Below we discuss the efficiency of fossil fuels vs renewable energy.
We explain what ‘efficiency’ means when it comes to energy, the factors that might contribute to efficiency, and also how each of these types of energy sources might perform.
Summary – Efficiency Of Fossil Fuels vs Renewable Energy
Different Types Of Fossil Fuels & Renewable Energy Sources
Some of the main fossil fuels are coal, natural gas, and oil
Some of the main renewable energy sources are solar, wind, and hydro
What Is Energy Efficiency?
We’ve provided a general description of energy efficiency in the guide below
Which Energy Sources Are The Most & Least Efficient?
We’ve outlined three sets of data about the efficiency of different energy sources in the guide below
One set of data might show:
Wind being the most efficient energy source, with geothermal in second
Coal, oil and natural gas being the least efficient energy sources
Another set of data might show:
Tidal energy as being more efficient than both wind energy and solar energy – this may make it one of the most efficient energy sources when compared to the first set of data
The last set of data might show:
Both gas and also coal having a higher energy efficiency % than both solar energy and petroleum/oil based vehicle fuels like gasoline when used in car engines
This may result in solar ranking much lower on the list here in terms of energy efficiency compared to the first data set, whilst coal and gas may rank slightly higher
Efficiency Of Fossil Fuels vs Renewable Energy
The first set of data (and second set of data) shows renewable energy as being much more efficient that fossil fuel energy on average
The last set of data might have a discrepancy with the first set of data – at least when it comes to gas and coal (both fossil fuels) ranking above solar energy (which is a form of renewable energy) for efficiency
What Might Make Some Fossil Fuels Inefficient?
We summarise what might make fossil fuels inefficient in the guide below
However, fossil fuels may experience energy waste, energy loss, and more intensive resource and energy use across the different energy lifecycle stages
The Potential Hidden Inefficiency & Costs Of Fossil Fuels
Some reports may indicate that fossil fuels have hidden inefficiencies and costs related to the resources and costs that may have to be invested into preventing, mitigating or addressing any environmental issues that fossil fuels contribute to
As a result, we may pay for a much higher energy % than what we actually get out of the original resource.
Most Efficient Renewable Energy Sources
Wind might be one of the most efficient renewable energy sources
What Might Make Some Renewable Energy Sources Efficient?
Compared to some fossil fuels, some renewable energy sources might have a simpler process with less steps, less conversions, and less intensive resources and energy use required to convert the energy into electricity
There may be less energy waste and energy loss associated with the different energy lifecycle stages
There’s also no direct combustion required for renewable energy
Systems and devices that use renewable energy sources can be more efficient in some cases too
Biomass and bioenergy might be one of the exceptions to the above generalisations, as biomass and bioenergy sometimes do involve refining and processing – like for biofuels for example
Do Renewable Energy Sources Have Hidden Inefficiency & Costs Too?
Below, we list some of the potential reasons why renewable energy sources may have hidden inefficiency and costs too
How Do Fossil Fuels & Also Renewable Energy Compare To The Efficiency Nuclear Energy?
The first set of data indicates that:
– Wind, geothermal and hydro might retain more energy input than nuclear when converting fuel to electricity
– Nuclear might retain more energy input than solar, natural gas, oil and coal when converting fuel to electricity
Miscellaneous Factors That Can Impact Efficiency
There’s different factors that can impact energy efficiency for each energy source
Some factors specific to solar energy might be the weather/climate, and, mono crystalline solar panels might be the most efficient types of solar panels
Some factors specific to wind energy might be the type of turbine used, whether it’s offshore or onshore wind, and obviously the speed and strength of the wind
A factor specific to fossil fuels like coal might be the type of power plant used
Why Not All Wasted Energy Might Be The Same
Below, we outline why even though some energy sources might waste similar %’s of their original energy, the energy waste (or loss) from some energy sources might not be as costly or as problematic as the energy waste from other energy sources
The Overall Feasibility Of Different Energy Sources May Depend On More Factors That Just Their Energy Efficiency
Below, we discuss how practical and economic factors outside of just energy efficiency might need to be considered when assessing the overall feasibility of different energy sources
We also identify a good report by quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com, that goes into more detail about these factors, and breaks them down more comprehensively
How Energy Source Efficiency Is Calculated
We list some reports below that go into more detail about how energy efficiency is calculated
One common way might be to calculate the % of available energy that can be used or captured that actually gets turned into electricity
An example of this might be what % of all sunlight that hits a solar panel gets turned into electricity
Energy Efficiency Can Ultimately Differ Between Different Geographic Locations
Below, we list some of variables and factors that might contribute to energy efficiency differing between the different geographic locations around the world
What Is Energy Efficiency?
A general description of energy efficiency for energy sources might be:
Energy efficiency is the % of original energy input that is retained when converting an energy source from it’s primary energy source into a secondary energy source (like electricity)
Other reports also indicate though that it might be described as the amount of energy potential an energy source is able to convert into electricity
The more original energy input that is wasted or lost during conversion, or in the stages leading up to the energy source being used as a secondary energy source (such as electricity, or a transport fuel), the less efficient it might be.
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
Efficiency is explicitly a measurement of how much of a given resource’s energy potential gets turned into electricity
Which Energy Sources Are The Most & Least Efficient?
Below are three different sets of data on the energy efficiency of different energy sources
We’ve summarised each one in terms of the results they might show
Data Set 1 On Energy Efficiency
Wind might be the most efficient energy source, with geothermal in second
Renewables generally rank as the most efficient energy sources on the list
Coal, oil and natural gas (in that order) might be least efficient energy sources, along with biomass close to them. This might make sense when considering the energy conversion processes these energy sources have to go through
And, fossil fuels generally rank as the most inefficient energy sources on the list
[In the US, the following energy sources might retain the following % of energy input when converting fuel to electricity:]
[Note – these %’s are the national average – so, the actual % can vary State to State]
Coal – 29% [least efficient, and retains just 29% of its original energy when converting fuel into electricity]
Oil – 31%
Natural Gas – 38%
Biomass – 52%
Solar – 207%
Nuclear – 290%
Hydro – 317%
Geothermal – 514%
Wind – 1164% [most efficient, and creates 1164% of its original energy input when converting fuel into electricity]
– hortidaily.com
Data Set 2 On Energy Efficiency
Comparing woodharbinger.com’s data to hortidaily.com’s data (which listed wind as the most efficient energy source), tidal energy may have the potential to be the most efficient energy in terms of conversion efficiency
It might at least rank as one of the most efficient energy sources if it is more efficient than solar as well
The density of water may contribute to tidal energy’s efficiency when compared to the density of wind
woodharbinger.com indicates this specifically about tidal energy:
[Tidal energy] … is more efficient than wind energy due to the density of water and more efficient than solar energy due to its high ~80% conversion efficiency
Data Set 3 On Energy Efficiency
The data below has what appears to be some slightly different results that the data above
Both gas and also coal may have a higher energy efficiency % than both solar energy and petroleum/oil based vehicle fuels like gasoline when used in car engines
So, compared the the first data set, solar may rank much lower on the list here in terms of energy efficiency, whilst coal and gas may rank slightly higher
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
[For solar energy …] ‘Solar turns around 20% of it’s energy potential into electricity’ …
[For oil and specifically petroleum based fuels like gasoline …] ‘Car engines only turn about 20% of the energy in gas into movement …’
[For coal energy …] ‘Coal plants achieve from 33% to 40% efficiency in the best cases …’
[For gas energy …] ‘Combined cycle gas plants, where the heat is used in addition to the mechanical energy to generate electricity manage to make it up to about 54% efficiency’
Efficiency Of Fossil Fuels vs Renewable Energy
hortidaily.com’s data may indicate that renewable energy is more efficient than fossil fuels in the US when measuring which energy sources retain the highest % of energy input when converting fuel to electricity
However, the quora.com/forbes.com data may indicate that some fossil fuels have a higher efficiency % than some renewable energy sources
Efficiency Of Individual Energy Sources
Using the hortidaily.com, woodharbinger.com, and quora.com/forbes.com data from above, a summary of the energy efficiency of the individual energy sources might be …
How Efficient Is Coal Energy?
One set of data may suggest that coal retains 29% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
Another set of data may suggest that coal plants are capable of up to 33 to 44% efficiency
How Efficient Is Oil Energy?
For Electricity
One set of data may suggest that oil retains 31% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
For Fuel & Vehicle Propulsion
Another set of data may suggest that petroleum based vehicle fuels like gasoline when used in car engines might be 20% efficient
How Efficient Is Natural Gas Energy?
One set of data may suggest that natural gas retains 38% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
Another set of data may suggest that some combined cycle gas plants where both heat and mechanical energy are used generate electricity may be up to 54% efficient
How Efficient Is Solar Energy?
One set of data may suggest that solar energy creates 207% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
Another set of data may suggest that solar is capable of turning 20% of it’s energy potential into electricity
There may also be efficiency differences in the different types of solar technology – silicon panels and also cadmium telluride technology
grist.org mentions that ‘Historically, silicon panels have had higher efficiencies than Telluride technology, though that gap is [now] narrowing [to a point that they are very similar]’
How Efficient Is Wind Energy?
Wind energy might create 1164% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
Efficiency Of Solar Energy vs Wind Energy
There’s several reports that individually compare the efficiency of solar energy vs wind energy, in terms of what % of available energy (or energy that can be captured) is turned to electricity
These reports generally indicate that solar is about 18-23% efficient (so – 18-23% of all sunlight that hits solar panels is turned to electricity), compared to wind being about 50-60% efficient (i.e. about 50-60% of wind that passes over turbines is turned into electricity)
Some of these reports indicate that the efficiency of solar energy can be impacted by how efficient the solar panels themselves are i.e. some solar panels are more efficient than others at converting available energy to electricity
To read more, refer to the weforum.org, regenpower.com, harrisonssolar.co.nz, and verdeenergy.com reports
How Efficient Is Hydro Energy?
Hydro energy might create 317% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
How Efficient Is Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal might create 514% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
How Efficient Are Tidal & Wave Energy?
One set of data may suggest that tidal energy:
– May be more efficient than both wind energy and solar energy
– May have a conversion efficiency of around 80%
How Efficient Is Biomass Energy?
Biomass might retain 52% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
How Efficient Is Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear energy might create 290% of it’s energy input when converting fuel to electricity in the US
What Might Make Some Fossil Fuels Inefficient?
Energy waste, energy loss, and also resource and energy use across the different energy lifecycle stages might make fossil fuels more inefficient
The various inputs and resources that are used convert fossil fuels into electricity might also decrease the efficiency of fossil fuels – the processing and refining of fossil fuels for example actually require other fossil fuels for energy
From vox.com:
… fossil fuel combustion is wasteful [i.e. it wastes and uses a lot of energy across the conversion process].
[At every stage of the fossil fuel energy lifecycle process, there is loss. Those stages include …] Mining or drilling fossil fuels, transporting them, refining them, burning them, converting them to useful energy, using the energy, disposing of the waste and pollution …
Burning fossil fuels, for electricity, heat, or transportation, inherently involves enormous levels of waste.
The Potential Hidden Inefficiency & Costs Of Fossil Fuels
A factor that may indirectly impact the efficiency and also cost of fossil fuels compared to renewables might be resources and costs invested to prevent, mitigate or address any environmental issues caused by fossil fuels.
For example, carbon capture technology on coal plants can be expensive in terms of capital cost, and also require energy to operate.
There’s other prevention examples like this, but also examples to address or mitigate for greenhouse emissions and all air pollution.
The true costs and resources used for prevention, mitigation, and addressing though might be hard to calculate though.
For fossil fuels, we may pay for a much higher energy % than what we actually get out of the original resource.
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
… with fossil fuels … we are paying for 100% of it plus the costs associated with addressing carbon emissions and other externalities … so it’s ‘arguable that we are paying for 300% of the fuel but only getting 20% to 50% out of it’
What Might Make Some Renewable Energy Sources Efficient Compared To Fossil Fuels?
Converting some renewable energy sources into electricity might be a simpler process with less steps, less conversions, and less resources and energy required than fossil fuels
There may be less energy waste and energy loss associated with the different lifecycle stages
There’s also no direct combustion for renewables like there is for energy sources like coal or petroleum based vehicle fuels.
For example, it might be simpler and less resource intensive to convert sunlight or wind into electricity, compared to the mining/extraction, refining and processing, and combustion of coal for conversion into electricity
Electric systems and devices that use renewable energy sources may provide additional efficiency benefits
From vox.com:
Renewable electricity … is simpler [across the entire process to get to the stage to generate electricity]. It involves no combustion and fewer conversions [than the fossil fuel conversion process] generally.
… Electric motors are [also] simpler than combustion engines, with fewer moving parts, substantially lower maintenance costs, and much higher efficiency.
… Electrified heating and transportation sectors can be integrated into electricity grid operations, creating system efficiencies
Do Renewable Energy Sources Have Potential Hidden Inefficiency And Costs Too Though?
A question that might be worth asking is whether renewable energy sources have hidden inefficiency and costs similar to fossil fuels
For example, some of the environmental or sustainability drawbacks to some renewable energy sources might be that:
– They still have a sustainability footprint to manufacture equipment like solar panels and wind turbines, and this equipment eventually becomes waste too
– They ultimately still rely on fossil fuels right now for things like plastic, and grease and lubricants
Energy To Electricity Conversion %, & Why Not All Energy Waste Might Be The Same
Not all wasted energy or wasted energy potential might be the same – where the energy waste comes from might matter when it comes to assessing energy efficiency
For example, solar and some fossil fuel products may convert similar amounts of energy into electricity or movement (in the case of transport fuels), but, renewable energy waste might waste less money, be more sustainable in some ways, and have a smaller waste footprint
Some commentary on the energy waste from different energy sources is …
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
‘Solar turns around 20% of it’s energy potential into electricity’ [but the other 80% that is wasted is not expensive and may not really even be considered waste]
‘Car engines only turn about 20% of the energy in gas into movement, with the rest being waste heat.’
‘Coal plants achieve from 33% to 40% efficiency in the best cases, with the rest being just wasted heat.’
The Overall Feasibility Of Different Energy Sources May Depend On More Factors Than Just Their Energy Efficiency
Beyond just the energy efficiency of different energy sources, there might be other other factors that impact their overall feasibility from a practical and economic standpoint
They include the maximum efficiency, capacity factor, electricity generation potential, and the economics of using each energy source
One report may indicate that a practical and economic limitation of some baseload fossil fuel energy sources like coal, but also nuclear, may be that they are not economically feasible if they aren’t being run for majority of the time
Other energy sources like natural gas might be able to be ramped up and down, and solar and some wind energy might be able to be turned off to allow base load forms of energy to continue electricity generation
These considerations might make some energy sources more flexible and feasible in some ways from a practical and also an economic point of view than other energy sources when operated in a power grid
The information below comes from quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com. Some of it may be paraphrased …
Theoretical Maximum Efficiency
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
Each energy source has a Betz’ Limit theoretical maximum efficiency
… the theoretical maximum efficiency of wind energy isn’t that different from a combined cycle gas plant
Capacity Factor, & Electricity Generation Potential Of Different Energy Sources
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
… but, maximum efficiency has to be combined with the capacity factor (how much capacity for energy generation an energy source has in a given year) to determine the electricity generation potential of an energy source
Solar capacity factor ranges from 15% to 25%, and modern wind farms range from 40% for onshore to 77% one year for the best offshore site
Traditional/legacy forms of electricity generation tend to have low capacity factors … ‘Nuclear is high at 90% because it can’t actually run at less than that capacity factor and pay for itself’ … ‘Coal in the USA was at 60% or so a decade ago, but now it’s at 50% [nationally] because wind, solar and gas are cheaper so it can’t compete. Many gas plants are at 10% simply because they only turn them on to provide peak power at highest profit’
Turning Off Some Energy Sources, & Economics Some Energy Sources
From quora.com, reappearing on forbes.com:
In a real energy grid – renewable energy can be curtailed because they have to exist with nuclear and other baseload forms of generation that can’t be turned down quickly
[These factors may mean that] Nuclear and other baseload energy sources tend to have worse economics
‘So wind and solar don’t have to be efficient, they just have to run enough over the course of time to pay for their capital costs. Their marginal operating costs are … much cheaper than coal and gas plants.’
How Energy Source Efficiency Is Calculated
Energy efficiency might generally be based on economic efficiency
hortidaily.com explains the methodology of calculating efficiency averages in their resource
borntoengineer.com also has some information on measuring the efficiency of an energy generation method
Energy Efficiency Can Ultimately Differ Between Different Geographic Locations
Energy efficiency results are usually provided as a national average
The national averages of different countries can differ
There can also be differences within countries – between States, between Provinces, between cities, and so on
The reason for this is the different variables and factors in the energy sector in each geographic region.
Examples of these variables and factors can include but aren’t limited to:
– What specific type of energy resource is being used or analysed (e.g. black coal vs brown coal)
– What exact steps are taken in the energy to electricity conversion process (from the beginning of the energy lifecycle to the end)
– What energy technology and equipment is used
– The energy infrastructure that is in place
– Local climate conditions and factors such what the sunlight or wind is like
Sources
1. Various ‘Better Meets Reality’ guides
2. https://www.hortidaily.com/article/6011458/us-what-is-the-most-efficient-source-of-electricity/
3. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/6/18/18681591/renewable-energy-china-solar-pv-jobs
4. https://www.borntoengineer.com/efficient-form-renewable-energy
5. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/11/08/is-solar-energy-less-efficient-than-non-renewables/#7f8b511f4d4a
6. https://www.quora.com/If-solar-energy-is-inefficient-then-how-do-solar-energy-organizations-sell-their-products
7. https://www.woodharbinger.com/tidal-energy-sustainable-resource/
8. https://grist.org/energy/cadmium-telluride-technology-first-solar/
9. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/03/solar-wind-power-renewable-energy-climate-change/
10. https://regenpower.com/articles/which-renewable-energy-is-better-wind-or-solar/
11. https://www.harrisonssolar.co.nz/article/solar-vs-wind-power-which-renewable-energy-is-better
12. https://www.verdeenergy.com/which-energy-is-more-efficient-solar-or-wind-energy/
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