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Following the article, the US per-capita energy spending is of 144$/annum, compared to 81$ for Europe. However, the consumer price per kWh is higher in Europe

by Faaak 5y ago

Following the article, the US per-capita energy spending is of 144$/annum, compared to 81$ for Europe. However, the consumer price per kWh is higher in Europe (~20cts/kWh) than in the US (~12). So the big difference here is that the US consumes more. Perhaps due to worse efficiency houses/appliances (dryer, ...)

beaconstudios 5y ago
I suspect the pervasiveness of HVAC in the US is also an aspect. They're pretty power-intensive and run all the time - you just don't really see them outside large offices in the UK, I'm not sure about elsewhere.
- lwhi 5y ago
  Houses are bigger. I think this is the main contributing factor.
988747 5y ago
US is located more to the south than Europe, so more spending on air conditioning in southern states can make quite a difference...
- iSnow 5y ago
  That's not the reason, if it were, then within the EU, southern members would use more energy. It's a lot more nuanced, with bigger houses in the USA, a lot cheaper construction, higher industrial output than poorer European countries and so on: https://www.statista.com/statistics/332520/primary-energy-consumption-in-selected-countries-in-europe/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/332520/primary-energy-co...
rejectedandsad 5y ago
Dryers in Europe are famously ineffective, and from what I gather even having them is rarer - many people still air dry on clotheslines etc. Plus, air conditioning is more common even in cooler areas of the US - I’m in the north but have and use central AC. We should innovate ourselves out of this with solar, wind, nuclear rather than advocating for inferior living standards.
- beaconstudios 5y ago
  why do you even need AC in areas with moderate temperature? I get people in Arizona using it, but why would someone in e.g. New Hampshire need it, considering how much power it consumes? Many over here (UK) both dry their clothes on lines, and wash their dishes in the sink rather than a dishwasher. Space is a big factor - I've seen walk-in closets in the US bigger than most UK bedrooms. Our houses are much smaller on average.
  - rejectedandsad 5y ago
    It was 93F for most of last week, even in NH. I’m not going to suffer through that. Space could be a factor but I live in a 450sqft studio. My washer dryer has about 1 square meter footprint in a closet.
    - beaconstudios 5y ago
      fair enough, that's pretty damn hot. When you said cooler, I thought you meant something like a moderate year-round temperature - though with global warming even that probably isn't going to stick around long-term; we're going through a scorching summer (77F is a lot for us) in the UK right now. I have a dryer but not really any room for a dishwasher unless I got a countertop unit; I live in a normal-sized starter house in the UK.
    - kleiba 5y ago
      That's not an unusual temperature in the summer in Central Europe. Still, people do fine without AC. I find this "I'm not going to suffer through that" attitude strangely disconcerting. On the flip side, the costs for building a house are getting higher in higher every year not in small parts because the requirements for insulation and energy efficiency where I currently live in Europe have started to become borderline ridiculous.
      - rejectedandsad 5y ago
        Its 87F in late-afternoon Paris right now and 83F in London. Where I'm from the humidity would make this unbearable. Perhaps Paris isn't the same, but I wouldn't want to take the chance. I'd rather be able to set my own temperature. For the record, I'm curious as to why the attitude of wanting a high standard of living is disconcerting.
blamestross 5y ago
Air conditioning. It isn't really about efficientcy, though that is a concern. The simple fact is Europe doesn't need air conditioning most of the time. It is a major concern in the long term because as global warming gets worse, we will need more air conditioning to survive unless we start burying our homes.
- iSnow 5y ago
  Spain and Greece are cool climate, huh?
  - sportanova 5y ago
    Compared to Florida / Arizona, yes
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

by Faaak 5y ago

beaconstudios 5y ago

I suspect the pervasiveness of HVAC in the US is also an aspect. They're pretty power-intensive and run all the time - you just don't really see them outside large offices in the UK, I'm not sure about elsewhere.

lwhi 5y ago
Houses are bigger. I think this is the main contributing factor.

988747 5y ago

US is located more to the south than Europe, so more spending on air conditioning in southern states can make quite a difference...

iSnow 5y ago
That's not the reason, if it were, then within the EU, southern members would use more energy. It's a lot more nuanced, with bigger houses in the USA, a lot cheaper construction, higher industrial output than poorer European countries and so on: https://www.statista.com/statistics/332520/primary-energy-consumption-in-selected-countries-in-europe/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/332520/primary-energy-co...

rejectedandsad 5y ago

Dryers in Europe are famously ineffective, and from what I gather even having them is rarer - many people still air dry on clotheslines etc. Plus, air conditioning is more common even in cooler areas of the US - I’m in the north but have and use central AC. We should innovate ourselves out of this with solar, wind, nuclear rather than advocating for inferior living standards.

beaconstudios 5y ago
why do you even need AC in areas with moderate temperature? I get people in Arizona using it, but why would someone in e.g. New Hampshire need it, considering how much power it consumes? Many over here (UK) both dry their clothes on lines, and wash their dishes in the sink rather than a dishwasher. Space is a big factor - I've seen walk-in closets in the US bigger than most UK bedrooms. Our houses are much smaller on average.
- rejectedandsad 5y ago
  It was 93F for most of last week, even in NH. I’m not going to suffer through that. Space could be a factor but I live in a 450sqft studio. My washer dryer has about 1 square meter footprint in a closet.
  - beaconstudios 5y ago
    fair enough, that's pretty damn hot. When you said cooler, I thought you meant something like a moderate year-round temperature - though with global warming even that probably isn't going to stick around long-term; we're going through a scorching summer (77F is a lot for us) in the UK right now. I have a dryer but not really any room for a dishwasher unless I got a countertop unit; I live in a normal-sized starter house in the UK.
  - kleiba 5y ago
    That's not an unusual temperature in the summer in Central Europe. Still, people do fine without AC. I find this "I'm not going to suffer through that" attitude strangely disconcerting. On the flip side, the costs for building a house are getting higher in higher every year not in small parts because the requirements for insulation and energy efficiency where I currently live in Europe have started to become borderline ridiculous.
    - rejectedandsad 5y ago
      Its 87F in late-afternoon Paris right now and 83F in London. Where I'm from the humidity would make this unbearable. Perhaps Paris isn't the same, but I wouldn't want to take the chance. I'd rather be able to set my own temperature. For the record, I'm curious as to why the attitude of wanting a high standard of living is disconcerting.

blamestross 5y ago

Air conditioning. It isn't really about efficientcy, though that is a concern. The simple fact is Europe doesn't need air conditioning most of the time. It is a major concern in the long term because as global warming gets worse, we will need more air conditioning to survive unless we start burying our homes.

iSnow 5y ago
Spain and Greece are cool climate, huh?
- sportanova 5y ago
  Compared to Florida / Arizona, yes

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]