Energy Literacy

Understand the invisible energy powering your life

V Volts

Electrical pressure—the "push" that moves electrons, like water pressure in a pipe.

Standard outlet: 120V (Canada/US) / 220V (EU)

A Amps

The flow rate of electrons—how much electricity moves through a circuit.

Phone charger: ~1-2A • Hair dryer: ~10-15A

W Watts

The rate of energy use. Combines voltage and current to show consumption speed.

Watts = Volts × Amps

Power Relationship

V
Volts
×
A
Amps
W
Watts

kWh Kilowatt-hours

Energy over time—what your bill measures. 1000W for 1 hour = 1 kWh.

Canadian avg: $0.17-0.19/kWh (varies by province)

Human power output vs electrical equivalents

Walking

3 mph pace

70watts

Running

6 mph jog

400watts

Cycling

12 mph casual

75watts

Resting

Basal metabolism

100watts

Energy Equivalence

Equal to 7 LED bulbs (10W each)

10
watts consumed
0.08
Amps
0.01
kWh/hr
$0.002
Cost/hr

Select an appliance

LED Bulb
10W
Incandescent
60W
TV
150W
Hair Dryer
1200W
Microwave
1500W
Phone
5W
AC Unit
3000W
Laptop
100W
7.2
kWh per day
$1.37
Daily
$41
Monthly
$500
Yearly

Daily Energy Calculator

LED Lights5 × 4hrs
TV / Monitor3 hrs
Computer6 hrs
Air Conditioning2 hrs

Human Equivalent

103 hours of walking

Rates from EnergyHub.org, Hydro-Québec 2024 comparison

Canada's Power Grid

80% of Canada's electricity comes from non-greenhouse gas emitting sources

National Capacity~150 GW
Annual Generation622 TWh
Homes Served~15 million

🌍 Global Context

🌐 Planet Earth

Total human electricity consumption

~29,500 TWh
Consumed Annually
30%
Renewable
10%
Nuclear
60%
Fossil

Data: Ember Global Electricity Review 2024

Data: Statistics Canada, CER, IESO, Ember Climate (2024)