Rethinking Energy Conservation:Ontario’s Energy Use and Forecast Demand
| In May, 2010, the ECO released its first Annual Report on the progress of activities in Ontario to reduce or make more efficient use of electricity, natural gas, propane, oil and transportation fuels. Click here for more information on this report, including videos and communications materials. | |||||
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Figure 5 provides an overview of Ontario’s 2007 energy demand by fuel type. Following the figure is a detailed analysis of use by fuel type.
Contents |
Natural Gas
Natural gas is the dominant fuel used for home heating in Ontario, and the residential sector represents the largest end-use sector (38 per cent of total gas demand in 2007). A significant amount of natural gas is also used for industrial processes.
Transportation Fuels
Transportation fuels to a group of petroleum products: motor gasoline, diesel fuel oil, heavy fuel oil, aviation gasoline, and aviation turbo fuel. About 84 per cent of transportation fuels consumed by the transportation sector, primarily through on-road transportation for passenger movement (i.e., cars, light-duty vehicles, transit, regional rail and air transport) and freight movement (i.e., trucking, rail, shipping and other goods movement).
Petroleum products used off-road in industry and agriculture are a relatively minor share of the demand for transportation fuels in Ontario.
Electricity
In the past, Ontario’s demand for electricity was evenly split three ways between residential, industrial and commercial uses. As Figure 5 shows, the commercial/ institutional sector is becoming the dominant sector.
It is also a sector where, arguably, the most potential for conservation exists as energy intensity in this sector has not improved as much as other sectors in previous years. The declining use of energy in the industrial sector likely represents the effects of conservation initiatives and structural change in Ontario’s economy as the province moves from a resource and manufacturing based economy to one where the service sector plays an increasing role.
Electricity in Homes
Conservation and energy demand initiatives can occur in the home. In terms of electricity usage, Ontario’s draft Integrated Power System Plan (IPSP) estimates minor appliances will account for over 27 per cent of electricity demand in Ontario.
Typical residential electricity demand, based on IPSP data, is shown in Figure 6 below.
Figure 6 IPSP - Ontario’s 2010 Residential Electricity Demand Outlook
| End Use | Percent |
|---|---|
| Space Heating | 16.5 |
| Air Conditioning | 6.9 |
| Furnace Fan | 2.2 |
| Lighting | 16.7 |
| Refrigeration and Freezer | 9.9 |
| Water Heating | 11.2 |
| Dishwasher | 1.1 |
| Clothes Washer/Dryer | 7.8 |
| Minor Appliances | 27.5 |
| Total* | 100 |
*Note: Due to rounding, the above table is equal to 99.8% of total demand.
Propane
Of the total 39.7 PJ of propane consumed in Ontario, the commercial and institutional sector is the largest consumer of this fuel, followed by an almost equal demand from residential and industrial users.
Oil
The 2007 demand for oil is equal to 43.7 PJ. That figure is based on kerosene and stove oil and light fuel oil amounts, and excludes gasoline and diesel used in the transportation sector for personal mobility and movement of freight which is by far the largest use of oil in Ontario. Like propane, oil is a niche fuel in Ontario. One-half of Ontario’s oil demand serves the commercial/institutional sector, followed by oil used in the residential sector, primarily for home heating and domestic hot water.
Citing This Article:
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2010. Annual Energy Conservation Progress Report, 2009 (Volume One): Rethinking Energy Conservation in Ontario. Toronto, ON : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. pp. 56-58
