Energy demand evolves over time

  • Energy demand evolves over time

    Each group has to lead a 15 minutes long guided tour about the energy production and consumption of the given period. As far as possible each team member introduces at least one object.

    1. Pre-industrial era: during most of human history, till the mid 1700’s
    Agriculture is the main activity; work is mostly done by men and animals, not by machines. Some renewable energy sources (wind, water) are used in mills for making flour from grain and used for transportation by ships but the main energy source is wood, used for cooking, heating and lighting.

    2. Early industrial era: late 1700’s to mid 1800’s
    This is the time of the first industrial revolution. Agriculture is still important but industry begins, more and more machines are invented. Using metal products grows in importance. Manufacturing of goods begins, using mostly wind and water. The steam engine is invented but is still rare. There is a new energy source: coal; but the most important is still wood.

    3. Industrial era: mid 1800’s to early 1900’s
    This is the era of the steam engine.  Manufacturing is the most important and mass transportation of goods is needed. The all-important energy source is coal, used in steam engines in factories, in ships and trains, for cooking and home heating. Coal is also used in the first power plants to generate electricity for lighting. A new energy source is oil, used for transportation.

    4. Late industrial era: 1900’s to 1970’s
    Electricity is the mostly demanded form of energy. Electricity is used for machines in factories and home appliances like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, fridges etc.  The invention of the dynamo makes it possible to gain electricity from spinning motion so different natural sources are used for generating electricity: coal, water, wind, oil.
    Transportation is changed by the invention of the internal combustion engine, which makes oil and other petroleum products important.

    5. Information era: from the 1970’
    The invention of the microprocessor makes computers and all kinds of new machines and gadgets possible. Information processing and worldwide information transmission needs still more electricity. Several sources, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, wind and water are used to generate electricity. (Petroleum products are also used as materials in manufacturing plastic, not only as sources of energy.)

    Source: https://www.coursera.org/ Fundamentals of Global Energy Business Michael J. Orlando University of Colorado - Denver