Primary energy consumption

Primary energy consumption ( PEV ) is the consumption of primary energy that a process requires. The primary energy consumption results from the final energy consumption and the losses that occur when generating the final energy from the primary energy.

From an economic point of view, primary energy consumption is the total amount of primary energy supplied to an economy . It is usually determined for a period of one year. With her are energy services rendered. These include production, heating , cooling, moving, electronic data processing , telecommunications or lighting. This energy is usually used again shortly after it has been extracted . A part is stored in coal heaps , natural gas caverns , oil tank farms or oil caverns.

The term energy consumption is imprecise in the physical sense, since energy cannot be consumed ( energy conservation law ), but only converted ( energy conversion ) or devalued ( energy devaluation ). What is actually consumed are the (conventional) energy sources used.

In some cases, the state acts as a stockpile for strategic reserves , for example for strategic oil reserves .

Companies stockpile primary energy sources in order in times of high energy consumption ( power ) load peaks to serve.

Energy sources used

The energy sources used are:

Conventional energy:

• oil
• Natural gas , ( GTL )
• Hard coal
• Brown coal
• Nuclear energy

Renewable Energy :

• Hydropower
• Wind energy
• Solar energy ( photovoltaics , solar thermal )
• Biomass
• Geothermal energy

Determination of consumption

The Working Group on Energy Balances defines primary energy consumption as follows:

Primary energy consumption in the country = energy supply in the country - export - deep sea bunkering - stockpiling.

The domestic energy volume results from:

Domestic energy production = domestic energy production + imports + stock withdrawals

The domestic primary energy consumption results from the domestic energy supply, adjusted for the trade balance with foreign countries and changes in storage levels.

Efficiency principle

The efficiency principle has been used in Germany since 1995 to calculate primary energy consumption . It is also used by the international organizations IEA , EUROSTAT and ECE .

In the case of the energy carriers that convert their energy by burning and whose calorific value is known (mainly fossil energy carriers), the respective calorific value is multiplied by the respective amount used. For the energy sources biomass, garbage and sewage sludge , if no calorific value is known, the substitution method described below is used to determine the energies involved in primary energy consumption.

The evaluation of nuclear energy is based on an efficiency of 33% in the conversion of energy into electricity. In the primary energy consumption, the nuclear power flows with more than three times the energy of the electricity generated by the nuclear power. Compared to the substitution method, the efficiency method leads to a higher proportion of primary energy in the case of nuclear energy and a lower proportion of the other energy sources.

When generating electricity from other energy sources, e.g. B. regenerative energies such as water power, wind or photovoltaics, only the generated electrical energy flows into the primary energy consumption. This assumes an efficiency of 100% for calculating the primary energy consumption. The energy sources hydropower, wind or photovoltaics are, compared to energy sources whose implementation uses a low level of efficiency, strongly underrepresented in the statistics on primary energy consumption, for example by a factor of 3 in relation to nuclear power without combined heat and power . In 2006 none of the operating nuclear power plants in Germany had a combined heat and power system.

The balance of the external electricity trade is also directly included in the primary energy consumption, here too an efficiency of 100% is assumed, so to speak, for the balance of the imported electricity. Germany has been an electricity exporter on balance since 2003, with a record export surplus of around 5% of gross electricity generation in 2013 (status at the end of 2013).

The energies thus determined are in the primary energy consumption adds up .

Substitution method

The substitution method is also based on the calorific value and the quantities of energy sources used.

However, when calculating the primary energy consumption with the substitution method, it is assumed that the electricity from the energy sources to which no calorific value can be assigned (nuclear power, hydropower, wind and photovoltaics), and possibly the electricity import balance, replaces (substitutes) the corresponding electricity generation in conventional thermal power plants. The energy of the conventional energy sources is then used for the calculation, which would have been necessary on average to generate the “replaced” electricity.

The share of renewable energies in primary energy consumption is different depending on the calculation, whether according to the substitution method or the efficiency principle. For example, the share of renewable energies in Germany in 2005 was 4.6% according to the efficiency principle and around 6.6% according to the substitution method.

Until 1994, the substitution method was used in Germany to determine primary energy consumption.

units

The primary energy consumption is usually given as energy related to a certain period of time (often one year). The standardized unit of energy is the watt second ( joule ). Because a watt-second is quite small in relation to typical primary energy information, watt hours (Wh) or their multiples are usually used in practice (see prefixes for units of measurement ):

• 1 kJ / year (kilojoules / year ) = joules / year = 0.0317 mW ${\displaystyle 10^{3}}$
• 1 MJ / year (megajoules / year) = joules / year = 0.0317 watts ${\displaystyle 10^{6}}$
• 1 GJ / year (gigajoules / year) = joules / year = 0.0317 kW ${\displaystyle 10^{9}}$
• 1 TJ / year (terajoules / year) = joules / year = 0.0317 MW ${\displaystyle 10^{12}}$
• 1 PJ / year (petajoules / year) = joules / year = 0.0317 GW ${\displaystyle 10^{15}}$
• 1 EJ / year (Exajoule / year) = Joule / year = 0.0317 TW ${\displaystyle 10^{18}}$

Energy per unit of time (e.g. petajoules per year) represents a unit of power. Thus, the primary energy consumption within a certain period of time can also be viewed as the average power consumption during this period. For Germany, for example, the primary energy consumption in 2004 was 14,438 PJ. This corresponds to an average output of 458 GW or 5.55 kW per capita for a population of 82.5 million people.

Many other units can also be found in older literature; some of them are still used today. Examples are:

• TWh per year
• Million kWh per year
• Million tonnes of coal equivalent per year
• Billion BTU per year
• Million barrels of oil per year
• G t ÖE (Eng. Oe) per year

Watt hours and multiples thereof (such as kWh or TWh) are not SI units, but as the product of the SI unit watt and the hour permitted for use in connection with the International System of Units (SI) , they are often considered to conform to the standard.

Final energy consumption

→ Main article : Final energy

The energy supplied to end customers in Germany is known as final energy . Before the energy is delivered to the end customer, the primary energies are partially converted. For example, the chemical energy of coal is converted into electrical energy in power plants and provided as electrical power, or crude oil (petroleum) is converted into fuel in refineries. Since part of the energy is lost during the conversion (or converted physically more correctly into forms of energy that can no longer be used), the total of the final energy consumption is lower than the total of the primary energy consumption. The primary energy consumption, which was determined according to the efficiency principle, also includes all conversion and transmission losses, apart from the exception described under the efficiency principle . Since some of the primary energy carriers are first converted into secondary energy carriers (e.g. electricity or fuels), the distribution of final energy consumption by energy carrier differs considerably from that of primary energy consumption.

At the end consumer, too, there is often an energy conversion to provide an energy service. If the losses of this conversion stage are subtracted from the final energy consumption, the result is called useful energy .

Primary consumption according to the efficiency principle for Germany

Statistics type	Share in PEV 2011	Share in PEV 2018
mineral oil	33.3%	34.1%
natural gas	21.4%	23.5%
Hard coal	12.6%	10.1%
Brown coal	11.5%	11.5%
Renewable energy	10.8%	14.0%
Nuclear energy	8.7%	6.4%
total	13,599 PJ	12,900 PJ

Gross final energy consumption

The gross final energy consumption consists of the energy products (electricity, district heating, petrol, diesel, gas, etc.) that are supplied to industry, the transport sector, households, the service sector, including the public service sector, as well as agriculture, forestry and fishing for energy purposes be together. The electricity and heat consumption that the energy industry needs for electricity and heat generation is also added. Furthermore, the losses in electricity, heat distribution and transmission are also included.

In 2009, the European Parliament decided (Directive 2009/28 / EC) as a binding target for the entire EU to increase the share of renewable sources in gross final energy consumption to 20% by 2020 or, in the transport sector, a share of renewable energy sources of at least To reach 10%. Different national target values ​​were set, for Germany the share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption is to be increased to 18% by 2020.

Gross final energy consumption in Germany 2005–2010

Statistics type	2005	2008	2009	2010
Final energy consumption (according to energy balance)	9 239 PJ	9 098 PJ	8 692 PJ	9 060 PJ
Flare and line losses (electricity)	106 PJ	108 PJ	90 PJ	87 PJ
Flare and line losses (heat)	39 PJ	37 PJ	37 PJ	37 PJ
Own consumption of power plants and heating plants (electricity)	141 PJ	138 PJ	128 PJ	143 PJ
Self-consumption of power plants and thermal power plants (heat)	0	0	0	0
Gross final energy consumption	9 524 PJ	9 382 PJ	8,947 PJ	9 327 PJ
Total renewable energy sources	769 PJ	1 147 PJ	1,201 PJ	1,366 PJ
Share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption	8.1%	12.2%	13.4%	14.6%

Consumption by country

Germany

→ Main article : "Energy consumption in Germany" in the energy consumption article

Primary energy consumption in Germany in 2018 was around 13,106 petajoules (PJ), corresponding to 3,753 billion kWh.

Europe

In 2011, primary energy consumption in Europe ( OECD countries) was approx. 73,060 petajoules (PJ), corresponding to 20,300 billion kWh ( indicated in the source as 1,745 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe)).

Worldwide

→ Main article : World energy demand

In 2011, primary energy consumption worldwide was 532,400 petajoules (PJ), corresponding to 147,900 billion kWh ( indicated in the source as 12,717 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe)).

See also

• Energy industry
• List of countries with the highest energy consumption

Web links

• Working group on energy balances: Current primary energy consumption in Germany
• State working group on energy balances
• Converter for energy units

Individual evidence

1. ^ Foreword to the energy balances for the Federal Republic of Germany (PDF; 165 kB), accessed on September 15, 2013
2. ^ Foreword to the energy balances for the FRG. ( Memento of the original from April 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) Working Group on Energy Balances 
3. ↑ Methodology for the formation of indicators in PEV. ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Federal Environment Agency 
4. ↑ Graphics and tables on the development of renewable energies in Germany.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ( MS Powerpoint ) Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, May 2006  
5. ↑ Evaluation tables for the energy balance for the Federal Republic of Germany 1990 to 2012 ( memento of the original from March 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) As of July 2013, accessed on September 14, 2013. 
6. ↑ Primary energy consumption in Germany in 2018 . BMWi . Retrieved January 14, 2020.
7. ↑ ^{a b} Directive 2009/28 / EC (PDF)
8. ↑ Energy consumption in Germany in 2011. ( Memento of the original from August 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen e. V. (as of March 5, 2012) 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Key World Energy Statistics . (PDF; 6.1 MB) International Energy Agency (IAE), Paris 2012