by | March 23, 2011 · 10:54 AM
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Efficiency of the US Electrical Grid

Efficiency of Electrical Grids

Area      % Efficiency

Japan     90
Europe    80
US        34

How lame. Our grid was designed a century ago, and it loses 2/3 of the power it produces! Ridiculous.

7 Comments

Filed under Americas, Asia, Europe, Japan, NE Asia, North America, Regional, USA

7 Responses to Efficiency of the US Electrical Grid

  1. tulio
    March 23, 2011 at 2:30 PM

    Can you explain this more in detail? Where does the power go that we are losing?

    Reply
  2. Huax
    March 23, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    tulio, probably fritters away into the atmosphere.

    Reply
  3. James Schipper
    March 23, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    Dear Robert
    Can’t part of the loss be explained by the fact that the US is much less densely populated than Japan or Europe and that electricity on average has to travel much farther in the US than in Japan or Europe. Just a thought. James

    Reply
  4. Uncle Milton
    March 23, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    To Rob:

    Efficiency of Electrical Grids
    Area % Efficiency
    Japan 90
    Europe 80
    US 34

    As Robert Shipper indicated losses increase with the distance that the electricity has to travel which inherently make the US less efficient. That said these figures appear rather low… can you cite your sources.

    Look at the following link:
    http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/07/energy-efficiency-in-the-power-grid-49238

    ” According to data from the Energy Information Administration, net generation in the US came to over 3.9 billion megawatt hours (MWh) in 2005 while retail power sales during that year were about 3.6 billion MWh. T&D losses amounted to 239 million MWh, or 6.1% of net generation.

    The electrical grid is being rebuilt and reworked all the time.. I find it hard to believe we are 1/3 as efficient as Japan.

    Reply
  5. Huax
    March 25, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    The US is much less densely populated as a whole but the vast majority of the population is concentrated into relatively small portions of total area

    Reply

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