Energy Basic Revisited

You need to know certain primary concepts and terminology related to energy for understanding energy accounting, viz., different forms of energy, the units for measuring energy and their conversion. This is what we discuss here.

It is not unusual to hear colleagues, family or friends members say "I've got no energy presently" while them don't feel up to completing an assignment, playing games or washing dishes! This everyday expression is pretty close to the scientific definition of energy, which is given below:

We use energy for everything we do in our lives - right from using our muscles to lighting up our homes, travelling to work, running machines, building houses, and so on.

In the power generation sector, energy is required to run turbines which move the electric generators. For example, in thermal power plants, coal is burnt to heat water and produce steam, which, in turn, moves the turbine. In hydropower plants, the mechanical energy of water is used to move turbines. The turbine is linked to a generator which produces electricity. The electricity is transmitted to our homes and is used to run appliances that give us light and heat. All these are various forms of energy.