Energy Statistics & Information

Energy Statistics & Information
These energy statistics may help you sell spray foam insulation, or help you understand the reasons you should have it in your home.  They have been compiled from various sources.  Mostly DOE.

  1. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, the average home spends $1,900/year on energy utility costs.
  2. 1/6th of total electricity consumed in the U.S. is used for cooling, costing $40 billion per year.
  3. The US Department of Energy (DOE) studies show that 40% of your home’s energy is lost due to air infiltration. This air infiltrates the home in the form of drafts through walls sockets, windows and doorways.
  4. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that common sources for indoor air quality problems include chemicals from building materials and mold.
  5. California building code efficiency standards (along with those for energy efficient appliances) have saved more than $36 billion in electricity and natural gas costs since 1978. It is estimated the Title 24 standards will save an additional $43 billion by 2013.
  6. Air ducts. A typical home loses 20 to 30 percent of the air that flows through its ventilation system. The culprit is leaky ductwork. Properly sealed and insulated ducts and joints, especially those routed through attics where temperatures may vary widely from the home’s living spaces, optimize a system’s efficiency. An insulation value of R-6 is recommended for ductwork
  7. Energy Star-qualified homes are independently verified to be at least 30 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 1993 national Model Energy Code.

Additional Energy Facts and Figures from the Department of Energy (DOE)
The world consumes about 500 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of energy each year. About 86% of that use comes from burning fossil fuels — petroleum, coal and natural gas.
The United States consumes over 100 quads of energy per year, which is based on about 85% fossil fuel use. Clearly, that’s a lot of energy, but what does it really mean?

  1. The United States uses nearly a million dollars worth of energy each minute, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
  2. With less than 5% of the world’s population, the United States consumes about one-fourth of the world’s energy resources.

The United States uses about 342 million Btu per person in a year, while the world on average uses 70 million Btu per person per year.

Residential Use
The residential building sector accounts for about 21% of the U.S. consumption total. The typical U.S. family spends almost $1,900 a year on utility bills. Household primary energy use breaks out as follows:

  1. Heating & Cooling – 43%
  2. Water heating – 13%
  3. Lighting – 12%
  4. Refrigeration – 8%
  5. Electronics – 5%
  6. Wet clean – 5% (washers, dryers, dishwashers)
  7. Cooking – 5%
  8. Computers – 1%
  9. Other – 8%