This refers to the efficiency with which a fuel can be used to produce electricity.
Used to calculate:fossil fuels consumed and biomass fuels consumed
Varies by: fuel
| Used | fuel | Reference | Location: Ecosystem (study period) |
Value | Units | Notes |
|---|
| * | Biodiesel | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 24.6 | % (0 - 100) | We assumed the same value as diesel fuel. This value represents the efficiency of electricity production of diesel in a microturbine. |
| * | Coal | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 32.67 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal |
| Coal | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 43 | % (0 - 100) | Steam turbine coal-fired power plant: 39 to 47% | |
| Coal | International Energy Agency 2008 Energy Efficiency Indicators For Public Electricity Production From Fossil Fuels | global: all (2001-2005) | 34 | % (0 - 100) | This value represents the global average energy efficiency of this fuel type. | |
| Coal | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 47 | % (0 - 100) | Pulverised coal boilers with ultra-critical steam parameters: Up to 47% | |
| * | Diesel / light fuel oil | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 31.51 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal, for "petroleum" fuels |
| Diesel / light fuel oil | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 24.6 | % (0 - 100) | This value represents the efficiency of electricity production of diesel in a microturbine. | |
| Diesel / light fuel oil | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 42 | % (0 - 100) | Steam turbine fuel-oil power plant: 38 to 44% | |
| * | Electricity | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Ethanol | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Gas-electric hybrid | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Gasoline | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 31.51 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal, for "petroleum" fuels |
| Gasoline | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 24.6 | % (0 - 100) | This value represents the efficiency of electricity production of gasoline in a microturbine. | |
| * | Geothermal | EIA 2011- Electric Power Annual 2010 | US: All (2010) | 16 | % (0 - 100) | This value is the notional efficiency of geothermal for electricity production. |
| * | Hydroelectric | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2011 - Annual Energy Review 2010 | U.S.: All () | 90 | % (0 - 100) | This value is the conversion efficiency of producing electricity with conventional hydroelectric power. |
| * | Hydrogen | U.S. Department of Energy 2006- Hydrogen Fuel Cells | US: all () | 60 | % (0 - 100) | This value refers to the efficiency of electricity production of hydrogen fuel cells in large distributed generation or auxiliary power applications. |
| * | Jet fuel | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 31.51 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal, for "petroleum" fuels |
| Jet fuel | Gomez et al. 2006- From jet fuel to electric power | US: all () | 18 | % (0 - 100) | ||
| * | Kerosene | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 31.51 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal, for "petroleum" fuels |
| Kerosene | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 24.6 | % (0 - 100) | This value represents the efficiency of electricity production of kerosene in a microturbine. | |
| * | Municipal solid waste | IEA 2007- Biomass for Power and CHP | global: all () | 22 | % (0 - 100) | This value refers to the efficiency of electricity production in dedicated municipal solid waste cogeneration plants. |
| Municipal solid waste | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 26 | % (0 - 100) | Waste-to-electricity power plant: 22 to 28% | |
| * | Muscle | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Natural gas | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 41.86 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal |
| Natural gas | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 39 | % (0 - 100) | Large gas turbine (MW range): up to 39% | |
| Natural gas | International Energy Agency 2008 Energy Efficiency Indicators For Public Electricity Production From Fossil Fuels | global: all (2001-2005) | 40 | % (0 - 100) | This value represents the global average energy efficiency of this fuel type. | |
| Natural gas | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 58 | % (0 - 100) | Large gas fired CCGT power plant: up to 58%. In the case of CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine processes) power is generated more efficiently than in a simple gas turbine cycle: the hot exhaust gases of the gas turbine are used to produce steam that generates electricity in a steam turbine cycle. | |
| * | Natural gas compressed (CNG) | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 28.44 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Natural gas liquefied (LNG) | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 28.44 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Nuclear material | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 32.61 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal |
| Nuclear material | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 34.5 | % (0 - 100) | Nuclear power plant: 33 to 36% | |
| Nuclear material | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2011 - Annual Energy Review 2010 | U.S.: All () | 89.1 | % (0 - 100) | This value represents the generator capacity factor. The EIA defines capacity factor as a measure of how often an electric generator runs for a specific period of time. It compares how much electricity a generator actually produces with the maximum it could produce at continuous full power operation during the same period. | |
| * | Propane / LPG | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 35 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Residual fuel oil | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 Electric Power Annual 2011 | U.S.: Electric power plants (2011) | 31.51 | % (0 - 100) | Calculated from the "Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources," measured in Btu of fuel per kWh of electricity produced by converting Btu to kWh and taking the reciprocal, for "petroleum" fuels |
| Residual fuel oil | U.S. EPA 2008- Catalog of CHP Technologies | US: all () | 6.9 | % (0 - 100) | This value refers to the efficiency of electricity production from residual fuel oil in a steam turbine. | |
| * | Solar | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2011 - Annual Energy Review 2010 | U.S.: All () | 12 | % (0 - 100) | This value is the conversion efficiency of producing electricity with solar photovoltaic energy. |
| Solar | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2011 - Annual Energy Review 2010 | U.S.: All () | 21 | % (0 - 100) | This value is the conversion efficiency of producing electricity with solar thermal power. | |
| * | Steam | Energy and Environment Analysis 2008 Technology characterization: steam turbines | USA: Large, electric utilities (2008) | 36 | % (0 - 100) | "Electrical generating efficiency of steam turbine power plants varies from a high of 36 percent HHV [higher heating value] for large, electric utility plants designed for the highest practical annual capacity factor...." |
| Steam | Energy and Environment Analysis 2008 Technology characterization: steam turbines | USA: Small, simple plants (2008) | 10 | % (0 - 100) | "Electrical generating efficiency of steam turbine power plants varies from ... to under 10 percent for small simple plants which make electricity as a byproduct of delivering steam for industrial processes or district heating for colleges, industrial parks, or building complexes." | |
| * | Wind | U.S. Energy Information Administration 2011 - Annual Energy Review 2010 | U.S.: All () | 26 | % (0 - 100) | This value is the conversion efficiency of producing electricity with wind. |
| * | Wood and other biomass | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 35 | % (0 - 100) | Biomass and biogas: 30-40% |
| Wood and other biomass | IEA 2007- Biomass for Power and CHP | global: all () | 40 | % (0 - 100) | This value refers to the highest possible efficiency of electricity production from wood chips in a cogeneration plant. | |
| Wood and other biomass | EURELECTRIC 2003 Efficiency of Electricity Generation | Europe: Electric power plants (2003) | 40 | % (0 - 100) | Biomass gasification combined cycle power plant: 40% |