Energy did you know - Various data and statistics

Here is some interesting info about different energy sources.

Did you know that the first U.S. geothermal power plant, opened at The Geysers in California, back in 1960, is still active?

Did you know that according to United States Environmental Protection Agency standards it takes 10,000 years of radioactive decay before the spent nuclear fuel will no longer pose a threat to public health and safety?

Did you know that the world's largest nuclear power plant is Japan's Kashiwazaki nuclear plant, with 7 operating units and total capacity of 8,212 MW which is enough to satisfy the needs for electricity of 16 million households?

Did you know that according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geo-exchange systems save homeowners 30-70 percent in heating costs, and 20-50 percent in cooling costs, compared to conventional systems?

Did you know that according to the study by the Michigan State University it is 36 percent more efficient to grow grain for food than for fuel?

Did you know that approximately 40% of the world electricity production uses coal?

Did you know that geothermal heat pumps are always more efficient at heating compared to being used as pure electric heaters, even when extracting heat from cold winter air?

Did you know that according to the study from Brazil's National Institute hydroelectric dams hurt climate more than oil by releasing significant amounts of methane into the environment, thanks to the rotting vegetation submerged when the reservoir floods?

Did you know that Colorado was the first U.S. state to create a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), back in 2004?

Did you know that the world's fastest growing energy technology is photovoltaic production that is increasing by an average of 48 percent each year since 2002?

Did you know that wind power provides about 20% of electricity production in Denmark which is significantly higher proportion than in any other country int he world?

Did you know that unlike wind and solar resources, which are more dependent upon weather fluctuations, geothermal resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Did you know that the New Hope Power Partnership, located in South Bay, Florida, is the largest biomass power plant in North America?

Did you know that currently around 90 % of all buildings in Iceland is heated with geothermal power?

Did you know that biomass is the second most common renewable energy source in United States that satisfies around 4% of nation's electricity demand?

Did you know that the world's largest wind farm is located in Texas, The Roscoe Wind Farm with the capacity of 781 MW?

Did you know that California has more photovoltaics installed than all other U.S. states together?

Did you know that solar panels perform optimally when placed in direct sunlight so it is always wise to position your photovoltaic array directly under the noontime sun in order to achieve maximum efficiency?

Did you know that global geothermal heat pump capacity is growing by 10% annually?

Did you know that biofuels provided 1.8% of the world's transport fuel in 2008?

Did you know that wind energy sector is the fastest growing renewable energy sector int he world?

Did you know that coal is mostly used energy source to generate electricity (approximately 49% of the United States electricity comes from coal) despite being the "dirtiest" energy source of them all?

Did you know that there are more than 85,000 people employed in the US wind industry?

Did you know that Chinese plan to have 5 million electric cars on the nation’s road by 2020?

Did you know that biodiesel has 10 to 12 percent lower energy density compared to standard diesel fuel meaning you get a lower mileage for biodiesel compared to ordinary diesel fuel?

Did you know that in 2009 U.S. accounted for only five percent of the world’s solar cells production?