The energy contained per unit of a given fuel.
Used to calculate:fossil fuels consumed and biomass fuels consumed
Varies by: fuel
| Used | fuel | Reference | Location: Ecosystem (study period) |
Value | Units | Notes |
|---|
| * | Biodiesel | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 117100 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content for this fuel type. |
| * | Coal | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 19612000 | Btu / short ton | This value is the consumption average of net heat content for this fuel type. |
| Coal | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 20192000 | Btu / short ton | This value is the production average of net heat content for this fuel type. | |
| * | Diesel / light fuel oil | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 128700 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of this fuel type. |
| * | Electricity | EIA 2012 Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator | US: All () | 3412 | Btu / kWh | This value is the fuel heat content (Btu) per kiloWatt-hour of electricity. |
| * | Ethanol | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 75700 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of this fuel. |
| * | Gas-electric hybrid | Sandalow 2009 - Plug-In Electric Vehicles: What Role for Washington? | Global: All () | 3421.8 | Btu / kWh | This value represents the energy content of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can travel 60 miles using only grid-supplied electricity (PHEV60). The text says that PHEV20's drive 74% of their miles in all-electric mode. Therefore, we used 74% of the heat content of electricity (found in EIA 2012 Fuel Comparison Calculator) and 26% of the heat content of gasoline (found in Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook) in order to calculate the heat content of this type of gas-electric hybrid. |
| Gas-electric hybrid | Sandalow 2009 - Plug-In Electric Vehicles: What Role for Washington? | Global: All () | 3435.7 | Btu / kWh | This value represents the energy content of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can travel 20 miles using only grid-supplied electricity (PHEV20). The text says that PHEV20's drive 39% of their miles in all-electric mode. Therefore, we used 39% of the heat content of electricity (found in EIA 2012 Fuel Comparison Calculator) and 61% of the heat content of gasoline (found in Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook) in order to calculate the heat content of this type of gas-electric hybrid. | |
| * | Gasoline | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 115400 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of this fuel. |
| * | Geothermal | Barbier 2002 - Geothermal energy technology and current status: an overview | Global: Hydrothermal vapour-dominated system () | 670 | kcal / kg | This value represents the highest enthalpy of a hydrothermal vapour-dominated system. It is equivalent to 2800 kJ/kg. |
| * | Hydroelectric | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2010 - International Energy Statistics | Global: All () | 9760 | Btu / kWh | This value is the gross heat content of hydroelectric power in 2010 for each country that lists this data. |
| * | Hydrogen | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 113400 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content for this fuel type. |
| * | Jet fuel | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 118700 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of jet fuel (naphtha). |
| * | Kerosene | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 128100 | Btu / gallon | This value is the heat content of jet fuel (kerosene). |
| * | Municipal solid waste | EIA Renewable Energy 2011-Average Heat Content of Selected Biomass Fuels | US: All (2008) | 9945000 | Btu / short ton | This value is the average heat content of municipal solid waste. We converted this value from million Btu / short ton to Btu /short ton. |
| * | Muscle | Layton 2008- A comparison of energy densities of prevalent energy sources in units of joules per cubic meter | global : all () | 0.000278 | kWh / m3 | |
| * | Natural gas | U.S. EPA 2004 - Unit Conversions, Emissions Factors, and Other Reference Data | Global: All () | 1027 | Btu / ft3 | This value is the heat content (HHV) of natural gas. |
| * | Natural gas compressed (CNG) | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 20300 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of this fuel type. |
| * | Natural gas liquefied (LNG) | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 74700 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of this fuel type. |
| * | Nuclear material | Forinash 2013 Energy Content of Fuels | Global: All () | 88250 | MJ / kg | |
| Nuclear material | Supple 2007- Units and Conversions Fact Sheet | global: all () | 80 | GJ / kg | This value refers to the energy content of fissioned uranium = 80 GJ/g. | |
| * | Propane / LPG | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 83500 | Btu / gallon | This value is the heat content of this fuel type. |
| * | Residual fuel oil | Davis et al. 2011 Transportation Energy Databook | Global: All (2000s) | 138400 | Btu / gallon | This value is the net heat content of this fuel type. |
| * | Solar | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2010 - International Energy Statistics | Global: All () | 9760 | Btu / kWh | This value is the gross heat content of solar, tide and wave electric power (Btu per Kilowatthour). |
| * | Steam | Phetteplace 1995 Efficiency of Steam and Hot Water Heat Distribution Systems | Near Hawthorne, NV: Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant (1987-1988 heating season) | 2.42 | MJ / kg steam | "The net heat effect for saturated steam at 6.9 bars (100 psig) (170 °C or 338°F) condensed and cooled to 82 °C (180°F) is approximately 2.42 mJ/kg (1040 Btu/lbm)." |
| * | Wind | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2010 - International Energy Statistics | Global: All () | 9760 | Btu / kWh | This value is the gross heat content of solar, tide and wave electric power (Btu per Kilowatthour). |
| * | Wood and other biomass | EIA Renewable Energy 2011-Average Heat Content of Selected Biomass Fuels | US: All (2008) | 9961000 | Btu / short ton | This value is the average heat content of wood/wood waste. We converted this value from million Btu / short ton to Btu /short ton. |
| Wood and other biomass | EIA Renewable Energy 2011-Average Heat Content of Selected Biomass Fuels | US: All (2008) | 10071000 | Btu / short ton | This value is the average heat content of sludge wood. We converted this value from million Btu / short ton to Btu /short ton. |