Energy Consumption Basics

Study Notes

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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