strong Covenanters. Watt attended school irregularly and instead was mostly schooled at home by his mother.
After studying instrument-making for a year in London, the University of Glasgow offered him the opportunity to set up a small workshop within the university. It was established in 1757. After four years, Watt began to experiment with steam, finally producing a working model steam engine in 1765. Strapped for resources to develop a full-scale engine, Watt was forced to take up employment as a surveyor for eight years. Finally, in 1776, the first engines were installed and working in commercial enterprises.
After further improvements, Watt and foundry owner Matthew Boulton established Boulton and Watt in 1794 to exclusively manufacture steam engines. By 1824 it had produced 1,164 steam engines having a total nominal horsepower of about 26,000.
In the news
- 20 March 2022 – Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Bulgaria says it will end gas imports from Russia's Gazprom when its 10-year deal with Gazprom expires at the end of 2022, signalling a shift away from Russian energy. Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov says Bulgaria will also seek increased gas imports from Azerbaijan. (Politico)
- 13 March 2022 – Russo-Ukrainian War
- Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announces that power has been restored to the former power plant in Chernobyl. (Axios)
- 9 March 2022 – 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The Ukrainian state grid operator warns that Russian forces, which are in control of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, have disconnected the plant from the electricity grid, which the operator says will impact nuclear fuel cooling, and which also caused a blackout in the nearby city of Slavutych. The nuclear plant previously suspended all communications with the IAEA, the United Nations-based organisation specialising in nuclear energy production. (The Independent) (Interfax Ukraine)
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that reserve diesel generators that cool spent nuclear fuel can only last for another 48 hours and that a radiation leak from Chernobyl is "imminent" if power is not restored immediately. Kuleba also says that "Putin's barbaric war" puts all of Europe in danger. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency says there is "no critical impact on security" imminent. (Times of Israel) (Reuters)
- 8 March 2022 – International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Chinese officials indicate that they are interested in buying shares in recently-distressed Russian energy and minerals companies, seeking supply security. The negotiations, however, are still at an early stage. (Bloomberg)
General images
Pile of asphalt-covered aggregate for formation into asphalt concrete (from Oil refinery)
Anacortes Refinery (Marathon), on the north end of March Point southeast of Anacortes, Washington, United States (from Oil refinery)
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)
Share of electricity production from hydropower, 2020 (from Hydroelectricity)
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)
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)
Passive cooling features, such as these windcatcher towers in Iran, bring cool air into buildings without any use of energy. (from Sustainable energy)
The town of Pripyat abandoned since 1986, with the Chernobyl plant and the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement arch in the distance. (from Nuclear power)
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)
Natural gas processing plant in Aderklaa, Lower Austria (from Natural gas)
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)
Sample of diesel fuel (from Oil refinery)
Olkiluoto 3 under construction in 2009. It was the first EPR, a modernized PWR design, to start construction. (from Nuclear power)
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)
A micro-hydro facility in Vietnam (from Hydroelectricity)
Australia (from Solar power)
Neste Oil refinery in Porvoo, Finland (from Oil refinery)
Utility cycling infrastructure, such as this bike lane in Vancouver, encourages sustainable transport. (from Sustainable energy)
Trends in the top five hydroelectricity-producing countries (from Hydroelectricity)
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)
Comparison of natural gas prices in Japan, United Kingdom, and United States, 2007–2011 (from Natural gas)
The Multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG), used in several space missions such as the Curiosity Mars rover (from Nuclear power)
Larderello Geothermal Station, in Italy (from Geothermal power)
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)
Measurement of the tailrace and forebay rates at the Limestone Generating Station in Manitoba, Canada. (from Hydroelectricity)
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)
Countries by natural gas proven reserves (2014), based on data from The World Factbook (from Natural gas)
Europe (from Solar power)
The Hoover Dam in the United States is a large conventional dammed-hydro facility, with an installed capacity of 2,080 MW. (from Hydroelectricity)
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)
South America (from Solar power)
Trends in the top five geothermal electricity-generating countries, 1980–2012 (US EIA) (from Geothermal 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)
The Three Gorges Dam in Central China is the world's largest power–producing facility of any kind. (from Hydroelectricity)
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)
Sample of kerosene (from Oil refinery)
South and South-East Asia (from Solar power)
The 1200 MWe Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant in Switzerland. The boiling water reactor (BWR), located inside the dome capped cylindrical structure, is dwarfed in size by its cooling tower. The station produces a yearly average of 25 million kilowatt-hours per day, sufficient to power a city the size of Boston. (from Nuclear power)
Part of the 354 MW Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) parabolic trough solar complex in northern San Bernardino County, California (from Solar power)
Generation IV roadmap from Argonne National Laboratory (from Nuclear power)
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)
Most waste packaging, small-scale experimental fuel recycling chemistry and radiopharmaceutical refinement is conducted within remote-handled hot cells. (from Nuclear power)
A geothermal power station in Negros Oriental, Philippines (from Geothermal power)
A Washington, D.C. Metrobus, which runs on natural gas (from Natural gas)
A parabolic collector concentrates sunlight onto a tube in its focal point. (from Solar power)
Sample of gasoline (from Oil refinery)
Natural gas drilling rig in Texas, USA (from Natural gas)
The current locations across the U.S. where nuclear waste is stored (from Energy policy)
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)
Manhole for domestic gas supply, London, UK (from Natural gas)
Cooling towers at a geothermal power plant in Larderello, Italy
Storage tanks and towers at Shell Puget Sound Refinery (Shell Oil Company), Anacortes, Washington (from Oil refinery)
Schematic flow diagram of a typical crude oil distillation unit as used in petroleum crude oil refineries. (from Oil refinery)
Burning of natural gas coming out of the ground in Taiwan (from Natural gas)
US Natural Gas Marketed Production 1900 to 2012 (US EIA data) (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)
Oil refinery in Iran. (from Oil refinery)
A photovoltaic power station in California, United States
A comparison of prices over time for energy from nuclear fission and from other sources.
LCOE is a measure of the average net present cost of electricity generation for a generating plant over its lifetime. (from Nuclear power)
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)
Share of electricity production from solar, 2020 (from Solar power)
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)
Fire-extinguishing operations after the Texas City Refinery explosion. (from Oil refinery)
Krafla, a geothermal power station in Iceland (from Geothermal 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)
The global natural gas trade in 2013. Numbers are in billion cubic meters per year (from Natural gas)
Construction close to high pressure gas transmission pipelines is discouraged, often with standing warning signs. (from Natural gas)
Battery storage facility
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)
Polyethylene plastic main being placed in a trench (from Natural gas)
Electrified heat and transport are key areas of investment for the renewable energy transition. (from Sustainable energy)
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)
Activity of spent UOx fuel in comparison to the activity of natural uranium ore over time. (from Nuclear power)
Growth of solar PV on a semi-log scale since 1992 (from Solar power)
Africa and Middle East (from Solar power)
Pico hydroelectricity in Mondulkiri, Cambodia (from Hydroelectricity)
Russia is a key oil and gas supplier to Europe (from Energy policy)
motor oil (from Oil refinery)
World renewable energy share (2008) (from Hydroelectricity)
The Ffestiniog Power Station can generate 360 MW of electricity within 60 seconds of the demand arising. (from Hydroelectricity)
Natural gas extraction by countries in cubic meters per year around 2013 (from Natural gas)
Guri Dam, a hydroelectric dam in Venezuela (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)
Sample of crude oil (petroleum) (from Oil refinery)
A breakdown of the products made from a typical barrel of US oil. (from Oil refinery)
The 120-MWe Nesjavellir power station in southwest Iceland (from Geothermal power)
Global geothermal electric capacity. Upper red line is installed capacity; lower green line is realized production. (from Geothermal power)
Evolution of solar power production by region (from Solar power)
Gas network emergency vehicle responding to a major fire in Kyiv, Ukraine (from Natural gas)
Dry cask storage vessels storing spent nuclear fuel assemblies (from Nuclear power)
Museum Hydroelectric power plant ″Under the Town″ in Serbia, built in 1900. (from Hydroelectricity)
A solar photovoltaic system array on a rooftop in Hong Kong (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)
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)
The Calder Hall nuclear power station in the United Kingdom, the world's first commercial nuclear power station. (from Nuclear power)
Schematic flow diagram of a typical natural gas processing plant (from Natural gas)
CPV modules on dual axis solar trackers in Golmud, China (from Solar power)
The location of shale gas compared to other types of gas deposits (from Natural gas)
North America (from Solar power)
Refinery, Bayport Industrial Complex, Harris County, Texas (from Oil refinery)
Sulphur (from Oil refinery)
Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of electricity supply technologies, median values calculated by IPCC (from Nuclear power)
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)
A petrochemical refinery in Grangemouth, Scotland (from Oil refinery)
A pipeline odorant injection station (from Natural gas)
Schematics of a grid-connected residential PV power system (from Solar power)
Geothermal power center in the Usulután Department, El Salvador. (from Geothermal power)
Net metering, unlike a feed-in tariff, requires only one meter, but it must be bi-directional. (from Solar power)
Refinery of Slovnaft in Bratislava. (from Oil refinery)
Schematic of the ITER tokamak under construction in France. (from Nuclear power)
Thomas Young - the first to use the term "energy" in the modern sense, in 1802. (from History of energy)
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)
Nuclear fuel assemblies being inspected before entering a pressurized water reactor in the United States. (from Nuclear power)
The Warwick Castle water-powered generator house, used for the generation of electricity for the castle from 1894 until 1940 (from Hydroelectricity)
Trends in the top five natural gas-producing countries (US EIA data) (from Natural gas)
A sugarcane plantation to produce ethanol in Brazil (from Sustainable energy)
ExxonMobil oil refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (the fourth-largest in the United States) (from Oil refinery)
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)
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)
World map showing where people without access to electricity lived in 2016—mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent (from Sustainable energy)
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)
Cylinders of liquified petroleum gas (from Oil refinery)
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)
Wind turbines in Xinjiang, China
Typical composition of uranium dioxide fuel before and after approximately 3 years in the once-through nuclear fuel cycle of a LWR. (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)
Several countries and the European Union have committed to dates for all new cars to be zero-emissions vehicles. (from Sustainable energy)
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)
For cooking, electric induction stoves are one of the most energy-efficient and safest options. (from Sustainable energy)
Natural gas prices at the Henry Hub in US dollars per million BTUs (from Natural gas)
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Quotations
- "We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. By acting now we can control our future instead of letting the future control us." – Jimmy Carter, 1977
- "It is sensible to improve energy efficiency and to develop alternative and sustainable sources of supply; it's sensible to replant the forests which we consume; it's sensible to re-examine industrial processes; it's sensible to tackle the problem of waste. I understand that the latest vogue is to call them 'no regrets' policies. Certainly we should have none in putting them into effect." – Margaret Thatcher, 1990
- "We have the opportunity and potential to create an oil-free future today, it is potentially right around the corner - and, more often than not, the technology is already here." – John Kerry, 2003
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