Fossil fuels are organic fuels derived from geologically transformed organic materials, especially plants and phytoplankton. They include petroleum-based fuels like gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene, and propane / liquid petroleum gas (LPG); coal; and natural gas. Fossil fuels are central to modern energy use; they are used to heat and cool buildings, move vehicles for transportation, and for a variety of other residential, industrial and commercial uses. We estimate the energy consumption of each of these uses separately, then estimate the fuels consumed to generate the energy. Fuel consumption includes fossil fuels burned to generate electricity, both locally through power plants, and through the grid.
Used to calculate: fossil fuels, fuel combustion (CO2 output) and methane output
Depends upon:
—Parameters: air changes per hour, air density, animal heat generation rate, animal respiration rate, assumed U factor of floor, carbon content of plant biomass, cooking energy demand rate density, cooling days, cooling degree days, days of fuel storage, electricity production rate density, energy content of fuel, energy efficiency of fuel for cooking, energy efficiency of fuel for cooling, energy efficiency of fuel for electricity production, energy efficiency of fuel for heating, energy efficiency of fuel for lighting and appliances, energy efficiency of fuel for steam production, heating days, heating degree days, hours per day, lighting and appliances energy demand rate density, mileage of freight mode by fuel, mileage of transport mode by fuel, proportion of cooking provided by fuel, proportion of cooling provided by fuel, proportion of electricity generated by fuel , proportion of freight mode by fuel, proportion of grid electricity provided by fuel, proportion of heating provided by fuel, proportion of lighting and appliances by fuel, proportion of steam provided by fuel, proportion of transport mode by fuel, specific heat capacity of air, steam production rate density, U factor of roof, U factor of walls and use heat generation rate density
—Other metrics: ecosystem area