Natural Gas:	$ /
Electricity:	$ /

This calculator was prepared for work sponsored by the Energy Solutions Center Inc. Neither The Energy Solutions Center, any member of The Energy Solutions Center, Enercom, Inc. nor any person on behalf of any or all of them:

1. Makes any warranty or representation, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this application or report, or
2. Assumes any liability with respect to the use of or for damages resulting from the use of any information disclosed in this application or report

NOx: Nitrogen Oxides are a group of chemical compounds formed at high temperature combustion of fossil fuels. In addition to acting as a main precursor for tropospheric ozone, NOx can be harmful to human health in its own right.

SOx: Sulfur Oxides are a group of chemical compounds formed during combustion of fossil fuels. SOx emissions may be a precursor to particulates in the atmosphere, which could contribute to the formation of acid rain.

CO₂: Carbon Dioxide is a byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuels and a major contributor to the overall mix of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere may be a contributing factor in global climate change.

Natural Gas - Source Consumption: This tool estimates the total environmental impact from the energy used by your business. This includes emissions resulting from the natural gas you use on-site at your business (what you are billed for) as well as energy used to distribute the natural gas to you via pipelines from the gas well and the local distribution system. The distribution energy used is estimated using U.S. averages. Inefficiencies, fuel consumed and/or fuel losses in natural gas drilling process are ignored.

 

US Electricity Generation Fuel Mix Profile Options: The direct use of natural gas at the point-of-use (home or business) can displace the use of electricity, which is generated using a mix of generation fuels. Users of this tool have the option of selecting "eGRID US Average All Sources 2007" to compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) impact of displacing electricity generated using the actual mix of all fuel-types. Or users may select "eGRID US Fossil 2007" to compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) impact of displacing only electricity generated using a mix of fossil fuels.

An argument can be made that the use of energy sources such as natural gas at the point-of-use only displaces electricity generated by fossil fuels. This theory concludes that any reduction in the use of electricity caused by displacement would only impact fossil-fuel generated power as non-fossil fuels (wind, solar, nuclear and hydro) would be the last sources removed from the generation mix when electricity use is displaced by the direct use of natural gas.