What amount and percent of electrical power, US and worldwide, is
provided by off-grid local generation?  What amount and percent is
provided by grid-connected local generation?  Can you point me to
reputable sources on the web?

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Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 07 Nov 2002 21:08 PST

Hello alp9839,

Jut a question of my own on terminology here.
When you mean off-grid, is it the same as non-utility?

Techtor

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Clarification of Question by alp9839-ga on 08 Nov 2002 09:16 PST

Yes, let's say non-utility.  I am looking for energy generated by
commercial businesses and residences on site.

Thanks.

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Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 12 Nov 2002 01:09 PST

Hello alp9839,
I found electricity generation figures for the United States such as this:

Electric Net Generation by Utilities (2001E): 2,661 billion kilowatthours 

Non-utility Power Production (2001E): 1,116 billion kilowatthours 

Total Electricity Generation (2001E): 3,779 billion kilowatthours

It came from:
EIA United States Country analysis brief 
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html

Of we were to calculate percentages, it would come out like this: 
Utility - 70.42%
Non-utility - 29.58%

Is this the kind of information you are looking for? 

May I also ask if ‘on site’ is the same as self-generated power?

Thanks, 

Techtor

Hello alp9839,
I suppose you found the figures I gave useful since you did not reply,
so I decided to complete the rest of the data and post the answer.

What I gave were the following for United States statistics:

Electric Net Generation by Utilities (2001E): 2,661 billion
kilowatthours

Non-utility Power Production (2001E): 1,116 billion kilowatthours 

Total Electricity Generation (2001E): 3,779 billion kilowatthours

From:
EIA United States Country analysis brief 
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html

Percentage: 
Utility - 70.42%
Non-utility - 29.58%


OTHER U.S. INFORMATION SOURCES

National Renewal Energy Laboratory
http://www.nrel.gov

This paper quotes the editor of Home Power magazine, Richard Perez, as
saying the about 180,000 US homes are not connected to a utility grid:
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/gen/fy01/NN0082.pdf

List of Renewable Electricity Providers in the International scene
http://www.nrel.gov/international/re-providers.pdf  

United States Cumulative installed PhotoVoltaic power by sub-market 
http://www.euronet.nl/users/oke/PVPS/stats/usa.htm

The Americas is a World Context - Energy Statistics
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/chapter3a.html


WORLD STATISTICS

According to the first source listed below, the whole world generated
15684.15 terawatt hours of electricity in 2001. Now I assume that
renewable energy is off-grid and Solarbuzz says the renewable sources
cover 13% of the world energy demand. So far, these general figures
are easy to find, but you can find other pertinent data on the global
electricity market share in Solar Buzz and other links below.

BP Statistical Review of World energy 2002
http://www.bp.com/centres/energy2002/

BP Statistical Review of World energy 2002 - other documents for
download
http://www.bp.com/centres/energy2002/downloads/index.asp

Platts: Global Energy statistics
http://www.platts.com/altfuel/statistics.shtml


PHOTOVOLTAIC ELECTRICITY SOURCES 

E-036N - Solar Thermal and Photovoltaics: World Growth Markets
http://www.buscom.com/energy/html/e036n.html

Solarbuzz.com - Solar Photovoltaic Industry – World Solar Energy facts
http://www.solarbuzz.com/FastFactsIndustry.htm

Solarbuzz.com – Solar Photovoltaic Industry – Market Share of all
energy resources
http://www.solarbuzz.com/StatsMarketShare.htm 


RESEARCH SITES

Research Guides - Electric Power Industry - Lippincott Library at
Wharton
http://www.library.upenn.edu/lippincott/pubs/ResearchGuides/RG31elpow.html
- A list of documents, though those aren’t available for perusal right
there.

International Energy Agency - Oil, Gas, Coal, and Electricity
Quarterly Statistics
- This has a lot of market statistics and reports, but for pay (big
price too).
http://www.iea.org/stats/files/qogce.htm 

SourceOECD – Energy statistics for a price also
http://www.sourceoecd.org/content/html/index.htm?comm=portal&token=0037D5DC7D2B0B0E310BCAAFE285CA

ABS Electricity research - more for-pay research data
http://www.absenergyresearch.com/detail/elecmeters.htm

ARTICLES

“Green Energy” By Chesley Hicks 
22 April 02 on the Gotham Gazette
http://www.gothamgazette.com/commentary/125.hicks.shtml

worldwide off grid power percent(age)
(world) alternative energy statistics 
world power utility statistics
world self generated electricity
worldwide electricity generation statistics
world electricity utility statistics
world renewable electricity statistics

I hope this has supplied you the information you need. If you have any
clarification, do post it.

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Request for Answer Clarification by alp9839-ga on 26 Nov 2002 19:45 PST

Just wanted to say thank you!

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Clarification of Answer by techtor-ga on 26 Nov 2002 21:45 PST

You're quite welcome. :)

I don't know where to look for numbers but very isolated communities
are off grid when connecting to the grid would cost a billion dollars,
with a payback of centuries. Being on the grid is a sizable advantage
for even 100 watt co- generators. Generally the utilities don't want
to be bothered, but society would benefit significantly if a billion
tiny co-generators were on line making electricity from alternative
energy. If it is made easier to do some people will do it as a hobby
even if it is not cost effective. It can be subsidized by requiring
utilites to allow a connection under 10,000 watts without permission.
If utility repair people routinely make a ground connection to lines
before they touch them, the shock hazard is negligible. This has long
been the recomended proceedure, but workers sometimes cut corners. 
Neil