ENERGY

When we hear the word “energy,” we usually think of electricity or the energy we wish we had on an early winter morning.

What exactly is energy? Energy has always existed, even before humans invented the wheel and fire. We usually say that something has energy if it can perform a task. Solar energy makes plants bloom, kinetic energy makes twigs float in a stream, and thermal energy causes boiling water to evaporate.

Energy is essential for life. None of us can live without energy. We need food and drink for our bodies to function. You use kinetic energy when you ride a bike, and when you’re outdoors, solar energy helps your body produce important vitamins.

We use energy in the form of heat, electricity, or fuel to light up rooms, heat our homes, keep food cold, and power cars. We generate this energy from various sources, such as uranium, oil, water, gas, biomass, solar, wind, geothermal energy, and geothermal energy found deeper within the bedrock.

Because of our cold climate, our dark winters, and our energy-intensive industry, we in Sweden use a great deal of electricity. We rank ninth on the list of the world’s top electricity-consuming countries.

Electricity

Sweden is thus one of the countries that uses the most electricity in the world, per person, and we generate that electricity primarily through nuclear, hydroelectric, and wind power. We’ve grown accustomed to electricity always being available; it’s something so taken for granted that we don’t even think about it. It’s not until there’s a power outage that we’re reminded that electricity isn’t something that’s automatically generated by nature.

Heat

We use energy to heat our homes when it's cold. In urban areas, most high-rises and apartment buildings are heated with district heating.

Biofuels such as wood chips and other materials are burned in heating plants and combined heat and power plants, but they also come from recycled heat produced by industries. The heated water is then pumped to the homes through underground pipes.

Many single-family homes are heated with electric heating; either the electricity is used directly to power the radiators, or a much more efficient heat pump is used to heat water, which is then circulated through radiators or underfloor heating loops. Nearly half of the single-family homes are heated entirely or partially by biofuels such as wood and pellets. A few homes are heated with oil, or a combination of oil and electricity.

District Heating

The term “district heating” refers to heat that comes from somewhere far away. Half of all Swedes currently get their heat through district heating. The system is similar to the body’s own circulatory system. The district heating plant (the heart) pumps heat throughout the city (the body). 

Heat from District Heating
District heating is produced by burning various types of fuel in a large boiler. Once the fire in the boiler has heated the water to over 100 degrees, it is pumped out to hundreds of thousands of homes through pipes buried underground. When the water reaches our homes, it heats the hot-water pipes so that we can have heat in our homes and hot water from the faucet.

However, the district heating water is never mixed with the drinking water. We would notice that anyway, since it has been colored with a harmless green food coloring to make it easier to detect any leaks.

By the time the water returns to the district heating plant, its temperature has dropped to 40–50 degrees. During the winter, the water is also put to good use on its way back, for example by heating sidewalks and soccer fields to keep them ice-free. Facilities that also generate electricity are called combined heat and power plants. 

Cooling from district heating
This closed-loop method is also used to produce district cooling. The water is cooled before it is pumped out, or water from lakes or the ocean is used. The demand for cooling is actually growing in Sweden. On the one hand, we need to store food in a cool environment; on the other hand, we are using more and more electronics, which in turn require air-conditioned server rooms, offices, and department stores.

Environmentally Friendly Energy That Saves Resources

District heating has many advantages. Heating many households from a single facility saves energy. In addition, many district heating plants process waste that cannot be recycled—which would otherwise have ended up in a landfill
somewhere—while also eliminating the need to extract more raw materials from nature to produce energy.

One person's trash is another person's treasure

For example, some district heating plants burn household waste, while others burn biofuels and recycled fuels. Biofuel refers, for example, to wood chips, tree tops, and branches left over from logging. Recycled fuel usually consists of wood, plastic, and paper from offices, stores, and industries, as well as wood chips from construction sites that cannot be recycled further.

One of the world's largest facilities is located in Sweden

In Södertälje, just south of Stockholm, lies the Igelstave plant—one of the world’s largest bioenergy-fired combined heat and power plants. District heating water is pumped through 5,000 kilometers of pipes to approximately 300,000 people, as well as to industrial facilities, businesses, office buildings, sports facilities, and hospitals. The plant also generates electricity for over 100,000 households.

The Igelsta plant is known for its advanced purification technology. When biofuels and recycled fuels are burned, flue gas is produced that contains, among other things, sulfur oxides and particulate matter. However, the purification technology at Igelsta reduces the sulfur dioxide content by 90 percent and the particulate matter content by 99.95 percent.

Transportation

We’re constantly moving from one place to another—by car, bus, train, or subway.
All vehicles require some form of energy. Most are fueled by fossil gasoline or diesel; some run on renewable biodiesel, ethanol, or biogas; and a few are powered by electricity.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Did you know that in the early days of the automobile, most cars were powered by electricity? The first electric cars were invented as early as the 1830s, but unfortunately they were replaced by gasoline- and diesel-powered cars because the lead-acid batteries used at the time were bulky and didn’t provide enough range for longer trips.

Think about:

1. I turn off the lights in my room…

1. A.
   As soon as I leave the room! Your answer is worth 4 points!
2. B.
   When I go to bed. Your answer is worth 2 points
3. C.
   Both when I leave home and when I go to bed. Your answer is worth 3 points.
4. D.
   Never, actually! Your answer is worth 1 point.

2. When I'm not using the computer…

1. A.
   I'll just walk away without caring. Your answer is worth 1 point,
2. B.
   Does the screen saver turn on? Your answer is worth 2 points.
3. C.
   Am I shutting down the computer properly? Your answer is worth 4 points!
4. D.
   Do I unplug the cord from the outlet, or do I flip the switch on my power strip? Your answer is worth 3 points.

3. Energy-saving light bulbs…

1. A.
   …What is it? Your answer is worth 1 point,
2. B.
   I don't know, I think we have a few..., Your answer is worth 2 points.
3. C.
   All the light bulbs in my home are energy-efficient! Your answer is worth 4 points!
4. D.
   I know we have several of those. Your answer is worth 3 points.

4. Once I've charged my cell phone…

1. A.
   So, is the phone charged… or what do you mean? Your answer is worth 1 point,
2. B.
   Do I unplug the charger from the jacket! Your answer is worth 4 points!
3. C.
   I always forget to unplug the charger from the jacket! Your answer is worth 2 points.
4. D.
   Do I sometimes unplug the charger from the jacket? Your answer is worth 3 points.

5. If I turn off appliances and turn off the lights, it's because…

1. A.
   My parents keep nagging me about it! Your answer is worth 1 point,
2. B.
   Because I know that electricity costs money. Your answer is worth 3 points.
3. C.
   Because I know that all energy use affects the environment. Your answer is worth 4 points!
4. D.
   We're going somewhere. Your answer is worth 2 points.

6. I usually take a shower for about…

1. A.
   5–10 minutes. That's enough time to wash your hair and get clean. Your answer is worth 4 points,
2. B.
   15 minutes. You want to get really clean, after all. Your answer is worth 3 points.
3. C.
   25 minutes. I don't take baths, so I have to spend a little longer in the shower. Your answer is worth 2 points.
4. D.
   35 minutes. You really want to enjoy it! Your answer is worth 1 point.

7. If I wash something, I wash…

1. A.
   Under running water. Your answer is worth 1 point,
2. B.
   With dishwater in one and rinse water in the other. Your answer is worth 3 points.
3. C.
   In the dishwasher, when it's full. Your answer is worth 4 points!
4. D.
   In the dishwasher, whether it's full or not. Your answer is worth 2 points.

 8. If I'm going to cook pasta or something, then…

1. A.
   I make sure the pot is the same size as the burner. Your answer is worth 3 points,
2. B.
   If I don't consider the size of the plate, I'll choose the fastest one. Your answer is worth 2 points.
3. C.
   I make sure the pot is the same size as the burner and use a lid. Your answer is worth 4 points!
4. D.
   The water usually boils for a while before I realize it and add the pasta. Your answer is worth 1 point.

Your answers are worth different points! Add them up and see what level you ended up at. 

1. A Google search uses about as much energy as your body burns in…?

1. A.
   1 minute.
2. B.
   3 seconds.
3. C.
   10 sec
4. D.
   40 sec

2. You use the least amount of electricity when you heat water for tea…

1. A.
   In microns.
2. B.
   With a kettle.
3. C.
   In a saucepan.
4. D.
   In the oven.

3. Which option reduces energy consumption by 60 percent when boiling water in a pot?

1. A.
   Less water.
2. B.
   Smaller saucepan.
3. C.
   A smaller plate.
4. D.
   A lid.

4. A family has four computers connected to the internet 24 hours a day for a year. After receiving a high electricity bill, they start turning off the computers completely. How much money do you think they can save in a year as a result?

1. A.
   1,200 SEK.
2. B.
   2,100 SEK.
3. C.
   6,000 SEK.
4. D.
   4,300 SEK

5. It takes the same amount of energy to make a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a cotton sweater as it does to cook (how many?) servings of spaghetti.

1. A.
   75 servings.
2. B.
   125 servings.
3. C.
   210 servings.
4. D.
   300 servings.

• Buy clothes at a thrift store. 
• Organize clothing swap days at school or with friends. 
• Don't wash your clothes too often; that way, they won't wear out as quickly. If they aren't dirty or sweaty, just airing them out is enough.