CPD: Energy, power, efficiency
This article aims to set out the fundamentals of energy, power, and efficiency and how to link them together as you interrogate and optimise an energy system. Think of a car as an example. In order to understand the energy balance of a car, you need to know:
• energy: the size of the fuel tank, i.e. how much energy it can hold;
• power: the size of the engine, i.e. the rate at which the car can use the energy, e.g. relating to its top speed, or rate of acceleration; and
• efficiency: how effectively is the fuel used, e.g. s expressed in miles per gallon
