IDT Energy World

Gas stove tops are very popular, but are they more energy efficient than electric stove top burners? IDT Energy is going to explore this little discussed issue with you.
Because of the fact that, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, approximately 4.5% of all household energy use is spent on cooking, Energy Star, the government’s way of measuring energy use of home appliances, does not rate or give a standard for cooking stove tops. 4.5% is just not considered enough usage to mandate stricter standards of efficiency, at least not at the moment.

Even so, are there any advantages, energy wise, of using gas over electricity for cooking? Well, it turns out that yes, there is. Gas burners are instantly hot, whereas electric burners take time to heat up and cool down. Cooks prefer gas because it is easier to control the intensity of the flame. Old fashioned gas stoves had pilot lights that were always on, wasting precious fuel, but now, with electric igniters up to 40% less gas is being used.

Abiogenic formation of natural gas happens very deep within the earth’s crust.  Here there are found carbon molecules and gases rich in hydrogen molecules. These gases slowly rise towards the earth’s surface, and as they rise they can interact with underground minerals. This interaction can result in the formation of a variety of compounds which are found in the atmosphere, like nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon and water. Given enough pressure as the gases move towards the earth’s surface it is likely that methane deposits will form, similar to thermogenic methane.

In our exploration of the genesis of natural gas we have already seen the process of thermogenic formation which requires extreme temperatures to transform plants and animals into fossil fuels.

Another process, which could help us in today’s world produce methane as a renewable resource is called the biogenic production of methane. In this process methane is produced by the breakdown of organic matter by means of microorganisms which are found on the surface of the earth in which oxygen is not found. These microorganisms are so common that they are found in the intestines of most animals, including humans.

Presently methane formed this way is almost entirely lost to the atmosphere. Sometimes, however the methane can be trapped underground and then harvested and used as natural gas. This happens at landfills, where relatively large amounts of methane are produced when the materials in the landfill decompose with the help of the microorganisms found there.

IDT Energy hopes that this new understanding of what natural gas is and where it comes from will increase your appreciation of the wonder of natural gas.

There are three major ways we know of in which natural gas is formed. The first and most famous way is called thermogenic formation of methane. This process happens when organic matter, such as dead plants or animals become compressed under the earth. The living matter is slowly transformed over millions of years through high temperatures which exist below the surface of the earth, and extreme pressures caused by the accumulation of materials on top of the organic matter over time.  The carbon bonds are broken down by the high temperature and pressure. The higher the temperature and pressure, the more natural gas is created. Therefore it is usually found that the deeper the oil deposit is found underground, the more methane (natural gas) is found there. Some extremely deep deposits are pure methane. Coal, on the other hand, found closer to the earth’s surface, and usually a smaller amount of methane is associated with the coal deposit.

We hear so much about “fossil fuels” these days, but what is meant by this expression?  Fossil fuels are formed during millions and/or hundreds of millions of years, through extreme heat and temperature exerted on organic materials (living things) such as plants and animals. Fossil fuels range in form from extremely volatile, such as gases like methane, through liquids such as petroleum, up to totally non-volatile materials like anthracite coal.

Electricity is great. Life is almost unthinkable without electricity. From the simplest appliances like phones or light bulbs, to the most sophisticated such as jet planes and computers, electricity is a huge force in our society today. But what about IDT Energy’s other resource, natural gas? How does that fit in to our lives? Let’s explore.

Natural gas is one of the cleanest, safest and efficient forms of fossil fuel that we have. Although it is related to other things we call “gas” such as gasoline to run our cars and “gas” for the grills for backyard Barbecues, natural gas is a very different substance.

IDT Energy has found that in the United States the average household used about 920 kWh each month in the year 2006. In 2003 the entire U.S. used 3,883 billion kWh, which translates as 13,868 kWh per person based on the total population of the United States being 280 million people that year.

On one day in California there was peak use of 50,743 megawatt-hours of electricity. That translates to a number that might be hard to say out loud: 50,743,000,000 watt-hours, on just one day!

A watt is the rate of electricity an appliance uses at any particular moment.  A watt-hour is the total amount of energy that has been used over an amount of time, such as an hour. Let’s say you have a laptop computer which uses 50 watts. At the end of one hour the laptop will have used 50 Watt-hours. Which is the same as 0.050 kilowatt-hours (kWh.)
It is similar to saying that a car, at this moment, is going 50 mph. If it continues to travel at that speed for one hour, then it will have gone 50 miles by the end of the hour. In this example we are using distance to compare to amount of energy used.

Let’s get down to basics. What is meant by a kilowatt hour, anyway? This is the way electricity is measured; the amount we use is called a kilowatt-hour, or kWh. When you use a 1,000 watt appliance for one hour, you have used 1 kWh.

Here are some real examples:

1.    A medium window-unit air conditioner which uses 1,000 watts and is used for one hour has used 1 kWh.

2.    A large window -unit air conditioner which uses 1,500 watts and is used for one hour has used 1.5 kWh.

3.    A small window-unit air conditioner which uses 500 watts and is used for one hour has used 0.5 kWh.

4.    A ceiling fan on low speed which uses 24 watts and is used for one hour has used 0.024 kWh. If it is used for ten hours then it used 0.24 kWh.

5.    A 100 watt light bulb used for one hour uses 0.1 kWh. If it is used all month and is on 730 hours, then it uses 73 kWh.

6.    A 25 watt CFL light bulb used for the same 730 hours (all month) will use only 18 kWh.

IDT Energy believes that by following a few simple rules, a potential hazard for fire and shock can be made perfectly safe.

•    Replacement of damaged outlets should be done promptly by a qualified electrician. Any outlet that feels hot, is emitting sparks, has loose fitting plugs, or in which the plugged in lamp or other appliance turns off and on or fails to light can be considered damaged and should be replaced.

•    Never pull out an electrical cord at an angle. This could cause the plastic face of the outlet to crack, break away, and leave live parts of the outlet dangerously exposed.

•    Plastic, child-proof safety caps should be inserted into unused outlets so children cannot insert anything into the receptacle.

•    Plugs should always be completely inserted into the outlet. Never let any part of the metal prongs be exposed.

IDT Energy wishes you a safe year of electricity use.