TPB Comment: One of the most important takeways from this flow chart is that there is that there is somewhat more rejected energy than energy utilized. This is part engineering inefficiency (that is the conversion systems) and part is inherent in the underlying thermodynmamics. The bulk of this inefficiency is in the generation of electricity and in transportation. There are relatively small energy rejections in residential use, commercial use and industrial use.

The intermittent nature of power generation through solar and wind highlights the need for better ways to store energy. Compared to gasoline, an electric battery has a very poor power to weight ratio, and a vehicle cannot be reloaded with energy into a battery anything like as quickly as the gas tank can be filled. This suggests maybe a cycle of renewable energy into hydrogen into fuel cell for transportation.

I am reminded that when I was 5 years old, in 1945 in the suburbs of London, our daily milk delivery was from an electric delivery truck, and stores like Harrods also operated electric delivery trucks. At the time petroleum was in very short supply ... essentially zero for civilian use, but Britain had a lot of coal that could fuel electric power stations that then enabled electric vehicles.