Where does all that energy go?

Ever wonder where energy goes, in terms of personal housing and transportation? Here are some rough estimates. The first graph includes residential uses but not personal transportation. The second graph adds personal transportation, in terms of both automobile and air. Energy quantities are shown in millions of BTUs per household per year. If you prefer to think in terms of kilowatt hours, the conversion is: 1 kWh = 3414 BTU.

Graphs are courtesy of Stuart Staniford, as published in the Energy Bulletin, August 11, 2010.

Nuclear Splits?

The use of nuclear fission to generate electricity has always been problematic. For years, however, the most often-voiced concerns revolved around safety. But gradually, over time, the issue of economics has increasingly been raised. And now a true mind-blower: a recent study out of Duke University suggests that, in North Carolina, nuclear power is more costly than electricity produced via photovoltaics!!

There are actually two studies of importance here. The first, claiming the economic advantage of PV over nuclear, is entitled Solar and Nuclear Costs -- The Historic Crossover and can be found here. But the authors' arguments really build, almost entirely, on a prior study entitled The Economics of Nuclear Reactors: Renaissance or Relapse? That second -- but more fundamental -- study can be found here.

This is extremely important material, and it constitutes a potential game-changer.

Thanks to Walter Hill for bringing this to my attention!