Resource efficiency with useful heat or electricity
One way to determine which energy source is best for the environment is to assess the benefit in the form of heat or electricity a power stroke can provide. The tables below can be read as 1 unit of fuel provides x heat and y electricity. Higher number is better.
Note that "useful heat out" greater than 100 means that the end result is more heat energy than if the fuel were burned directly for heating.
All types of power
| Power source 100% in |
% Electricity out | % Warm up | % Useful heat out with VP COP 4 |
Net effect electricity production % fuel in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct combustion for heat (wood burning, pellets, oil, gas) |
0 | 100 | 100 | 25 |
| Internal combustion engine with gas/liquid fuel (Gen set) |
35 | 0 | 140 | 35 |
| Solid fuel in condensation power plant | 40 | 0 | 160 | 40 |
| Combustion engine with gas/liquid fuel with district heating | 35 | 65 | 205 | 51 |
| Solid fuel in cogeneration plants | 40 | 60 | 220 | 55 |
| Gas/liquid fuel in gas combined cycle power plant without district heating | 60 | 0 | 240 | 60 |
| Gas/liquid fuel in gas combined heat and power plants with district heating | 60 | 40 | 280 | 70 |
Electric car compared to petrol car
An electric car cuts carbon dioxide emissions in half compared to a petrol car if the electricity is produced with petrol.
If gasoline is used in a car engine, a maximum of 30% can become electricity = kinetic energy under optimal conditions.
If gasoline is used to produce electricity in a gas combined cycle power plant with a combined cycle, you can get about 60% electricity = kinetic energy.
Solid fuels
| Power stroke 100% in |
% Electricity out | % Warm up | % Useful heat out with VP COP 4 |
Net effect electricity production % fuel in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct combustion for heat (wood burning, pellets, oil, gas) |
0 | 100 | 100 | 25 |
| Solid fuel in condensation power plant | 40 | 0 | 160 | 40 |
| Solid fuel in cogeneration plants | 40 | 60 | 220 | 55 |
Gas and liquid fuels
| Power out | % Electricity out | % Heat out | % Useful heat out with VP COP 4 |
Net effect electricity production % fuel in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct combustion for heat (wood burning, pellets, oil, gas) |
0 | 100 | 100 | 25 |
| Internal combustion engine with gas/liquid fuel (Gen set) |
35 | 0 | 140 | 35 |
| Combustion engine with gas/liquid fuel with district heating | 35 | 65 | 205 | 51 |
| Gas/liquid fuel in gas combined cycle power plant without district heating | 60 | 0 | 240 | 60 |
| Gas/liquid fuel in gas combined heat and power plants with district heating | 60 | 40 | 280 | 70 |