Energy Consumption Basics

Energy Consumption

• Energy consumption is the amount of energy used by a person, organization, state, country, or process, and it can include electricity, gas, water, and other energy sources.
• To calculate energy consumption, add up the total of all energy bills, which helps identify areas for savings and potential upgrades or changes.
• Energy consumption varies greatly between countries, with developing countries typically using more energy than developed countries.
• Countries with unstable electricity or modern road systems tend to use less energy, but consumption increases once systems are built.

Energy Consumption by Country

• In 2019, global energy consumption was 173,340 terawatt-hours (TWh).
• Larger and more populated countries have the highest energy consumption, with China, the United States, and India ranking top three.
• The top ten countries for energy consumption in 2019 were:
  • China: 39,361 TWh (58% coal, 20% petroleum, 8% hydroelectric, 8% natural gas, 6% other)
  • United States: 26,291 TWh (37% petroleum, 29% natural gas, 14% coal, 9% nuclear, 11% renewable)
  • India: 9,461 TWh (55% coal, 30% crude oil, 8% natural gas, 7% other)

Energy Consumption per Capita

• Energy consumption per capita is calculated by dividing total energy consumption by population.
• The top ten countries for energy consumption per capita are mostly small countries with extreme climate conditions.
• Gibraltar has the highest per capita energy consumption at 1.52 million kWh, followed by Qatar, Iceland, and Singapore.

Energy Sources

• There are many ways to produce energy, including non-renewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas) and renewable energy sources (hydropower, wind, solar, biofuels).
• Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly popular, with a 2019 share of 11% in global energy production (up from 5% 50 years ago and 7% 20 years ago).
• The top ten countries for renewable energy production are led by China, the United States, and Brazil.

Renewable Energy

• Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy globally, but wind and solar power are the most popular options for increasing renewable energy.
• Denmark was the first country to generate more electricity from wind power in one day than the country used, achieving 140% of electricity demand on July 9th, 2015.
• Solar and wind power have the most potential as energy sources, according to a 2017 graph.