What is energy?

We all know that it is important to save energy, we have heard about the Kyoto Protocol and global warming. But, have we really stopped to think about how the energy we consume is produced? We are going to take a short tour of the different energy sources and once we know where it comes from, we will see why it is so important not to waste it.

The electric energy

Electrical energy is caused by the movement of electrical charges within conductive materials. This energy basically produces 3 effects: light, thermal and magnetic. Example: The one carried by the electric current in our houses and that manifests itself when turning on a light bulb.

Electrical energy is the most widely used form of energy in our daily lives. Thanks to it, we can turn on the computer, have electricity, keep our food cool in the fridge, use the washing machine and many other things.

When we talk about energy it is important to distinguish between final energy and primary energy:

• Final energy is the energy as it is used at the points of consumption, for example, the electricity or natural gas that we use in our homes.
• Primary energy is that contained in the fuels before going through the transformation processes to final energy.
   

In order to have energy for consumption, successive transformation and transport operations are necessary from the deposits to the transformation plant, and finally to the final consumer.

Primary energy = Final energy + Transformation Losses + Transportation Losses