[INSIGHT] Are you Energy Literate?

March 28, 2021

By Cezar John Estrada   -   


Do you know anyone who is an energy genius? or are you one?

It's hard to tell whether Filipinos are really aware of what energy is and its impacts to their daily lives. In  today's digital era, where social media applications like Facebook became a platform for information sharing, it is now easier and faster to teach and disseminate information about the developments in the energy sector. However, one can't help but notice that there are a lot of subjective opinions and misinformation about the energy sector that are still being circulated, and sometimes, are actually believed by our fellow Filipinos. 

There are also cases where you can even see statements that lacks context, does not provide a full picture of things, and are just piggybacking on the emotion of the citizens. This is not to say that their statements are wrong, however, this may lead to energy illiteracy which then causes a lot of confusion among the people and failure to achieve the statement's desired result. Energy illiteracy can also have negative impacts to social, economic, and environmental development, which can hinder in achieving a sustainable future.

Of course the first step to solve this issue is to fully understand what Energy Literacy is. In recent years, various definitions of energy literacy have been presented, such as:

"Energy literacy as the domain of basic energy-related knowledge, coupled with an understanding of the impacts of energy production and consumption on the environment, how energy is used in everyday life and the adoption of energy-saving behaviors."
- defined by DeWaters and Powers (2011) [Definition retrieved from Martins et al. (2020)]
 
and
 
"Energy literacy is related to the trade-off between the highest initial investment needed to acquire more efficient equipment and the monetary and energy savings resulting from this choice in the long-term."
- defined by Brounen (2013) [Definition retrieved from Martins et al. (2020)]

One notable definition of Energy Literacy is from the US Department of Energy (US DOE). It provides a broader view, expanding beyond the understanding of energy. In their definition they included that people should have the ability to apply this understanding to answer questions and solve problems.

Energy literacy is an understanding of the nature and role of energy in the universe and in our lives. Energy literacy is also the ability to apply this understanding to answer questions and solve problems. 

They also defined what an energy literate person is.
  • can trace energy flows and think in terms of energy systems;
  • knows how much energy he or she uses, for what, and where that energy comes from;
  • can assess the credibility of information about energy;
  • can communicate about energy and energy use in meaningful ways;
  • is able to make informed energy and energy use decisions based on an understanding of impacts and consequences; and
  • continues to learn about energy throughout his or her life.
Now, based from the definition given by the US DOE, can you confidently say that you are energy literate? If you believe that you can't do any of the above,  that only means that you need to learn more about energy, in order not to be at the mercy of others. (You can start by reading or watching Energy 101 materials here.)


Energy literacy does not only let you understand what energy is and its impact in your daily lives, it also empowers you to speak up and help solve different energy issues of our country and the world.

Here's a sample energy quiz which should tell you a bit of your knowledge about energy. Answers are provided at the end. (This questionnaire only provides a brief overview of your knowledge, a comprehensive assessment should be done in order to asses your energy literacy level.) 


1. Which country emitted the most carbon dioxide in 2019?
    
     a. Japan            b. America                 c. China          d. Philippines

2. True or False. In 2019, the Philippines was able to sustain the country's energy demand, even without importing energy resources from other countries.

     a. True              b. False

3. Which source provided the largest supply of electricity for the Philippines in 2019?

     a. Solar             b. Coal             c. Natural Gas          d. Hydro

4. Energy is best defined as?

     a. The flow of electricity
     b. The rate at which work is done
     c. The ability to do work
     d. Renewables and Fossil Fuels

5. Household electricity bills charge consumers by the ____, the unit of measure for an amount of electricity.

     a. Watts (W)
     b. Kilowatt-hours (kWh)
     c. Volts (V)
     d. Horsepower (hp)

6. A light bulb converts…

     a. Electrical energy to radiant (light) energy
     b. Chemical energy to radiant (light) energy
     c. Electrical energy to radiant (light) and thermal energy
     d. Chemical energy to radiant (light) and thermal energy

7. The original or major energy source for almost all living things on Earth is:

     a. Water             b. The Sun            c. Oxygen            d. Plants

8. Which of the following is NOT a renewable energy source?

     a. Solar
     b. Biomass
     c. Geothermal
     d. Natural Gas

9. Which is the most energy intensive sector in the Philippines in 2019?

     a. Industry
     b. Households
     c. Transport
     d. Agriculture

10. True of False. In 2019, the Household Sector's highest energy consumption was from Electricity.

     a. True              b. False


There are many great energy quizzes online, should you want to further test your general knowledge relating to energy.

Answer Key
  1. c. China - it emitted almost double than America and about 70 times than the Philippines
  2. a. False - the Philippines was only able to supply about 51.4% from its indigenous sources  (check the 2019 Philippine Energy Situationer)
  3. b. Coal - supply from this source contributes to about 54.6%
  4. c. The ability to do work  - learn more about energy here
  5. b. Kilowatt-hours (kWh)  - a dominant portion of households electricity bills are charged through the kWh consumption
  6. c. Electrical energy to radiant (light) and thermal energy  
  7. b. The Sun  
  8. d. Natural Gas - check the renewable energy sources here
  9. c. Transport  - this sector has a 34.9% share in the Total Final Energy Consumption (check the 2019 Philippine Energy Situationer)
  10. b. False - Households consumption from Electricity only comprises about 27.1% of their total energy consumption, while energy from Biomass comprises about 59.4% (check the 2019 Philippine Energy Situationer)

References: 

Cezar, is a Registered Electrical Engineer by profession who acquired his degree from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños. He is also an Energy Transformation Expert with a background on renewables, transmission and distribution planning. He is currently focusing on energy policy research and development.

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