The ways we heat, cool, travel, and power our devices determine demand for energy. Efficiency and electrification are key to energy services with the lowest lifecycle, economic, social, and environmental costs.
Digitalization uses digital technologies and systems to improve, transform, or create processes, operations, and services. It involves integrating digital tools and technologies, especially computers and
One outstanding feature of historical energy transitions was the change in the cost, power, and efficiency of the energy converters that humans used to perform
In 1898, H. Riall Sankey developed a diagram illustrating steam engine efficiency, leading to the widespread use of Sankey diagrams for visualizing energy flows in various systems. They effectively display energy extraction, transformation, consumption, and losses while mapping the roles of primary and secondary energy sources across different usage sectors.
The article examines hydrogen energy as a decarbonization strategy, focusing on its use in district heating systems. It highlights efficiency comparisons between blue and green hydrogen pathways, emphasizing that district heating is generally more efficient and cost-effective. Despite its advantages, high initial costs and regulatory challenges hinder widespread adoption.
Energy historian Roger Fouquet’s analysis of historic energy transitions in household heating in England from 1300 to 2000 reveals interesting trends. The shift from wood to coal and later to natural gas resulted in fluctuations in fuel prices. Despite the increase in energy costs, improvements in technology and air quality led to a significant decrease in the price of heating services by 2000.
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